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Airbus names Julie Kitcher EVP Communications and Corporate Affairs

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Airbus has appointed Julie Kitcher as Executive Vice-President Communications and Corporate Affairs, effective immediately. In this role, she joins the Airbus Executive Committee leading all external and internal communication activities, reporting to Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

In her new role, Julie will steer and co-ordinate the transformation agenda of Airbus and manage Audit, Performance Management, Responsibility and Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, in addition to her position as the Chief of Staff to the CEO.

Previously, Julie was Head of Investor Relations and Financial Communication at Airbus, a role she held since May 2015.

“Julie brings the right mindset, skills and background to lead Airbus’ global communication activities and further strengthen the Company’s brand and reputation worldwide,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “As Head of Investor Relations and Financial Communication, she proved her ability to build trust within the financial community and deliver clear and timely information to the markets. In her new role, she will coordinate the Company’s transformation efforts to help shape the story of Airbus as we open the next chapter in our journey.”

In her Head of Communications role, Julie Kitcher will take over from Rainer Ohler, who is leaving Airbus after 24 years in the Company, including more than 13 successful years as Head of Communications.

“I’m excited to be appointed in this new role at such an important moment in the history of Airbus,” said Julie Kitcher. “I feel honoured to have the opportunity to lead a world class Communications and Corporate Affairs team that – within the functions I have been entrusted to lead – will boost the dialogue with employees and stakeholders across the globe as well as help shape and transform the Airbus of the future.”

Julie joined Airbus in December 2000 as a Financial Analyst in Airbus in the UK and has held a number of roles within Finance since. She is a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA) with an MSc in Accounting, ESC Skema (Lille).

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Heart of Europe Travel Summit set for Dubai this month

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In a combined effort, Atout France’s travel trade workshop, Marhaba, will kick off its two-day event on April 24 while the national tourist boards of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria will take over on April 26 and host the Heart of Europe Travel Summit at Sofitel, The Palm Resort & Spa, Dubai.

Demonstrating their commitment to the Gulf region, the European national tourist boards of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France are hosting an exclusive networking event in Dubai this April, ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

More than 40 tourism suppliers from France and 80 from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria ranging from local tourist boards, hotels, destination management companies, airports, shopping facilities, and transport companies as well as medical clinics are looking forward to developing knowledge about the destinations, and also providing travel trade from the GCC with the opportunity to source products to enhance their holiday offerings for the summer season and beyond. The four tourism boards expect an attendance of over 100 buyers from the GCC region.

Highlighting the importance of the travel trade industry in the Gulf region, Sigrid de Mazieres, Director–Gulf Countries, German National Tourist Office, said, “We are excited to collaborate with our European neighboring countries, and to facilitate business relations between our touristic partners and the local travel trade through this new innovative platform.”

The travel trade workshops will include pre-scheduled B2B appointments, cutting-edge presentations and extensive social programs to experience the destinations’ hospitality and networking opportunities with participating decision-makers.

“We believe that one of the many challenges facing the travel trade industry today is to keep abreast of the growing and changing needs of travelers from the region. This joint and unprecedented event is a direct response to assist the travel trade in selling our countries,” explained Karim Mekachera, Regional Director, Atout France Middle East.

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Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center in Northport under new management

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Olympia Hotel Management announced today that they will assume management of Point Lookout Resort and Conference Center in Northport, Maine. The dramatic 387 acre conference center and resort property is set on mountainside terrain overlooking Penobscot Bay, in Maine’s scenic Mid-Coast region.

The new owner of Point Lookout is Deep Creek Grazing Association. David and Tami Hirschfeld, of Camden are the principals of Deep Creek Grazing Association. They are proud to take the helm of such a majestic property, one that offers guests, wedding couples and corporate clients an authentic Maine experience.

“The Hirschfelds look forward to welcoming new and returning guests to Point Lookout,” says Matthew Arrants, Executive Vice President of Pinnacle Advisory Group, on behalf of Deep Creek Grazing Association. “They are devoted to the region and deeply committed to the resort’s employees. As Maine residents, they intend to be good stewards of this remarkable property. It’s why they reached out to a Maine-based company like Olympia Hotel Management for their hospitality and operational expertise.”

For Portland-based Olympia Hotel Management, which currently manages such Maine hotels as the award-winning Inn by the Sea, Point Lookout is a welcome opportunity to partner with another iconic property in their home state.

“We’re thrilled to take over the management of Point Lookout,” says Sara Masterson, Senior Vice President of Olympia Hotel Management. “We have a deep and lasting commitment to the state of Maine and this remarkable coastal property aligns perfectly with our expertise in managing outstanding properties that play an integral role in the local community.”

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Pierre Dominique Prümm joins Fraport Executive Board

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Pierre Dominique Prümm joins Fraport Executive Board

In its meeting today (Thursday, March 14), Fraport AG’s supervisory board appointed Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm to the company’s executive board, effective July 2019. Prümm will take over board responsibility for Fraport’s “Airside and Terminal Management, Corporate Safety and Security” strategic business unit and the “Corporate Infrastructure Management” service unit.

Fraport AG’s supervisory board chairman Karlheinz Weimar welcomed the addition of Dr. Prümm to the executive board: “The global aviation industry will continue to undergo profound changes in the coming years. This will also bring multiple and significant challenges to Fraport AG as well as other industry players. Therefore, it is essential that we expand and strengthen our company’s executive board to meet the growing challenges and responsibilities.”

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Weimar also referred to the construction of Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3, which is now fully underway, pointing out that “this project will entail strong changes in the existing traffic and terminal utilization structures. This means that we will not only have to optimally market the new Terminal 3, we will also have to redesign and upgrade our existing terminals – and we will have to do this while serving more passengers than ever before and while maintaining during regular operations.”

Therefore, the allocation of Prümm’s respective board responsibilities is a logical consequence of the challenges ahead, explained Weimar: “We need to align the management of our construction measures even closer to the demands and requirements of the market and our customers. We are confident that Dr. Prümm has the right expertise and know-how for this significant task.”

The Fraport Group is committed to further growth, both at its Frankfurt Airport home base and internationally. In the long and medium term, the Group intends to grow the share of revenue gained from its worldwide activities to 50 percent. Weimar added: “Our international activities, which remain under the responsibility of CEO Dr. Schulte, will play an increasingly important role for Fraport’s business.” In addition to the “Global Investment and Management” unit, Schulte’s board responsibilities will continue to include the “Airport Expansion South” unit, as well as the “Corporate Development, Environment and Sustainability” and “Corporate Communications” units.

Because digital transformation has become a decisive factor in all business segments, expertise in this area will be bundled in a new “Digitization and Innovation Management” department. The new organizational unit will be under the responsibility of executive board member Anke Giesen, who will also serve as Fraport’s Executive Director Retail & Real Estate. Giesen will continue to have board responsibility for Fraport’s “Retail and Properties” unit, as well as the “HR Top Executives” and “Legal Affairs and Compliance” units. Furthermore, the “Information and Telecommunications” unit has been newly assigned to her.

Executive board member Michael Müller, who is also Fraport’s Executive Director Labor Relations, will be assigned board responsibility for the new “Cargo and Logistics Management” unit. Three other units continue reporting directly to Müller: “Ground Services”, “Human Resources” and “Internal Auditing”.

Fraport’s Executive Director Controlling and Finance (CFO), Dr. Matthias Zieschang, will have board responsibilities for the following units: “Integrated Facility Management”, “Central Purchasing and Construction Contracts”, “Controlling”, “Finance and Investor Relations”, and “Accounting”.

Alexander Laukenmann will assume Dr. Prümm’s responsibilities as Senior Executive Vice President of the “Airside and Terminal Management, Corporate Safety and Security” unit. Previously holding the position of General Manager at Hamburg Airport, Laukenmann is returning to Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport, where he was employed in various positions from 2000 to 2016.

Supervisory board chairman Karlheinz Weimar concluded: “I am convinced that Fraport’s new executive team is excellently prepared to meet the challenges facing us in the future. The entire supervisory board wishes the executive board and the company’s management team success in ensuring a prosperous future for the Fraport Group and its employees.”

A short biography of Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm

Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, who is 45, joined Fraport on June 1, 2006, as head of the “Corporate Strategy” division within the former “Marketing, Corporate Strategy and Committees” department. On January 1, 2007, this function was integrated into the new “Corporate Strategy” unit, reporting directly to Fraport’s executive board chairman.

Following a major reshuffle of the company’s executive structure on October 1, 2010, the “Corporate Strategy” unit became part of the new “Corporate Development” unit headed by Prümm as Senior Vice President. On October 1, 2012, Prümm became Senior Executive Vice President of the “Airside and Terminal Operations, Corporate Safety and Security” unit, before advancing to the position of Fraport AG’s General Manager Aviation on April 1, 2018.

Prümm holds a Doctorate in Economics, as well as university degrees in business administration and political sciences. Before joining Fraport AG, he was a member of the managing board of Flughafen Hannover-Langenhangen GmbH, the company that runs Hanover Airport. Prior to this, Prümm held managerial positions at Start Amadeus GmbH and Kienbaum Management Consultants GmbH.

Seychelles to take over Berlin in a tropical storm as strong tourism delegation hits ITB in March

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Destination Seychelles will have a strong presence in the German capital, Berlin, as a 42 strong member delegation gets ready to attend the 53rd edition of Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) travel trade show, which will take place from March 6, 2019 to March 10, 2019.

Staged annually in Berlin, the ITB is the one of the world’s leading travel show and is a-must attend business-to-business event; providing a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to Germany and international travel professionals.

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The show provides a unique opportunity for the entire global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.

Destination Seychelles be featured alongside over 180 countries and some 10,000 companies and organisations, all fitted in 26 halls in the biggest marketplace of the international travel industry.

The exotic and breath-taking paradise of Seychelles will have its own destination stand covering a space of 180sqm from which the delegation will be actively selling the charms of the destination during the four days of the fair.

The Seychelles delegation will be headed by the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley, who will be accompanied by the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, and will comprise of representatives from hotels, airlines and DMCs in Seychelles.

The marketing wing of the Seychelles destination will be further represented by the presence at the Seychelles Stand of the Regional STB Director for Europe, Mrs. Bernadette Willemin, and the Director for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Ms. Edith Hunzinger. Marketing Executive, Ms. Winnie Elisa and Senior E-Marketing Executive Randy Rosalie from headquarters will assist them all well equipped to sell the destination as one everyone deserves to tick off their personal bucket list.

In anticipation of Seychelles’ presence once again in Berlin STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis mentioned the importance of the destination’s attendance adding on to the visibility of the destination.

“Seychelles presence in ITB is irrefutably some valuable exposure for the destination. Our selling tactic by attending major trade fairs as a tourism board is to make our destination as tangible as possible.

We are look forward to marketing Seychelles means selling the destination ‘sea-sun-sand’ alongside our other features like our creole culture and hospitality. Our presence in major trade fairs adds on to the value of the experience and our partners”, said Mrs. Francis.

Thousands of senior travel industry professionals, Government Ministers, and international press visit ITB each year in March to network negotiate and discover latest trends and industry opinions.

Representatives of hotels include Mr. Fabrice Collot and Ms. Patricia de Mayer from Banyan Tree Seychelles, Ms. Wendy Tan of Berjaya Hotels Seychelles, Mrs. Foram Varsani from Cerf Island Resort and Ms. Ekaterina Gritsenko of Coral Strand Hotel and Savoy Seychelles Resort and Spa.

Other tourism establishment representatives are Mr. Ash Behari from Coco De Mer Hotel & Black Parrot Suites, Mr. Alan Mason representing both Denis Private Island and Carana Beach & Indian Ocean Lodge, Mr. Manuel Policarpo and Ms. Rui Oliveira of Eden Bleu Hotel, as well as Mr. Anthony Smith, Mr. Andre Borg and Mr. Daniele Fabbri of Hilton Seychelles.

Representing Kempinski Seychelles Resort & Spa will be Ms. Agata Sobczak and Mr. Masami Egami. Le Duc de Praslin and Valmer Resort will have a presence at the fair through Mr. Derek Savy and Mr. Robert Payet. Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove will be represented by Mr. Marc Wozniak and Mrs. Jenny Seraphine.

Other hotel representatives are Ms. Devi Sumayna Budhoo of Le Relax Management, Mr. Ferruccio Tirone and Ms. Samia Sedgwick of Maia Luxury Resorts & Spa and Paradise Sun, Mr. Eddie D’Offay of Pure Seychelles Hotels, Ms. Ernestina Bertarini and Ms. Sylvia Fletcher  of Raffles Seychelles and Mr. Sherif El Mansoury from the H Resort Beau Vallon Beach Seychelles.

Mr. Konrad Tarasiewicz from Coco Charter, and Mrs. Lucie Barone and Mr. Jonathan Loeffel will be representing VPM Yacht Charter Seychelles as DMCs.

DMCs also include Mrs. Anna Butler Payette and Ms. Dorina Cedras of 7° South, Mr. Lenny Alvis and Mrs. Elza Frichot Dahoo from Mason’s Travel as well as Mr. Guillaume Albert, Mr. Eric Renard, Mr. Philippe Cornaille, Ms. Amanda Lang and Ms. Luisa Mehl from Creole Travel Services.