Star Alliance Management Team Firmly Focused on Seamless Customer Experience
Star Alliance, the premier global airline alliance, has confirmed its key leadership appointments with the goal of enhancing its strategic emphasis on providing a seamless experience for customers of its member airlines, who enjoy the benefits of the Star Alliance network.
Ambar Franco has been welcomed to Star Alliance as the Vice President of Customer Experience. Franco will spearhead the creation and execution of initiatives aimed at improving the entire customer journey within the alliance. This includes refining the booking process, enhancing customer interactions at airports, facilitating connections between flights of Star Alliance member airlines, and fostering customer loyalty after their journey. Franco brings a wealth of knowledge from the travel sector, having previously held senior customer experience roles at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Luc Lachoix has been appointed as Star Alliance’s Vice President of Digital & Technology. Lachoix oversees IT architecture, operations, and security, and also supports the IT needs of Star Alliance's Customer Experience and Loyalty divisions. He has held various positions in the airline industry, including leadership roles at major travel technology companies such as Amadeus and Sabre.
Renato Ramos has been appointed as the Vice President of Strategy at Star Alliance. Ramos is tasked with driving Star Alliance’s strategic initiatives, business planning, and cross-functional collaboration. Having been with Star Alliance for the past seven years, he previously held the position of Director of Loyalty at Star Alliance. Renato is a seasoned aviation professional with previous roles at Avianca and LATAM Airlines.
Gayatheri Silvakumer has been appointed as the Vice President of People and Culture at Star Alliance. She is tasked with implementing Star Alliance’s vision for human capital and cultural development, with a focus on talent retention and organisational development. She has held several senior HR roles across various industries, working with organisations such as McCann Worldgroup, Bombardier, and Rolls-Royce.
Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO of Star Alliance, expressed his excitement about working with such a diverse leadership team. He praised the team's extensive experience both within and outside the aviation industry, which he believes will accelerate their mission of providing a seamless customer experience at key points in their travels. He highlighted that Ambar, Luc, Renato, and Gayatheri are all passionate about their vision and its execution, always keeping the end-customer of their member airlines in mind.
About Star Alliance
Star Alliance, established in 1997, was the first truly global airline alliance. The Star Alliance network was built on the customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has provided the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong focus on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.
The member airlines include Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.
In total, the Star Alliance network currently provides 17,500 daily flights to more than 1,150 airports in 189 countries. Additional connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partner Juneyao Airlines.
