Giovanni Bisignani has served as IATA Director General & CEO since June 2002.  Experienced in airline and transport industry, Mr Bisignani has brought extensive business expertise to the position. 

Prior to joining IATA, Mr Bisignani launched and directed Opodo – the first European airline-owned online travel agency.  His airline experience includes 5 years at the helm of Alitalia as CEO and Managing Director, during which time he also served on the IATA Executive Committee and was Chairman of the AEA (Association of European Airlines).  He has been a Member of Pratt & Whitney Advisory Board and Chairman of the global distribution services provider Galileo International.  Today he is a Board Member of NATS Holdings Ltd, provider of air traffic services in the United Kingdom.

During his wide-ranging business career, Mr Bisignani has held various high-level responsibilities at the energy company ENI and the Italian industrial conglomerate IRI Group.  He served as President of Tirrenia di Navigazione, the largest Italian ferry company and as CEO & Managing Director of SM Logistics, a group of logistics and freight forwarding companies, partially-owned by GE Capital.

Mr Bisignani pursued studies both in Italy (Rome) and in the United States (Harvard Business School).  Born in Rome in 1946, he speaks Italian, English and Spanish.  He is married with one daughter and enjoys golf, tennis and riding.