IATA appoints Saadia Zahidi as next Director General
Saadia Zahidi, incoming Director General, IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appointed Saadia Zahidi as its next Director General, effective November 1.
Zahidi will be IATA’s ninth Director General and the first woman to hold the position. She joins from the World Economic Forum (WEF), where she is Managing Director and a member of the Managing Board.
Current Director General Willie Walsh will conclude his duties on July 31. Sandrine Le Borgne, IATA’s Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services, will serve as Interim Director General during the transition.
“Saadia’s long and outstanding experience at the World Economic Forum will enhance and strengthen IATA as the voice of the world’s airlines,” said Roberto Alvo, Chair of the IATA Board of Directors and CEO of LATAM Airlines Group.
Zahidi has spent more than two decades at the WEF and currently leads its Centre for the New Economy and Society. She said her priority will be working with IATA’s member airlines and partners to build aviation’s future through innovation, resilience and sustainable growth.
