Following a global search by WestJet, Alexis von Hoensbroech is the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the airline group.
The official start date for von Hoensbroech is subject to the timing of a successful immigration process, expected to be completed before the end of the first quarter of 2022.
Harry Taylor, the interim CEO, will continue in the role until that time and then resume his position as executive vice-President finance and chief financial officer.
Before accepting this role, von Hoensbroech served as CEO of Austrian Airlines, starting in 2018, where he led the airline through the COVID-19 crisis, significantly strengthening its competitiveness during a difficult period. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group and Austria’s largest airline, operating a significant network in central and eastern Europe, among the world’s most competitive and lowest cost airline markets.
After obtaining a doctorate in physics, von Hoensbroech spent his early career at the management consultancy company, The Boston Consulting Group, in Munich and Tokyo, with clients primarily from the aviation industry.
He joined the Lufthansa Group in 2005, responsible for the strategy and subsidiaries of Lufthansa airline. He worked on various integration projects and became head of commercial at the airline’s biggest hub before moving to Lufthansa Cargo AG.
As CEO and CFO of Austrian Airlines, he recently held management responsibilities for human resources, business development, corporate communications, political and legal affairs and performed the CFO functions controlling, financing, accounting, and sourcing.
