Sita chief to stay while board chairman stands down

The chief executive of SITA has shelved plans to retire and will remain in his position until at least next summer.

The chief executive of Sita has shelved plans to retire and will remain in his position until at least next summer.


Francisco Violante revealed his intention to stay with the company after its Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Brussels.


It was also announced that Paul Coby, a former British Airways director, was standing down as chairman of the board after 10 years.


Bill Miller, a senior advisor on strategic IT partnerships from United Airlines, has replaced him.


Earlier this month at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting (AGM) in Doha, CEOs of Sita’s member airlines, including Willie Walsh of International Airlines Group (IAG) and Akbar Al Baker from Qatar Airways, called on the organisation to review the way it is governed.


The Sita Council has subsequently voted to support a joint-committee governance review, which will report its findings at the AGA in June next year.


Violante has agreed to remain at the company’s helm until at the review comes to a close.


Out-going chairman Coby said the decision to relinquish the chairmanship was entirely his own, and refuted any suggestion he had been pressured to leave.


He said: “It is important that the organisation listens to its members.”


He will retain his position on the board and said he had acquired a number of non-executive roles in other sectors.