KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — AirAsia Group Bhd chief executive officer (CEO) Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has been appointed as the CEO of airasia.com, the low-cost airline’s travel and lifestyle e-commerce platform.
In a statement today, AirAsia said the move was a leadership reorganisation in support of its transformation into a travel and financial platform company, as well as to build airasia.com into a lifestyle brand.
“Fernandes will double up as CEO of airasia.com with an eye to appointing a new CEO, who will report to him in due course,” it said.
Joining Fernandes are the group’s chief commercial officer (CCO) Karen Chan, who will drive all commercial functions as airasia.com’s CCO, and Spencer Lee, who will take up the role of airasia.com chief operating officer managing the online business portfolio that includes OURSHOP, AirAsia WiFi (ROKKI), hotel partnerships and others, it said.
“A chief product officer for airasia.com will also be appointed to head up the product teams, while AirAsia Software Engineering and Technology (AASET) head Elias Vafiadis will continue to lead software engineering, all reporting to Fernandes in the interim,” it said.
Meanwhile, the statement said AirAsia deputy CEO (Airlines) Bo Lingam has been appointed as the group’s president (Airlines), and will also head up AirAsia SEA (formerly known as AirAsia Global Shared Services), a shared services centre that provides corporate and support services to AirAsia.
“He will continue to run the core airline business and drive customer service improvements and cost efficiencies through digitalisation and the One AirAsia initiative,” it said.
It added that Aireen Omar has been appointed as the group’s president (RedBeat Ventures) and will head up the corporate venture capital arm.
“In this role, she will focus on seeking out new companies and technologies to power AirAsia’s core business while still overseeing the company’s digital businesses such as BigPay, Teleport and AirAsia BIG Loyalty,” it said. — Bernama
