Emirates Appoints New Leadership Team in the U.S
Emirates announced the appointment of three senior executives to oversee its commercial operations in the United States and broader Americas region. Salem Obaidalla has been appointed as senior vice president, commercial operations to lead the airline’s strategic commercial activities in the North and South America region. In North America, Essa Sulaiman Ahmad has been named divisional vice president USA & Canada, and Andrew Bunn has been appointed as vice president of sales USA.
“I am happy to welcome a new generation of leaders to oversee Emirates’ operations in North and South America,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ chief commercial officer. “Our industry requires visionary people who can pair deep reserves of knowledge with experience to remain competitive and lead in a highly dynamic environment. I am confident that this leadership team is well-suited to take Emirates even further in one of our most important international markets.”
Salem Obaidalla, who has been with Emirates for 28 years, will oversee the airline’s commercial operations in North and South America, managing a variety of strategic activities in the region. This includes sales, network support and the management of tourism and business flows into these markets. Prior to this appointment, Obaidalla held several strategic positions within the company, overseeing a variety of regions and responsibilities in Iran, Bangladesh, Lebanon, India, the Far East, Europe and Australasia. In 2013, Obaidalla was named Emirates’ senior vice president, Aeropolitical & Industry Affairs, a role he has held for the past six years.
Essa Sulaiman Ahmad began his career with Emirates as a commercial management trainee before moving into senior commercial positions across Sri Lanka, Sudan, Jordan and Kenya. He was appointed Emirates’ vice president, India & Nepal in August 2012. In this role, he led his team in increasing Emirates’ presence in the fast-growing Indian market. In his new role as Divisional Vice President, U.S and Canada, Ahmad will drive Emirates’ commercial operations in North America, delivering on the airline’s expansion and growth plans across its 12 U.S. gateways and Canada.
As Vice President of Sales USA, Andrew Bunn will lead the commercial strategy, direct passenger sales operation across all channels and manage the commercial team. He will oversee critical sales activities, including promotional activity and strategic partnerships. Bunn brings over 23 years of global airline management experience, including six years overseeing Emirates’ commercial and operational activities in Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia. In that role, he contributed significantly to helping Emirates develop and expand its footprint in those markets.
