Wizz Air Leadership Team Update

Wizz Air Holdings PLC

03 July 2024

 

WIZZ AIR LEADERSHIP TEAM UPDATE

Geneva, 3 July 2024: Wizz Air Holdings Plc (the "Company" and, together with its subsidiaries, "Wizz Air"), the most environmentally sustainable airline in Europe, announces the following changes to its Senior Leadership Team structure:

Robert Carey has departed the Company to pursue other interests. In the interim, József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer, will assume commercial leadership responsibilities for the next three months. 

Effective from 1 October 2024, Michael Delehant, currently Chief Operations Officer, will be promoted to Senior Chief Commercial and Operations Officer based in Budapest reporting to József Váradi. Michael will assume the responsibility for Wizz Air Group's operational and commercial activities. Michael joined Wizz Air in 2021, as Group Chief Operations Officer. He obtained a Bachelor degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and his MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He has over two decades of executive airline experience in the fields of commercial, operations and strategy, and a long track record of leadership and corporate transformation. After a long career at Southwest Airlines in the US, he joined Wizz Air from Vueling in Europe where he was Chief Strategy and Network Officer.

Diarmuid O'Conghaile, currently Managing Director Wizz Air Malta, will be promoted to Chief Operating Officer to oversee the Group's operational activities and performance, based in Budapest reporting to Michael Delehant. Prior to joining Wizz Air in his current role in 2022, he served as Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Regulator, as Chief Executive of Malta Air at Ryanair Group and in various managerial positions at Dublin Airport, the European Commission, and the Irish government. He holds multiple Bachelor degrees from Trinity College Dublin in economics and a postgraduate diploma in competition law from Kings College London.

Mauro Peneda, currently Head of Operations Control, will be promoted to Managing Director Wizz Air Malta, based in Malta, reporting to Diarmuid O Conghaile.  Mauro joined Wizz Air in 2022 after nine years at the LATAM Airlines Group, where he was most recently the Airports Director of LATAM Brazil.  Prior to his time at LATAM, he held positions with consultancy companies.   Mauro holds an MSc in Civil Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon and an MSc in Complex Transport Infrastructure Systems jointly from Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon and MIT and a Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration from Fundação Dom Cabral, São Paulo, Brazil.

Subsequently, Silvia Mosquera, Commercial Officer, will report to Michael Delehant.

Commenting on the appointments József Váradi, the Company's Chief Executive Officer said:

"Today's announcement marks significant and well-deserved career advancements for Michael, Diarmuid and Mauro. These promotions underscore Wizz Air's steadfast commitment to promoting from within, based on performance and merit. Their leadership and contributions will continue to drive our success as we progress towards our WIZZ500 goals in the years ahead. At the same time, we thank Robert for his contribution and wish him success in his future endeavours."

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ABOUT WIZZ AIR

Wizz Air, one of the most sustainable European airlines, operates a fleet of over 200 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. A team of dedicated aviation professionals delivers superior service and very low fares, making Wizz Air the preferred choice of 62 million passengers in the financial year ending 31 March 2024. Wizz Air is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker WIZZ. The company was recently named the World's Top 5 Safest Low-Cost Airlines 2024 by airlineratings.com, the world's only safety and product rating agency, and named Airline of the Year by Air Transport Awards in 2019 and in 2023. Wizz Air has also been recognised as the "Most Sustainable Low-Cost Airline" within the World Finance Sustainability Awards in 2021-2023 and the "Global Environmental Sustainability Airline Group of the Year" by the CAPA-Centre for Aviation Awards for Excellence 2022-2023.

For more information:
Investors:	Mark Simpson, Wizz Air	[phone]
	Dorottya Durucsko, Wizz Air
Media:	Andras Rado, Wizz Air James McFarlane / Eleni Menikou/ Charles Hirst, MHP Group:	[phone] [phone]

 

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