Following the resignation of Jean-Marc Janaillac, Canadian Benjamin Smith, former Air Canada number 2, was appointed to replace him. What is the profile of the new director of Air France - KLM?
Most commonly, the company has had highly qualified airline directors: the last two leaders both graduated from the ENA. With a shorter academic career and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, Benjamin Smith's profile stands out.
The airline's new director has more industry experience than his predecessor: he joined Air Canada in 1990 as a sales and customer service agent in one of its subsidiaries and returned to the airline in 2002.
He then went to work developing the low cost offer with Tango and participated in the creation of the low cost subsidiary Air Canada Rouge. In 2014, he was appointed President of Air Canada, Rouge, Express and Cargo, and Chief Operating Officer of the Air Canada Group.
With a salary of 3.3 million euros per year, "Ben" became the new head of Air France-KLM this summer.
