Etihad appoints Greystones man as interim CEO
GREYSTONES native Ray Gammell has been appointed the interim CEO of Etihad Airways.
Etihad made the announcement last week that Mr Gammell would take over from Australian James Hogan, current CEO and president.
They had already made the announcement in January that Hogan would leave the company on July 1.
The Etihad Aviation Group board of directors named Gammell as interim chief executive, promoting him from his current post as chief people and performance officer.
Etihad Aviation board chairman Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazroui said at the announcement that Gammell will take over management responsibility immediately, even though Hogan will not leave until July.
Born in Greystones, Gammell joined Abu Dhabi-based Etihad in 2009.
One of his main responsibilities as chief people and performance officer was recruiting more Emiratis to the join the aviation group.
He previously held executive positions at Intel in both the US and Ireland and worked for Royal Bank of Scotland.
He was an officer in the Irish Armed Forces.
Etihad’s group chief financial officer James Rigney is also stepping down on 1 July and will be replaced by Ricky Thirion, who has overseen treasury at the group since 2007. As interim CEO, Mr Gammell is to continue with a strategic review begun last year though a permanent group CEO is expected to be announced in the ‘next few weeks’, chairman Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel al-Mazrouei said in a statement.