Tuesday, February 26, 2019 — As of April 15th, the Swiss Edi Wolfensberger will join the Management Board of Brussels Airlines in the role of Managing Director Operations. He herewith takes over from Thibault Demoulin, who will remain within the company as full-time captain Airbus A330. Edi Wolfensberger will together with CEO Christina Foerster and CFO Dieter Vranckx directly report to the SN Airholding Board of Directors.
Today, the SN Airholding Board of Directors approved the nomination of Edi Wolfensberger (37), currently Managing Director Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland, as new Managing Director Operations of Brussels Airlines. He will join Brussels Airlines as of April 15th and will head the operational departments of the Belgian company (flight operations, maintenance & engineering, ground operations). This position was previously held by Thibault Demoulin, who joined Brussels Airlines in 2004 and who will return to his passion by working as full-time captain Airbus A330.
“In the name of the SN Airholding Board of Directors, I wish to personally thank Thibault Demoulin for his dedication and professionalism throughout the entire history of Brussels Airlines, first as pilot and captain on our long-haul network, but especially as head of the company’s flight operations. He has not only shown exemplary commitment towards his teams and the airline, but he also guided his departments through turbulent times and contributed to the development of Brussels Airlines and the establishment of a strong and highly professional operations department. We are very happy that he remains within our company, sharing his long-standing experience and expertise with his present and new colleagues."
Etienne Davignon, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of SN Airholding
“I am personally very grateful to Thibault Demoulin for his exemplary support and engagement. He played a crucial part in bringing our company to higher levels and especially in the last year he was of a tremendous assistance in bringing Brussels Airlines and the Lufthansa Group even closer together. Next to that, and supported by his teams and the teams at Eurowings, he has within a record time of five months established a long-haul base out of Düsseldorf, a first in the European airline industry."
Christina Foerster, CEO of Brussels Airlines.
Edi Wolfensberger – a top manager with a wide-ranging experience in the aviation sector
After his graduation from the University in Aarau (Switzerland) as an industrial engineer, Edi Wolfensberger started his career in 2007 as a Sales and Distribution Controller at the food company Hiestand in Switzerland.
He gained his early professional experience in the car industry with his apprenticeship at the AMAG Automobil und Motoren AG Utoquai (Switzerland) in 1997 and with ConiTech S.A. in San Luis Potosi (Mexico). Since 2001 Edi Wolfensberger holds his private pilot license with different ratings.
During his airline career, he built up an extensive expertise in terms of pilot training, maintenance, controlling and sales activities. It’s in 2008 that he joined the airline industry as Manager Controlling Technics at Swiss International Air Lines, where he occupied until 2015 different functions, such as Head of Commercial Controlling, Director of Market Communication and Pricing, and Head of Channel Management.
In June 2015, Edi Wolfensberger integrated the Airline Training Center Arizona (Phoenix, USA) as Director Finance, HR & Administration and successfully managed the turnaround of the company. Since January 2017 he holds the position of Managing Director Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland AG, where he established, with efficient customer-oriented processes, the collaboration between the newly merged companies within the Lufthansa Aviation Training Group.
“With Edi Wolfensberger, we welcome an aviation expert with managerial experience and international know-how to the team. He will help us to prepare our operations for the future.”
Etienne Davignon, Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of SN Airholding
“The vast experience of Edi Wolfensberger in terms of pilot training, maintenance, controlling and sales, and his international background, will be of a real added value for Brussels Airlines and Eurowings. Grown up in Switzerland and working for years within a multicultural environment, he is not only very pragmatic and open minded, but he is also a manager who stands behind his teams. I am confident that he is a very good fit for our company.”
Christina Foerster, CEO of Brussels Airlines.