GMD 2022 Speakers

Willie Walsh became the eighth person to lead the International Air Transport Association (IATA) when he took on the role of Director General in April 2021.

Prior to joining IATA, Walsh spent his entire career in the airline industry. beginning as a cadet pilot with Aer Lingus in 1979 and rising to the position of Chief Executive at the airline in 2001. In 2005 he was appointed Chief Executive of British Airways (BA). He led BA through the 2008/09 global financial crisis, established a transatlantic joint business venture with Iberia, Finnair and American Airlines, and oversaw the 2011 merger of BA and Iberia under a newly established parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG). He was Chief Executive of IAG from its inception until September 2020.

Under Walsh’s leadership, IATA has focused on supporting the industry’s emergence from the COVID-19 crisis as well as aviation’s ambitious and historic commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Walsh has also advocated for infrastructure partners to avoid recouping their COVID losses from their customers including airlines and air travelers.

Walsh is deeply familiar with IATA, having also served on the IATA Board of Governors between 2005 to 2018, including serving as Chair (2016-2017). A citizen of Ireland, Walsh was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1961. Walsh holds a Master of Science and Business Administration from Trinity College, Dublin.

Muhammad joined IATA in 2016 and served as Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East until early 2021 before taking on his current responsibilities.

Muhammad has nearly three decades of experience in Information & Communication Technology and Aviation Finance, having worked for Saudia Airlines as the CIO and CFO.

Muhammad speaks Arabic and English and holds a Master and Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh.

Sonia leads the development of the special cargo agenda, delivering standards, business processes, and solutions for the air cargo supply chain related to the transport of live animals, perishables, and healthcare products, and all other special cargo.

Sonia is the Secretary of the IATA Live Animals and Perishables Board (LAPB) and the Healthcare Cargo Working Group (HCWG).

Prior to joining IATA, Sonia held several roles in France where she spent 8 years driving innovation in the aerospace industry. She is also a lecturer on innovation management.

David has been with IATA since 2002 and is currently Head, Cargo Safety & Dangerous Goods.

He is responsible for coordinating the activities of the Cargo team who are jointly responsible for the IATA standards publications and products that address dangerous goods transported by air.  David is the Secretary of the IATA Dangerous Goods Board and the Panel member nominated by IATA to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel. David also participates, on behalf of IATA, in the meetings of the United Nations Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and the International Atomic Energy Agency Transport Safety Standards Committee.

Nick leads IATA’s work on safety, security and operations, including airports, fuel supply, passenger experience, cargo and ground handling. 

Before joining IATA in 2015, Nick was Vice President of Airports, Call Centers and Customer Relations for Air Canada. He built his career in Air Canada and its subsidiary Jazz, where he managed various aspects of airport operations, including Inflight, Flight Operations, Operations Control, and Maintenance. Nick brings with him a wealth of experience covering all facets airline operations, human resource management, labor and government relations.

He completed his studies in Political Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, and also holds the Master Black Belt Certification from Six Sigma.  

Conrad is responsible for leading IATA’s global advocacy efforts. He also oversees IATA’s regional presence through IATA’s five Regional Vice Presidents. From 2014 to June 2021, Conrad served as IATA’s Regional Vice President for Asia-Pacific.

Before joining IATA, Conrad has held the position of the Acting Managing Director of Antrak Air Ghana, CEO for Monarch Group, Vice President of the UK and Ireland for Emirates Airlines and CEO of Virgin Nigeria Airways. He has over 30 years of experience with both airlines and suppliers.

Conrad holds an MBA (Hons) from Durham University UK and a MA (Hons) in Oriental Studies from Cambridge University, Corpus Christi College.

Conrad has lived in Ghana, Hong Kong, Nigeria, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the UAE. He speaks English and conversational Mandarin.

Louise is the Head Customer Experience and Facilitation and has responsibility for the IATA Passenger Facilitation Program which focuses primarily on the crucial areas of passenger data, security, border, immigration and customs with the aim to provide an “end-to-end customer experience that is secure, seamless and efficient”.

Prior to joining IATA in 2019, Louise was in leadership positions in the New Zealand Public Service for 20 years and as such was the New Zealand representative on the International Civil Aviation Organization New Technology Working Group and lead the development of the technical specifications and international policy for the ICAO Digital Travel Credential.

Jon is IATA’s Assistant Director for sustainability responsible for developing and leading the Association’s sustainability activities including the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) program, sustainable finance, cabin waste, single use plastics, noise management and wildlife trafficking initiatives.

Jon joined IATA in 2008 and has over thirty years professional environmental management experience including 4 years with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

He holds Masters in Climate Change Science and Hazardous Waste Management and is a Registered Principal Environmental Auditor.

Anton began his career with IATA having accumulated over 30 years of experience in Human Resources. He currently holds the position of Vice President, People, Performance and Development.

Anton’s career has taken him across the Middle East, Africa and Asia where he previously served as the Human Resource Director of Travelport, Compass Group Plc. and SAP. Anton has worked in numerous countries including Namibia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates. He is fluent in English and Afrikaans and holds a degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of Stellenbosch.

Quintin is an experienced aviation environmental sustainability specialist with more than 10 years of 15 aviation environment experience and currently working with more than 40 airlines around the globe to improve environmental and sustainability performance.

He is the designer and developer of IATA’s Environmental Assessment Program (IEnvA). 

Andrew is the Head of Policy Analysis at the International Air Transport Association, based in Geneva. 

With 15 years of industry experience, Andrew leads a team which provides thought leadership, strategic insights and actionable advice on the global economic, regulatory and policy landscape, as well as the key issues and developments facing the air transport industry.

These insights inform IATA’s member airlines and other stakeholders, including governments and regulators.

Lara is responsible for leading IATA’s efforts related to airport slots.  Her role has included overseeing the formation of a new industry body for the governance of the slot guidelines, the Worldwide Airport Slot Board is a joint collaboration with airports and slot coordinators. 

Lara’s key activity is related to the slot standards and their global application, advocating with governments and regulators.  She works with IATA’s members and the broader aviation industry on slot policy development and oversees the Slot Conference that runs twice a year.

Prior to joining IATA 11 years ago, Lara had a career in consulting, working on airport planning and privatization projects globally.

Emi is the Sustainable Finance Manager at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), working to ensure airlines have access to sustainable finance and investment that supports the sector’s sustainability journey.

She is leading the development of the aviation ESG metrics and IATA’s Sustainable Finance Taskforce. Emi combines a background in aviation economics and finance, with sustainable development experience spanning across the public and private sector, including the UN system and NGOs.

Olga is the Head of the Knowledge and Engagement Department within the IATA’s Environment and Sustainability Division. Her work aims to ensure that airlines and key stakeholders are equipped with the right knowledge to achieve a successful energy and sustainability transition.

Prior to joining IATA, Olga spent nine years managing global campaigns for UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Former TV journalist, Olga also worked for several years as ICRC delegate, spokesperson and Head of Communications in countries affected by war and natural disasters. 

Olga is holding an MBA, as well as Master’s in Communications, Psychology and International Relations. Passionate advocate for women empowerment, she is also the Geneva lead of the internal IATA initiative on Diversity & Inclusion. 

Hemant leads IATA’s Energy Transition activities to support decarbonization of the industry, working across airlines, governments and the supply-chain to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hemant has been responsible for IATA’s work on securing financial support for airlines and supply chain partners.  Prior to this Hemant was IATA’s Director of Infrastructure and Fuel .

Before joining IATA, Hemant worked as a Senior Associate for Booz Allen Hamilton, a global management consultancy, where he led competition and regulatory assessments for the European Commission and performed safety audits for national aviation authorities. Hemant’s first employment was with UK National Air Traffic Services where he helped develop ICAO standards and recommended practices for new aviation technologies and operational concepts. He was sponsored by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and is a graduate of the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology. 

Henk is Head of Digital Cargo at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is responsible for the development of standards to support the digitalization of air cargo. 

He is now working with multimodal partner organizations to extend data sharing to all transport modes and together develop full digital logistics. He also leads the development of IoT standards for cargo tracking devices. In previous roles at IATA, he led the transition away from IATA coordinated airline tariffs and led several restructuring programs including the development of IATA’s regional structure and IATA’s global financial operations.

Prior to IATA, Henk has worked in digital initiatives in banking, global health, publishing, manufacturing, and fundamental research. He has degrees in mathematics, electronics, and information technology.

Marie Owens Thomsen is IATA's Chief Economist since 4 January 2022.

Marie has spent most of her 30-year professional life in various Chief Economist roles for both investment banks and private banks, including HSBC in London, Merrill Lynch in Paris, and Indosuez in Geneva. Outside of the financial sector Marie worked for IKEA, and she also founded and managed her own company in the equine industry. As a macro economist, Marie seeks to promote a global economy that is prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable, and one in which the air transport sector can flourish and realize its full potential so as to deliver better economic outcomes for all.

Marie holds an MBA from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and a PhD in International Economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland. She speaks Swedish, English, and French fluently.

Marie's full bio and more photos

Linda Ristagno is Assistant Director of External Affairs at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Linda is responsible for developing global advocacy positions and fostering multilateral dialogue across a range of topics, including accessibility for passengers with disabilities and the aging population. In her role, she also acts as the liaison with the tourism industry by engaging with international actors to promote the relevance of aviation as a force for good in the global tourism development. 

Linda joined IATA in 2010 and since then, covered various posts, holding operational, regulatory and security responsibilities.

She has maritime background, having led for over 15 years numerous projects within the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the first world largest shipping company in the world.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language from the University of Pisa, (Italy), and an Executive master’s degree in Advocacy, International Negotiation and Policymaking from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies of Geneva.

Michael Schneider is an aviation professional with 20+ years of experience in finance, environment, and sustainability. He currently holds the position of assistant director within the IATA environment & sustainability division based in Geneva Switzerland.

During his career developed complex business intelligence solutions and successfully implemented the FRED+ emissions reporting system and Aviation Carbon Exchange -ACE.

Michael holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree in International Finance and Banking from the International University in Geneva and holds a diploma in International Business and Marketing from Michigan State University.

Mark Searle leads the IATA work on Safety Risk, Safety Audit Programs, Operational Safety and Quality Assurance to support aviation’s continuous improvement on its excellent safety record.

Prior to IATA, Mark led the UK CAA Safety Strategy team responsible for the UK State Safety Program; preparing the regulator for the safe integration of new, and evolutionary, technologies; and advocating UK government and regulatory positions around the world.

He has twenty years experience as a commercial airline pilot accumulating over 12,000 flying hours. Mark was Chair of the British Airline Pilots Association and has held Board positions in financial services and insurance providing him with extensive corporate experience.

Brendan leads IATA’s cargo activities as the Global Head of Cargo.  Before taking on this role in July 2021 Brendan held a number of roles in IATA covering cargo operations, e-commerce and dangerous goods.

Prior to joining IATA in 2007, Brendan was at Air Canada managing various aspects of cargo operations, processes, and procedures. Passionate about air cargo, innovation, diversity and talent, Brendan also founded IATAs future air cargo executive FACE program and has a wealth of experience in logistics, operations, and people management.

James is Assistant Director External Affairs and is responsible for shaping IATA’s global policy and advocacy efforts on both Consumer Issues and Public Health. During the coronavirus pandemic, James worked alongside IATA’s Medical Advisor in developing IATA’s response to COVID-19.

James is a professional economist by background and joined IATA’s Economics Department in 2013. Prior to joining IATA he worked for over 10 years at the UK Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority.