The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Wrenelle Stander, is stepping down and will leave the industry body following a hand over to her successor.
Ms Stander, who only started her role at AASA at the beginning of July this year, is leaving to take up a role as CEO of WESGRO, the Western Cape and Cape Town tourism, trade and investment agency. She will begin her tenure in October 2021
Her predecessor, Tim Harris was CEO of Wesgro for 6 years until earlier this year when it was confirmed that he is moving to the private sector to establish the Africa head office of a global firm.
Wesgro has received acclaim in aviation circles for its Cape Town Air Access initiative, a hugely successful route development project which brought 19 new direct international flights to Cape Town and added 23 route expansions, doubling the number of non-stop international flights to the destination in six years.
In a statement from Wesgro, Wrenelle Stander said: “I am delighted to accept the great responsibility of leading such a world-class organisation in what is a critical time for our economic growth as a country and a province. Wesgro sits at the interface between government and business, which is a catalytic space that I am well versed in. Having been born in Cape Town and educated at Wittebome High School and later UCT – I am looking forward to returning to my hometown once again.”
Michael Spicer, Chairman of the Wesgro Board added, “Wrenelle is an exceptionally experienced leader, with an impressive public and private sector track record and diverse skillset spanning across sectors that are vital for the province – particularly as we navigate complex global times. We are confident that she has the acumen to lead Wesgro into a new phase and will be an asset to the Western Cape in helping speed up provincial economic recovery and drive growth rates higher”.
Prior to joining AASA, Ms Stander, who holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University in the UK and a BA (Hons) from the University of Cape Town, held a number of key executive positions including CEO of Comair, Managing Director of South Africa’s Air Traffic Navigation Service (ATNS) and Sasol’s Gas business. She also held executive and nonexecutive directorships on various boards. Ms Stander began her career in South Africa’s National Department of Transport where she rose to become Chief Director, Aviation and Maritime Regulation and also served as Deputy CEO of the SA Civil Aviation Authority.
A recruitment process is currently underway for her successor at AASA
