BAA appoints 4 new aviation leader in ME to its advisory board
Bauer Aviation Advisory (BAA), the aviation and strategy consulting firm, has appointed four new aviation leaders in the Middle East to its advisory board.
The advisory board’s members include former President and CEO of Royal Jordanian, Stefan Pichler, Laila Hareb Almheiri who led the transformation of the General Civil Aviation Authority in UAE, Aya Sadder, the former Incubator manager of Intelak, the MENA region’s first aviation, travel and tourism incubator, and former Lufthansa senior executive and training captain, Tilmann Gabriel.
Linus Benjamin Bauer, managing director at Bauer Aviation Advisory, said: “As the aviation landscape evolves, we have put together a distinguished and diverse group of industry professionals to form our new advisory board as we gear up to accelerate our long-term business growth in the Middle East.
“With the advisory board’s vast experience and expertise, not only will our clients gain immense value, but it will also help us build on the foundation set by our consultants who are increasing our market presence and working to shape a sustainable future for aviation.”
Stefan Pichler has developed a stellar reputation for his strategic turnarounds of airline businesses. As CEO of Royal Jordanian, he helped the airline return to profitability in 2017 and post positive financial results in 2018 and 2019. Pichler was also previously CEO of Jazeera Airways and worked closely with Etihad Airways as CEO of airberlin after signing restructuring deals with the UAE’s national carrier. Pichler also served as the CEO of Fiji Airways and Thomas Cook as well as the CCO of Virgin Australia and Lufthansa.
Pichler is joined by Emirati aviation leader, Laila Hareb Almheiri, who has more than 28 years’ experience in the industry. Almheiri is recognized by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Aviation Women’s Association as one of the top 70 Women Inspiring Generations of Aviation Professionals in the world. Previously, Almheiri managed UAE Candidacy campaigns for a seat on the ICAO executive council and increased UAE air connectivity by securing multiple bilateral agreements that facilitated the growth of four major UAE carriers: Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, FlyDubai and Air Arabia.
“Having members like Stefan Pichler and Laila Hareb as part of our advisory board boosts our company’s reputation and long-term credibility in the marketplace. Their strategic expertise in organizational restructuring and strategic turnaround management will motivate clients to rethink how they can optimize their business models at a time when the industry recovery picks up pace. I’m very much looking forward to working closely with the advisory board and bringing an innovative approach to expert advisory that will shape the future of the aviation industry,” added Bauer.
