Abra Group
HEICO
LATAM
ANAC Brasil
BahamasAir
Basil Khalil is the Vice-president of Operations for FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean Division. Based in Miami, Khalil manages a diverse team of more than 1,400 operations personnel that work in the CCA Region. The CCA Region consists of 39 countries and territories located in the Caribbean and Central America.
Khalil joined FedEx Express in 1997 as a financial analyst for the Financial Planning and Analysis department, where he was quickly promoted for leading a corporate-wide initiative to identify international growth strategies. As a manager, he was responsible for implementing the global cash handling and control system and rolling-out electronic invoicing in the Caribbean. As a managing director, Khalil had responsibility for all aspects of IT software development, telecommunications, and network engineering for the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) Division. Prior to his most recent role, Khalil had responsibilities for Planning, Engineering, Quality & Supply Chain for the Division.
He has been honored five times with the FedEx Five Star Award, the highest recognition bestowed on employees who demonstrate leadership, creativity, superior performance, and distinguished efforts in support of FedEx customers. In addition, Khalil was named to South Florida Business Journal’s 2013 prestigious list of ’40 Under 40’.
Prior to joining FedEx, he served as an operations analyst and senior systems analyst at Ryder Systems Inc. and later Ryder TRS.
Khalil earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami and is a current member of the University of Miami President’s Council. He serves on the Miami-Dade Beacon Council’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, under the Private Sector Director/Treasurer Board category, and he is also a member of the Officers Cabinet.
A graduate in Economics and Business at ESEN in El Salvador andMBA at Manchester University, she is, since July 2022, Iberia’s Head of Global Sales.
Beatriz has spent her entire career working in the field of revenue management at several airlines, and in 2014 she joined Iberia as senior director of revenue management for its long-haul flights. In May 2019 she became head of the department and, during her time in this role, she helped Iberia regain its leadership in the routes between Europe and Latin America.
Carlos Garcia Martin is a Partner in Oliver Wyman’s Transportation & Services practice, primarily focusing on large-scale cost takeout and operations engagements. With over 15 years of consulting experience, he has advised clients in various sectors of the aviation community across the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia. His expertise lies in commercial aviation, manufacturing, and the MRO market. He has led value creation diagnostics, delivered sustainable operational improvement initiatives for passenger and cargo airlines, designed strategies and processes for airline maintenance organizations, and evaluated fleet and MRO market forecasts. Additionally, he has provided guidance to top-tier Private Equity firms on aviation-focused strategic investments.
Carlos holds an MBA from IESE Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management, where he graduated with honors. He also holds an MSc (Summa Cum Laude) in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Pontificia Comillas.
Darius Kajokas is Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Avion Express. He started his career in Big 4 company Ernst & Young (EY). Thereafter worked in managerial positions in Pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors. Darius holds master’s degree in Financial Economics from Erasmus University (The Netherlands) and bachelor’s degree in Economics (Finance) from Vilnius University (Lithuania).
Frederico Pedreira es Chief Operating Officer de Avianca Group desde el 11 de enero de 2021. Regresó a la aerolínea con la misión de liderar los procesos relacionados con la operación y la entrega del servicio en un momento retador para la industria aérea, garantizando vuelos seguros y a tiempo.
Ejecutivo con una experiencia destacada en procesos de transformación empresarial, crecimiento, experiencia del cliente y gestión del cambio. Por más de 10 años, su trayectoria profesional la ha desarrollado en la industria aeronáutica, desempeñando cargos de Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President y Chief Financial Officer.
Frederico nació en Portugal. Su formación académica como Ingeniero Aeroespacial la realizó en la Universidad Técnica de Lisboa (Portugal) y SUPAERO (Francia), y cuenta con un MBA de la escuela de negocios INSEAD.
Gilberto Salcedo, Lawyer specialized in Public Management and candidate for a master’s degree in Tourism Destination Management.
With over 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors, he has served as Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Counsel and International Affairs at the ANDI, and President of the Colombian Air Transport Association, among other responsibilities.
For the past 5 years, he has led the Vice Presidency of Tourism at ProColombia, where his leadership in the tourism reactivation strategy earned him a global recognition from the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Jeremy Bowen is the CEO of Cirium, the aviation analytics company that is helping to shape an intelligent future for air travel.
Cirium is part of global information-based analytics company RELX PLC and Jeremy originally joined its FlightGlobal brand, the aviation arm of RELX in 2018, becoming CEO in 2019.
The company has since been rebranded as Cirium after the divestment of its legacy publishing business FlightGlobal, and significantly growing its portfolio with the acquisitions of Diio, FlightStats, Ascend, Innovata and Snowflake Software, with Jeremy leading the integration efforts to unlock the unique value these acquisitions bring to the aviation sector.
Jeremy has been in the data and analytics world all his career, previously with RELX’s Accuity business for eight years – a company focused on the financial services sector. Previous to this role, he spent 15 years with data insights company Dun & Bradstreet in leadership positions in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Jitendra Sindhwani is the President and Head of Global Sales and Marketing at IBS Software – a leading SaaS technology provider to the global travel industry.
Jitendra, fondly known as Jimpy, is a veteran professional who has made a mark in the global technology arena with over 20 years of diverse experience in management consulting and IT services for different verticals – communications, media and entertainment. Prior to IBS Software, he was with the technology services giant, Infoys for 16 years where he contributed significantly to the company’s growth across different regions, clients and verticals. Jimpy, who has spent most of his working life in the United States, has also led several strategic projects including M&A initiatives and penetrating the emerging digital and SMAC space. Jimpy’s professional competencies and strong people leadership skills are pivotal to delivering IBS Software’s business growth objectives.
In his present role, Jimpy is responsible for formulating new strategies to broaden IBS Software’s footprint in the aviation business, exploring uncharted geographies, strengthening current engagements, and thus consolidating IBS’ dominant presence in the travel, transportation and logistics technology sectors. In an industry marked by fierce competition, Jimpy focuses on helping customers stay ahead by facilitating business innovation using next generation systems and processes.
Jimpy completed Engineering from IIT Delhi, India and holds a post-graduate in management from IIM Bangalore, India. He lives with his family in Washington DC.
John Rodgerson is the CEO of Azul Brazilian Airlines. He started the company in 2008 and was a key driver of its development over the last 10 years. Under the leadership of David Neeleman and John Rodgerson, Azul has become the largest airline in Brazil by number of cities, serving more than 130 destinations in the country. With over US$2.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 13,000 crewmembers, Azul has been rated by Trip Advisor as the best airline in the world. John played a key role in developing Azul’s original business plan, its strong corporate culture, and differentiated customer experience. Prior to becoming Azul’s CEO in 2017, John was the airline´s CFO, responsible for raising over US$ 1 billion in capital and leading its IPO, with simultaneous listings at the New York Stock Exchange and the São Paulo Exchange. Prior to joining Azul, John served as Director of Planning and Financial Analysis at JetBlue from 2003 to 2008, where he fell in love with the airline sector. Before JetBlue, he worked for IBM Global Services. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Brigham Young University. John has been living in Brazil for the past 12 years, and besides his busy schedule as Azul’s CEO he volunteers as an English teacher. He is happily married with Brooke and together they have three sons.
José Ricardo Botelho is a Lawyer from the Catholic University of Salvador, Brazil with experience in civil aviation and public service.
Prior to joining ALTA, José Ricardo served for 4 years as President of the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and, for about 2 and a half years, he served as Brazil’s Alternate Diplomatic Delegate to ICAO, actively participating in the amendments to the text of the Tokyo Convention in the work relevant to Brazil’s entry in ICAO’s Public Key Directory (PKD) and in the systematization of API (Advanced Passenger Information), besides having worked on the rules against acts of unlawful interference (AVSEC) for civil aviation.
José Ricardo holds a postgraduate degree in Criminal Sciences from Jorge Amado University and a postgraduate degree in Public Security Management from the National Police Academy, both from Brazil.
Periodista con especialización en Sostenibilidad en la Universidad de Oxford, además de máster y doctor en Comunicación en la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Posee amplia experiencia en el diseño e implementación de estrategias comunicacionales y relacionamiento de organizaciones con su entorno.
Se ha desempeñado en la oficina regional para América Latina y el Caribe de la FAO, con sede en Santiago de Chile, además de desempeñar roles de gerente de Comunicaciones de Codelco y de BHP Sudamérica, entre otros. En 2019 se incorporó al grupo LATAM como Director de Asuntos Corporativos y Sostenibilidad, reportando directamente al CEO del grupo LATAM, y donde articula la estrategia corporativa de Asuntos Públicos, Comunicaciones Externas y Sostenibilidad.
Diogo Elias is the Senior Vice President of Avianca Cargo, a position he has held since 2023. He brings over 20 years of experience across various industries, including aviation, technology, retail, logistics, proptech, and financial services.
Diogo holds an MBA with an emphasis in Strategy and General Management from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Business with a focus on Operational Management and Statistical Modeling from the University of São Paulo.
Luís Rodrigues is Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of TAP Air Portugal since April 2023.
He holds a degree in Economics and a MBA from Faculdade de Economia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Nova SBE), in 2003 he took the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and enrolled in the PhD in 2019, in Political Science, at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas da Universidade de Lisboa (suspended for professional reasons).
Between 2003 and 2008, he was the marketing director of Portugal Telecom, having also been CEO of Fischer, between August 2008 and June 2009. Between June 2009 and December 2014 he was executive director at the holding company TAP SGPS and TAP S.A, having led the management of outstations in more than 90 destinations. He created and implemented a global cost reduction programme for the Company, and took over as CFO in April 2014. He was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of TAP Manutenção e Engenharia Brasil and executive director of SPdH – Serviços Portugueses de Handling, S.A.
He also presided over SATA, the Azores Airline, from the end of 2019 to April 2023.
Marcelo Guaranys, partner at Demarest Attorneys, has been a public officer of Treasury Secretariat of the Ministry of Economy. He holds a university degree in Economics from University of Brasilia and in Law from the University Center of Brasília. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Public Law from University of Brasilia. During his career, he worked with regulation of public services and infrastructure in the Finance Ministry and at the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic. From 2007 to 2010 he acted as Director of Economic Regulation of the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), and in 2011 he was appointed as Director-President of the Agency for the next 5 years. From 2016 to 2018 he was the Deputy Minister for Public Policies at the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil. Since January 2019 he is the Deputy Minister of Economy.
Marcelo was the President of the Latin America Civil Aviation Commission from 2011 to 2013 and has acted as delegate and head delegate for many meetings of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Mauricio Sana, CEO of Flybondi with more than 17 years of experience, graduated in Systems Engineering at the National University of Colombia, expert in Business Intelligence and Data Management. His professional trajectory has been developed in the commercial and revenue management areas in airlines, travel agencies and hotels in the region. He worked for Avianca and led Revenue Management and distribution for Copa in Colombia and the hotel chain Decameron Hotels & Resorts.
She joined Hitit as Creative Director in 2006; after holding positions as Brand Manager and Marketing Director, she was appointed Chief Officer of Sales and Marketing (CMO) in 2018. In this role, she achieved numerous successes in driving sales growth and expanding the company’s global market presence. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in key strategic initiatives, including overseeing the company’s IPO process, enhancing brand recognition, and leading Hitit’s digital transformation efforts. As of September 2024, Ms. Karaağaç has been serving as the CEO of the company.
Olga Lucía is a Partner in the Infrastructure, Projects and Public Law area of Martínez Quintero Mendoza González Laguado & De La Rosa. She has 17 years of experience in management positions in the private and public sectors and is an expert in aeronautics, airports, infrastructure and public policy issues. She has led major projects, both in the private sector and as a government official, serving as director of infrastructure and then as deputy minister of infrastructure of the Ministry of Transportation for about 3 years.
“After starting his airline industry career in Engineering, Pablo also held multiple managerial positions in Technical Operations before moving to Projects related to operations, fleet and systems. He then transitioned into more administrative roles like MRO Director before moving to the cargo industry. He currently leads the 4 cargo carriers covering Latin America as the region’s Vice President while still holding the General Manager position for the one base out of Panama. These business units operate under DHL Express within the Aviation division, serving stations in Latin America and the Caribbean connecting the region thru the Miami hub.
Pablo holds a Masters in Applied Economics & Business Administration in addition to his main educational degree of Masters in Aerospace Engineering.”
Shawn Gregor is responsible for leading SITA’s operations and driving strategic initiatives across the Americas region, further strengthening the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional value to its customers. Gregor extensive background includes overseeing digital transformation programs for clients within the aviation sector, with a geographical focus spanning the Americas, including work in the United States and Canada.
His career has featured numerous leadership roles, most recently serving as Vice President and Industry Leader for Travel and Transportation at IBM. Prior to his tenure at IBM, Gregor made substantial contributions at Infosys Technologies Limited and Accenture, where he developed several strategic business units.
Gregor has both US and Canadian citizenship and holds an MBA in Finance from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario.
Es Administradora de Empresas egresada de la Universidad Francisco Marroquín con especialización en Finanzas. Posee 20 años de trayectoria en TagAirlines, en los que acumuló una amplia experiencia en temas administrativos y financieros, logrando profundizar en el aprendizaje y dominio completo sobre su funcionamiento hacia adentro y hacia afuera. Los conocimientos y experiencia adquirida durante ese tiempo representan los grandes pilares que la acompañan desde que asumió la presidencia de la Junta Directiva de TagAirlines en el año 2020.
Esta oportunidad le ha permitido avanzar en un proceso de transformación que se propuso iniciar después de la pandemia, para lograr un importante crecimiento 2021 – 2023 que se representa en un 209% en lasoperaciones de TagAirlines, con casi 500 colaboradores que operan más de 47 vuelos diarios a 14 destinos es5 países.
Durante este período de dos años en la presidencia de la empresa, Marcela Toriello también ha logrado que TagAirlines sea reconocida como la línea aérea bandera de Guatemala y la línea aérea del Mundo Maya, así como la obtención de la certificación IOSA, que exige el cumplimiento de estándares internacionales para la seguridad operacional y de mantenimiento para las aeronaves, que emite la International Association for Air Transport -IATA-.
Tiene la fuerte convicción de que el desarrollo de un país depende de la excelencia de la gestión empresarial, de la inversión en el mejor equipo humano y de la innovación en los mercados, principios que aplica a través de su liderazgo, poniendo también un importante énfasis en brindar oportunidades a las mujeres que poseen el potencial, junto con la capacidad para desempeñarse en un ámbito que ha sido tradicionalmente dominado por hombres.
Actualmente también forma parte de la junta directiva de la Cámara de Turismo de Guatemala –CAMTUR–para contribuir con un trabajo institucional que fomente el turismo en el país y mejore la conectividad aérea.
Ha sido reconocida por la Revista Forbes entre las 100 mujeres más influyentes de Centroamérica, y entre las 20 mujeres empresarias y emprendedoras del Istmo por la Revista El Economista.