The Austrian Airlines Supervisory Board has appointed Annette Mann as the new CEO/CFO of the airline. In December, Mann was nominated for the position after former CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech agreed to take over at WestJet. We explore the career of Annette Mann and what she brings to Austrian Airlines.

Annette Mann appointed new CEO

From March 1st, Austrian Airlines will have a new chief executive - Annette Mann. After her nomination in December, Mann will officially take over all CEO and CFO duties beginning next month.

Mann is currently the Head of Corporate Responsibility at Lufthansa Group, the parent company of Austrian Airlines. At 44 years old, she has spent 18 years at Lufthansa Group in a variety of strategic, conceptual and operational roles.

Mann said,

"I'm looking forward to my new task in Vienna with great enthusiasm and look forward to working with my two colleagues, the entire team and to the Austrian team spirit that is well known throughout the group."

Mann will be part of a three-strong executive team at the airline, which includes CCO Michael Trestl and COO Francesco Sciortino. Trestl and Sciortino have managed the company since the departure of CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech to WestJet.

Christina Foerster, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, said,

"Michael Trestl and Francesco Sciortino managed the company excellently even in this phase, despite the ongoing pandemic of the ongoing pandemic. All the prerequisites for a good start for Annette Mann are therefore in place. With Annette Mann, Austrian Airlines will have a top manager with broad expertise at its helm."

Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility

Mann has spent over a year in charge of Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group. According to Austrian Airlines, this role "was responsible for the further development, management and implementation of a holistic and group-wide sustainability program."

Before this, Mann held various management positions within the company, including Product Management at SWISS. She currently sits on the Swiss Aviation Foundation for Lufthansa, is on the Supervisory Board of Lufthansa CityLine and is Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of Help Alliance gGmbH.

Fleet renewal plans announced

The new Austrian Airlines CEO takes over as the carrier undergoes a long-overdue fleet renewal. On Wednesday, the airline announced its plans to modernize its short-to-medium haul fleet with the A320neo.

Austrian Airlines will take four new A320neos by Spring 2023 as part of meeting its sustainability targets. Mann will have played a key role in developing and implementing said sustainability targets in her position as SVP of Corporate Responsibility.

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