Chapman Freeborn unveils new passenger charter directors and plans for growth
Chapman Freeborn Airchartering has strengthened its senior management team with the promotions of Catriona Taylor and Mark Payne.
The announcement comes as the global aircraft charter specialist looks to push forward with ambitious growth plans for its passenger division, which provides services for conference and incentive group travel, as well as the sports industry and other sectors.
Building on the strong performance this year, the company has appointed Catriona Taylor to the newly-created position of group passenger operations director.
Taylor has been a driving force behind the company’s successful UK passenger charter division for over 12 years, working with a variety of commercial sector clients, as well as helping to lead operations for government contracts worldwide. Prior to joining the company in 2004, she spent six years with a leading UK tour operator.
She joins group passenger sales director Mark Payne in heading up Chapman Freeborn’s commercial aircraft division across the company’s worldwide network – which includes specialist teams located in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia
In an aviation career spanning over two decades, Payne has a wealth of expertise in aircraft chartering and leasing. He joined Chapman Freeborn in 2012 from a UK-based charter broker, and previously held a number of senior positions at commercial airlines including XL Airways and Thomson Airways / TUI Airlines.
Russi Batliwala, CEO of Chapman Freeborn, said:
”With Catriona and Mark, Chapman Freeborn is blessed with two of the industry’s most experienced passenger charter professionals. Both have made a significant contribution to our success in recent years and we look forward to this continuing in their new global roles for the group.”
Taylor and Payne’s promotion follows Chapman Freeborn’s appointment of Philip Mathews as chief commercial officer last month.
Mathews took up the newly-created position on November 1 and joined Chapman Freeborn’s executive committee: chief executive Russi Batliwala, chief operating officer Shahe Ouzounian, executive director Peter Joarder, chief financial officer Alan Jordan, and chief legal officer Fabio Mazzocchetti.
Chapman Freeborn set to build on strong passenger performance in 2016:
The announcement of Chapman Freeborn’s senior management promotions follows its strong performance in countries including Germany, UK and US, as well as several key emerging markets.
Sport related business and the MICE industry have helped to fuel growth, with operations ranging from charters for many of Europe’s top football teams, to the provision of aircraft for worldwide product launches.
The company has also had another busy year in terms of time-critical flights for government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and multinational corporations needing to fly their personnel to safety.
The team carried out several successful evacuation operations in the last 12 months, rescuing stranded cruise ship passengers and flying aid workers and corporate groups out of conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East.
Photo: Catriona Taylor, group passenger operations director, and Mark Payne, group passenger sales director.
