Qatar Airways Cargo has appointed Kirsten de Bruijn in the capacity of senior vice president, cargo sales and network planning.
An air cargo veteran with 13 years of experience in management in the air cargo industry, she shares Qatar Airways’s belief that the pace of change brought about by recent global events demands value centred leadership around revenue and margin management.
“The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the need for flexibility and agility. It has also fast-tracked demand for digitalisation. Optimising the utilisation of freighters, the network, pricing and processes will mean embracing digital as the central vector of change. Qatar Airways is a world leader in this space and our ability to constantly adapt and adjust will continue to be part of the fundamental premise of our air cargo strategy,” said Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways.
According to Halleux, Kirsten was the obvious choice: “We share the same vision of the industry and Kirsten perfectly understands the sector’s demands – as well as its volatility and its extremely competitive nature. She is able to challenge existing processes thanks to a customer-focused vision and extremely high standards. She is a major asset to the airline.”
According to Kirsten de Bruijn: “Air cargo is probably one of the most competitive industries out there. It means you have to find ways to avoid being commoditised and you have to think globally – to constantly be aware of the speed with which technology is changing how we do business.
“Qatar Airways Cargo represents the cutting edge of change in the global air cargo market. I want to be a part of that movement. Part of my role is to build a sense of team spirit and collective purpose. I like to hire people that are better at what they do than I am, so I can create the best team possible.”
