South African Airways’ interim chief commercial officer, Simon Newton-Smith, has announced that he will leave the company at the end of August and hand over the reins to Tebogo Tsimane.
Tsimane has several years of experience at senior level within the commercial and operational environment at SAA.
“My job was to support the team in restarting SAA, rebuilding market confidence, and ensuring that our passenger and cargo loads were maximised during a tough operating environment,” said Newton-Smith.
“After a year leading the team, and with the foundation set for the next chapter in SAA’s rebuild, now is the right time for me to hand the reins to Tebogo,” he added.
SAA’s interim chair and CEO Professor John Lamola believes Newton-Smith has laid the foundation for the stability of the airline’s commercial operation.
Tsimane has held several senior roles at the airline. “He has an exceptional understanding of the complexities of the new aviation operating environment and knows exactly what SAA needs to do to remain successful and profitable,” Lamola added.
