In recent years, the aviation sector in Africa has witnessed remarkable growth and transformation.
At the forefront of this evolution are the CEOs of the continent’s top airlines, who navigate complex challenges to foster economic development.
In this article, WoA delves into the profiles these influential figures, examining how their decisions impact the broader aviation landscape on the continent.
1. Ethiopian Airlines – Mesfin Tasew Bekele
Mesfin Tasew Bekele is the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, appointed on March 24, 2022.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Communications Engineering, both from Addis Ababa University, along with an MBA from the Open University in the UK.
Prior to his current role, he was the CEO of Asky Airlines from 2021 to 2022 and served as Chief Operating Officer of Ethiopian Airlines from 2010 to 2021.
2. Adelhamid Addou – Royal Air Maroc
Adelhamid Addou has been the CEO of Royal Air Maroc since February 2016.
He holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from École Mohammadia d’Ingénieurs, graduating in 1997.
Prior to his current role, he worked at Procter & Gamble Morocco as a Sales Manager (1997-2002), then at The Coca-Cola Company as Channel Marketing Manager for North Africa (2002-2005).
He also served as CEO of the Moroccan National Tourist Office (2008-2013) and held various executive positions in other companies before leading Royal Air Maroc.
3. Thomas Kgokolo – South African Airways
Thomas Kgokolo, the CEO of South African Airways, is a certified chartered accountant with extensive experience in the public sector.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Pretoria, along with a Bachelor of Computing from the University of South Africa.
Prior to his role at SAA, Kgokolo served in various capacities, including over 10 years as a non-executive director.
4. Allan Kilavuka – Kenya Airways
Allan Kilavuka is the CEO of Kenya Airways, a position he has held since April 2020.
He previously served as the CEO of Jambojet from January 2019 to March 2020.
Kilavuka holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi and a Postgraduate Certificate in Psychology from the University of Liverpool.
His career includes leadership roles at General Electric and Deloitte, where he focused on financial management and operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
5. Yvonne Makolo – RwandAir
Yvonne Manzi Makolo has been the CEO of RwandAir since April 2018, after serving as Deputy CEO in Charge of Corporate Affairs from 2017.
She previously worked at MTN Rwanda as Chief Marketing Officer and briefly as acting CEO.
Her education includes a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Information Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Science from McGill University, Canada.
6. Charles Cartier – Air Mauritius
Charles Cartier is the newly appointed CEO of Air Mauritius, having been picked for the job in March 2024.
He has over 25 years of experience in various leadership roles, primarily in the outsourcing industry, including as Managing Director at Accenture and Country General Manager at TNT Express.
His educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Finance from Université d’Orléans and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from France Business School.
7. Mohamed Alian – EgyptAir
Mohamed Alian was appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of EgyptAir in August 2024.
Prior to this role, he served as the Assistant Chairman of the Board of Directors for EgyptAir Holding Company, where he held various leadership positions throughout his career.
Alian is also an experienced pilot and instructor, particularly on the Airbus A330, which complements his extensive background in aviation management.
8. Rodger Foster – Airlink
Rodger Foster has been the CEO and Managing Director of Airlink since June 1992.
Prior to this role, he served as Joint Managing Director at Foster Webb Group for nearly a decade and worked as a Store Development Project Manager at Metro Cash and Carry.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Building from the University of the Witwatersrand, which he completed between 1974 and 1978.
9. Jonathan Ayache – LIFT
Jonathan Ayache is the CEO and co-founder of LIFT Airline, a position he has held since August 2020.
Prior to this, he worked at Uber, where he served as Head of Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa and General Manager for South Africa from 2015 to 2020.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Science (Honours) in Finance and Economics from the University of Cape Town and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School Online from 2017 to 2019.
10. Elmar Conradie – FlySafair
Elmar Conradie has been the CEO of FlySafair since March 2015, previously serving as CFO from 2005 to 2015.
He holds a B.Compt Honours in Accounting from the University of the Free State, where he graduated top of his class, and is a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)).
Before joining FlySafair, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Macquarie, gaining extensive experience in aviation finance and management.
