Six weeks after the appointment of Iberia’s new chairman and CEO, Iberia today announced the reorganisation of its top management structure.
The most important change is the splitting of the Airline Division into two: a Commercial and Clients Division, focusing on generating income, and to be headed by the current manager of the Maintenance and Engineering Division, Manuel López Aguilar; and a Production Division, charged with enhancing profitability, and to be managed by the head of the current production management unit, Juan Bujía.
This means the former Airline Division, managed by Enrique Donaire, is now defunct; though Mr Donaire will continue to serve the company in another capacity.
The Commercial and Clients Division will endeavour to increase revenues, which have been badly hit by the global economic crisis, declining demand, and strong competition. It will seek new private and corporate customers, try to recover former one, and develop new and better sources of income, with the aim of maintaining the solid leadership of Iberia in different markets.
The highest priority of the Production Division will be to find ways to enhance profitability and raise productivity, thus strengthening Iberia’s competitive position in all its markets.
In addition, a new Purchasing and Services Division has been created, to be led by José María Fariza, previously responsible for control and administration. The new division will encompass the areas of services, purchasing, investments, and real estate, and its priority aim will be to rationalise expenditures.
Lastly, José Luis Ruíz de Castañeda de la Llave, currently Iberia’s industrial maintenance unit manager, has been appointed manager of the Maintenance and Engineering Division.
The company expressed its gratitude to Enrique Donaire for his 30 years of dedicated service to the company, the last eight of which he headed the Airline Division, having served previously as manager of the Sales Division, and into other positions in the sales area of Iberia and its subsidiaries. It is in the company’s interest to continue to rely on Mr Donaire’s services. ***************
About Manuel López Aguilar, New Commercial and Clients Division Manager
Manuel López Aguilar, an aeronautical engineer, has been in charge of Iberia’s Maintenance and Engineering Division since 2004. Under his leadership the division substantially increased its sales, as annual revenues expanded from 540 to 720 million, and income from outside clients climbed from 122 to 315 million euros. In this same period the division rose from 26th place to become the world’s 12th largest aircraft maintenance operator –or 9th if aircraft manufacturing companies are excluded. Previously he had held several other positions in the maintenance unit, as manager and assistant manager of maintenance (in 1995 and 1997-99), assistant sales manager (1994-1997); and production manager (1999-2004). He is an active member of numerous industry bodies such as ATECMA, and an officer of the European Association of Aircraft Maintenance Companies. He serves on the boards of several Iberia subsidiaries, and is vice-chairman of Ibeca and of Madrid Aerospace SL)
About Juan Bujía, New Production Division Manager
A graduate in aeronautical engineering from Madrid Polytechnic University, Mr Bujía was in charge of the production management unit, whose responsibilities included the integration and optimisation of flight crew management procedures. He worked at Iberia from 1970 until 1991, and rejoined the company in 1996. In the earlier period he served in both technical and management capacities, as head of engineering for aircraft engines, and assistant manager for aircraft inspection. He was also a member of the working group that helped developed a maintenance system for the supersonic Concorde airliner. In the 1991-1996 period, he was manager of the Civil Aviation-Spain unit, and it was on his watch that the state AENA airport and air traffic control authority was established, whose aims included the separation of regulatory and operational aspects of the air transport infrastructure, as well as Spain’s entry into the Eurocontrol body, and the de-regulation of the airline business in Spain.
About José Luis Ruiz de Castañeda de la Llave, New Maintenance and Engineering Division Manager
José Luis Ruiz de Castañeda de la Llave earned an advance degree in aeronautical engineering from Madrid’s Polytechnic University, and earned an MS from the University of Hartford for his work on “Mechanisms Increasing the Resistance of Solids”. Most recently he was head of the company’s industrial maintenance unit. He began his career at the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft company in 1980, joining Iberia the following year. For eleven years he held different positions in the company, and in 1993 he was put in charge of maintenance for Aerolíneas Argentinas. In 1999 he was appointed quality manager at Iberia’s Material Division. In 2003 and 2004 his served as vice-chairman of the Operative Technical Commission of the AEA, and he now represents the COIAE on the Experts Committee of Spain’s Civil Aviation Agency.
About José María Fariza, New Purchasing and Services Division Manager
Jose María Fariza, a graduate in economics and business administration, has been head of the Iberia Group Control and Administration office since 1996, and a member of the company’s’ Executive Committee responsible for economic monitoring and administration procedures. He has served on the boards of directors of several Iberia Group companies, including Vueling, SIV (flight instruction services) and ELCA.
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