Air Canada announced the appointment of Ferio Pugliese as Senior Vice-President, Government Relations and Regional Markets effective August 20, 2018. Mr. Pugliese is succeeding Kevin C. Howlett, Senior Vice-President, Government Relations and Regional Markets, who will be retiring in November after 45 years of dedicated service. Mr. Pugliese will be based in Toronto, and will report directly to Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer.
“As a global carrier connecting 64 Canadian cities and communities to more than 220 worldwide markets on six continents, one of Air Canada’s key priorities is continuing to outreach and strengthen the partnerships we have in the cities and communities we fly to, and our relationships with all levels of government in Canada. Ferio’s solid, diverse experience from several Canadian organizations is well-suited to oversee these important relationships, and to also lead the strategic direction of Air Canada’s regional operations including our relationships with our regional carriers operating on Air Canada’s behalf. I take this opportunity to congratulate Kevin on his upcoming retirement this fall, and thank him for his valuable and tireless work,” said Mr. Rovinescu.
Prior to joining Air Canada, Mr. Pugliese was previously Executive Vice-President, Customer and Corporate Affairs at Hydro One Inc. He has also held senior leadership positions at other Canadian companies including WestJet, WestJet Encore and Catalyst Paper Corporation.
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving more than 220 airports on six continents. Canada’s flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served more than 48 million customers. The airline provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 59 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 airports in 193 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2018 Best Airline in North America.
