oneworld, the global airline alliance, has appointed Filip Lemmens as Corporate Sales Manager, as it seeks to build its lead in this sector.
The alliance - comprising Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas - last year earned hundred millions of dollars from dozens of corporate customers, with revenues particularly strong in the home markets of its key SkyTeam and Star competitors - and is looking for substantial growth in the year ahead.
oneworld's sales activities make a significant contribution to the overall financial benefit the alliance delivers to its eight member airlines - expected this year to total approaching US$1 billion through revenue generation, protection and feed, and savings from joint purchasing and shared airport and city facilities.
Together the alliance's airline members generated some US$50 billion of revenue last year. They currently serve 574 destinations in 134 countries and territories, with more than 8,500 flights every day - that's the equivalent of an aircraft taking off or landing every five seconds right around the clock.
In his new role - which follows a shuffling of responsibilities among the alliance's central Sales team - Filip will be responsible for developing a long-term strategy for the alliance's corporate sales product and for oneworld global sales, besides implementing new products for specific sectors of the market.
Working closely with the sales teams in the eight oneworld member airlines, he will continue to report to Maunu von Lueders, oneworld's Vice-President Sales, working from the Vancouver offices of the oneworld Management Company.
Filip's current responsibilities for supporting oneworld's global sales will now be picked up by Sarah Benjamin, as Manager Global Sales and Marketing Support, expanding her current role at
oneworld.
Before joining the central oneworld team, Filip Lemens had worked for American Airlines in his native Belgium, latterly in Corporate Sales. He joined the oneworld team two years ago, initially as Sales Project Manager Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. He is a graduate of Antwerp University, where he took a master's degree in economics, specialising in airline alliances.
Sarah Benjamin spent two years on British Airways' finance graduate scheme before moving to Vancouver. She joined oneworld there 18 months ago as a marketing analyst, being promoted to Manager Marketing and Sales Support a year. |