The Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG has recommended to the Supervisory Board of Austrian Airlines AG the appointment of Jaan Albrecht as new Chairman and CEO of the Austrian carrier.
Together with Executive Board members, Dr. Peter Malanik and Dr. Andreas Bierwirth, Jaan Albrecht is to continue the efforts to reinstate Austrian Airlines firmly in a competitive and profitable position, and integrate the Company sustainably and successfully in the Lufthansa Airline Group.
Lufthansa Executive Board Chairman and CEO Christoph Franz is delighted to have gained the services of an established airline expert: “His experience, his network and excellent industry know-how equip him ideally to master the huge challenges facing Austrian Airlines. With Jaan Albrecht, we are strengthening the team on the Executive Board with an internationally recognised top manager, who simultaneously commands profound expertise in integration management.“
Jaan Albrecht has been Chief Executive Officer of Star Alliance Services GmbH for ten years. In that function, he has been hugely influential in expanding the leadership role of the Star Alliance in worldwide air traffic competition. The Alliance, with its 27 member-airlines, offers passengers seamless services and service processes of high quality in a global route network.
Jaan Albrecht began his career in the airline business as a pilot at Mexicana Airlines in 1973 prior to taking over diverse executive positions at the Mexican carrier from 1990. For the Cintra parent company, he initially managed AeroPeru and, subsequently, the Aeromexpress cargo carrier as Chief Executive Officer.
Jaan Albrecht has a degree in architecture from the Technical University in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish, English and German.
His grandparents came from Austria and he has dual German-Mexican nationality. He is married and the father of three children.
The position of CEO at Austrian Airlines became vacant when Thierry Antinori declined an offer to take over the post.
