The Board of Directors of Swissport International Ltd. has appointed Per H. Utnegaard (47) as the new President & CEO of the Swissport Group. He will assume his duties on September 1. Utnegaard brings a…
The Board of Directors of Swissport International Ltd. has appointed Per H. Utnegaard (47) as the new President & CEO of the Swissport Group. He will assume his duties on September 1. Utnegaard brings a proven and internationally-experienced transport and logistics specialist to this world leader in the aviation services field. Overall group strategy will remain unchanged: Swissport will continue to focus on profitable growth by actively seeking further opportunities to explore and exploit existing, new and emerging markets.
Swissport’s Board of Directors is delighted to appoint Per H. Utnegaard (47) as the Group’s new President & CEO. Per H. Utnegaard is not only an experienced specialist in the field; he will also ensure a smooth transition and succession from current President & CEO Santiago Olivares, who has recently been appointed CEO of Ferrovial Servicios and will be dedicating all his time and energies to further developing and accelerating the growth of this division within the Ferrovial Group, said the Board.
Per H. Utnegaard has his own management consultancy firm in Zug/Switzerland, and he was wholesale Director and Group Board Member of Alliance UniChem Plc. He has also held various senior management roles worldwide within Danzas/Deutsche Post and the TNT Group.
Current Group CEO Santiago Olivares commented: “With Per, Swissport is not only acquiring a vast amount of professional expertise and experience; we are also gaining an individual with proven leadership credentials. We are delighted to bring Per aboard, and wish him every success and satisfaction in his new capacity.”
A strong performance for the first six months
Swissport International Ltd. continues to strengthen its position in the aviation services market. Total operating revenue for the first six months of 2007 was 10% higher than the same period last year, well above the industry average; and the outlook for the rest of 2007 is very promising, too.
Swissport International has further extended its operations in attractive markets over the last few weeks. By opening two new stations in Sofia (Bulgaria) and Nagoya (Japan), Swissport continues to offer its airline customers an enhanced ground handling product and an expanded network of services. Swissport was also honoured with another award in May when it was named Best Global Ground Handling Company for 2007 by the London-based Institute for Transport Management. The distinction further underlines Swissport’s dedication to continuously improving its service performance in both quality and quantity terms.
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