Air Canada CEO Appointed as New Chair of Star Alliance Board

Serving as the official spokesperson of the board of directors

Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada, has been elected as the new chairman of the board of directors of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance to which Asiana Airlines belongs.

On the 10th, Star Alliance announced that Michael Rousseau, President and CEO of Air Canada, was elected as the new chairman of the board of directors of the executive management.

New Chairman Michael Rousseau stated, "I will work with the board for the next two years to provide an optimized customer experience, which is the vision of Star Alliance," and added, "I ask for the active participation of all member airlines so that the vision can become a reality as soon as possible."

The Star Alliance executive management board consists of CEOs from 25 member airlines. As the highest decision-making body of the alliance, it establishes the overall strategic direction.

Michael Rousseau will serve as the chairman of the executive management board and also act as the official spokesperson for the board. He plans to preside over the biannual board meetings and lead Star Alliance's strategic direction.

Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO of Star Alliance, said, "We welcome Michael Rousseau, one of the most experienced CEOs on the board, as the new chairman," and added, "We look forward to closely cooperating to realize the new vision and express our gratitude to Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, who successfully served as chairman for the past four years."

Michael Russo, President of Air Canada, who was elected as the new Chairman of the Star Alliance Executive Board (right), is shaking hands with Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO of Star Alliance. Photo by Asiana Airlines