25 Nov 2014 10:30
Yasser Al Yousuf, an Emirati national, has been appointed as the new Managing Director for Etihad Guest, Etihad Airways’ award-winning loyalty program, and its partners Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Etihad Regional.
Effective
immediately, Yasser assumes the role at a time of rapid growth in the business
as Etihad Guest continues to evolve into a broad-based lifestyle program.
Etihad
Guest is one of the existing programs within Etihad Airways’ new loyalty
business, Global Loyalty, which holds majority stakes in other airline loyalty
programs, including topbonus (airberlin), Jet Privilege (Jet Airways) and
upon completion of the acquisition in January 2015, Mille Miglia (Alitalia).
Yasser has a strong
background in the loyalty industry having worked at Emirates Skywards, and more
recently at Du. He joined Etihad Airways in 2013, and has held a number of
senior roles within Etihad Guest since then, including Head of Services
and Head of Coalition Partnerships.
Peter
Baumgartner, Etihad airways Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Yasser has a
proven track record in the industry and passion to meet the needs of
the increasing number of travellers looking to gain more value from their
travel experience.
“This is a tremendous
opportunity that will allow him to utilise his in-depth experience and
knowledge whilst also continuing to play a leading role in the expanding
loyalty business of Etihad Airways and its partners.”
Yasser
takes over from Barry Green, who moves to Global Loyalty to take on a critical
new role reporting to Global Loyalty Managing Director, Darren Peisley, where
he will be responsible for managing business transformation and the
integration of new technology in Global Loyalty’s efforts to create a next
generation loyalty platform for its current and future international business
portfolio.
Barry
was one of the original team working on the Etihad Guest program throughout its
design in 2005 and subsequent launch in August 2006. The
program quickly established itself as one of the airline industry’s
fastest-growing and most innovative loyalty programs that today boasts nearly three
million members globally.
In 2013 Etihad Guest separated from the airline
to form a separate legal company - Etihad Guest LLC.