Aussie expat wins Fiji Airways marketing role

Fiji Airways has recruited Aussie airline and travel industry executive Otto Gergye to fill the newly created executive general manager sales and marketing position.

Reporting into Gergye (pictured) is the recently appointed general manager of marketing, Franc Zvonar.

The full release:

“Thursday, 8 May 2014:Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline continues on its path to enhanced profitability, growth and a global footprint by restructuring its commercial area and announcing two key senior appointments.

The Sales and Marketing functions have now been separated from Commercial Strategy, Revenue Management and Network & Fleet Planning. The airline has appointed Australian Otto Gergye in the newly created position of Executive General Manager Sales and Marketing. An experienced airline and travel industry executive, Otto is now responsible for Fiji Airways’ global sales force and regional sales offices, as well as all sales channels and marketing oversight.

Otto brings over 18 years of airline and travel experience to Fiji Airways, having held senior positions around the globe ranging from Senior Vice President Sales at Air Berlin to Director of Sales Greater China with the Flight Centre group. He was also the Chief Commercial Officer of MALEV, Hungarian Airlines, and Sales Manager with British Airways in Germany. In Madrid, Spain, Otto managed key global customer relationships for Amadeus and worked for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in his native Australia.

Reporting to Otto in the role of General Manager Marketing is the recently appointed Franc Zvonar. Bringing vast marketing experience and knowledge to the role working in both Australia and the UK, Zvonar has previously worked with Virgin Australia, where he oversaw the introduction of their frequent flyer programme. Zvonar brings over 16 years of Consumer, Brand, Retail, Digital, Direct and Loyalty Marketing experience to the role. He has also worked with Flight Centre Limited, where he designed their global direct marketing and customer retention programmes and ebookers.co.uk (part of Orbitz Worldwide), where he worked as Head of Direct Marketing in London and across Europe.

Former Chief Commercial Officer Aubrey Swift is now the airline’s new Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for Revenue Management and Network & Fleet Planning. Both, Aubrey Swift and Otto Gergye, will report directly to the Managing Director and CEO.

All positions are based at the Fiji Airways’ Head Office in Nadi, Fiji.

Managing Director and CEO Stefan Pichler says: “This re-structure is a necessary step which will allow us to meet our financial and commercial targets. By separating day-to-day sales and marketing functions from the more strategic fleet and network planning as well as revenue management, our teams can now better focus on ensuring our airline’s growth and increasing profitability.”

“This now allows Aubrey and his team to better focus on a key deliverable of our Five Year Masterplan, which is growing our network, getting the right aircraft, building new code-share and interline alliances, while maintaining oversight of our Revenue Management functions.”

“Otto knows our key markets of Australia and Asia very well. He will be instrumental in establishing an effective sales force, maximising returns from all sales channels and with Franc’s help, launch and grow our digital marketing capabilities, especially fijiairways.com, as well as our Tabua Club membership programme and global marketing partnerships. I have also tasked them to build Fiji Airways as a global consumer brand and a leading global boutique airline, carrying on from our rebrand last year. We are delighted to have them onboard.””

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