Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, has been recognised as the Airline Executive of the Year at the annual Global Aviation Awards for Excellence organised by Centre for Aviation (CAPA) in Malta recently.
GebreMariam won the award for his individual influence on the aviation industry, for demonstrating outstanding strategic innovative direction for the growth of Ethiopian and the aviation industry at large.
In her response Tewolde GebreMariam said, “I am honoured to have received the award and I sincerely thank CAPA for the recognition. We at Ethiopian Airlines have achieved greater milestones as one family and I dedicate this award to my colleagues, over 16,000 brave men and women around the world who always challenge themselves to soar higher with the mindset that every step they take can become new history and milestone in today’s 21st century aviation business.”
In his remarks, CAPA chairman, Emeritus Peter Harbison, said “Tewolde GebreMariam has become a giant in African aviation over the past decades. He has guided a marginal airline into becoming a major global force, with a modern fleet and a world class operation.”
He has, in this past year, been strenuously challenged following the MAX accident, and he emerged with an even stronger reputation. We are proud to present him this award and look forward to him in leading the airline to even greater heights.”
Having served Ethiopian Airlines in different capacities for decades, Mr GebreMariam took the helm of Africa’s leading flag-carrier as Group CEO in January 2011.
He has received a number of accolades in the aviation industry for his outstanding leadership that propelled Ethiopian Airlines to the top of Africa’s aviation.
Mr Gebre Mariam has also been listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans in 2019 by New African Magazine this week.