At a meeting of the ANA Board of Directors today, ANA Senior Executive Vice President Mineo Yamamoto was named as…
At a meeting of the ANA Board of Directors today, ANA Senior Executive Vice President Mineo Yamamoto was named as President and CEO of ANA with effect from April 1 this year.
An ANA veteran of 35 years, Mr Yamamoto`s career has spanned senior appointments in Inflight Services, Corporate Planning, Legal Affairs and Personnel, amongst others. His roles have brought him to the forefront of issues facing employees and the airline industry, and as such he has been a key figure in cost reduction initiatives and union negotiations crucial to ANA/s recent financial turnaround.
While continuing to guide ANA through its restructuring efforts, his vision is to secure a stronger competitive base and seize developments in Japan/s airport infrastructure, such as the 2009 expansion and internationalisation of Haneda airport, to spring-board ANA into a period of growth on both international and domestic fronts.
Mr Yamamoto will succeed Yoji Ohashi, who has led ANA since April 1, 2001. Mr Ohashi/s Presidency encompassed the four most turbulent years in aviation history, through which he successfully led a turnaround of ANA/s fortunes. Mr Yamamoto has been widely credited with the implementation and realisation of Mr Ohashi/s policies.
Under Mr Ohashi, the company underwent a wide-ranging restructuring programme that incorporated sweeping cost-cutting measures, rationalisation of the ANA fleet, and large investment in new aircraft and airport facilities. The fruits of his tenure include a return to profit in fiscal 2003, the resumption of dividend payments to shareholders for the first time in seven years, and ANA/s first profitable operations on international routes. The decision to become the launch customer of the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner was also made under Mr Ohashi.
Mr Ohashi will become ANA Chairman from April 1, succeeding Kichisaburo Nomura, who in turn will be appointed Executive Advisor.
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