Craig Smyth, Group CEO of Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), has announced new appointments to further strengthen the company’s leadership team and to signal WFS’ ambition to build its cargo and ground handling operations globally.
WFS is already the world’s largest cargo handler and a leading global provider of ground handling services with annual revenues of over €1 billion. Present at 198 major airports in 21 countries on five continents, WFS serves 50 million passengers and handles 6.3 million tonnes of cargo per annum for 300 airline customers.
WFS’ Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia regions will be divided into two service product regions – Cargo and Ground Handling – to facilitate the execution of the company’s strategic plans:
- John Batten will lead WFS’ Cargo operations as EVP Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA);
- Will Facey, currently Head of Network Operations at EasyJet, will join
WFS on 28 August this year as EVP Ground Handling operations for Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia
(EMEAA). Will brings to the role tremendous knowledge of the low- cost airline sector and understands the reliance airlines are increasingly putting on their ground handling partners.
The appointments announced today also support WFS’ strategy of creating strong central functions and providing expert support to its experienced regional leadership teams and operations:
• Barry Nassberg, formerly Group COO, becomes Group Chief Commercial Officer, reporting to Craig Smyth.
He will be responsible for leading
and coordinating WFS’ network commercial activities;
• Justin Jaques, formerly VP Asia & Middle East, will become SVP Group Commercial, reporting to Barry,
to focus on global key accounts and major tenders. The new WFS Commercial function will operate from Roissy, Paris.
WFS has also named Catherine Thomas as General Counsel & Head of Legal. Catherine brings with her 25 years of legal experience acquired in the UK and in France.
In support of its number one priority to be a world class provider of safety and security, in recent months WFS has also appointed David Clark as Global as Head of Safety & Security, Pedro Garcia as Chief Information Officer and Fabienne Bricaud as Global Head of People.
Commenting on the appointments, Craig Smyth said: “We have clear strategic goals for the future of WFS and the leadership team we are building will drive this next phase of our expansion. In putting this team together, we are combining the existing knowledge and extensive expertise already in the company with new blood as we develop our world class suite of aviation services for our customers through our one global network.”
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