Fastjet, one of Africa’s newer low-cost airlines, has recruited a further two former SAA group executives as chairman and CFO: Rashid Wally and Michael Muller.
Wally took up his new role as chairman on 1 April. Prior to this appointment he was chairman of Mango, SAA's low-cost subsidiary. Wally spent 38 years in IT, where he held senior roles with IBM in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Lenovo in Africa, before moving into the airline industry.
In a recent market update, fastjet said:
"He [Rashid Wally] is highly regarded for his corporate turnaround experience, having successfully completed many restructuring projects in his previous roles. Mr Wally also has significant corporate governance expertise, which will benefit fastjet as it continues to expand and develop."
Muller, who previously worked in management accounting for SAA and its catering subsidiary, Air Chefs, has been with fastjet since November last year. He takes over the CFO role from Lisa Mitchell as of end April.
Fastjet said that the appointments, "which will further strengthen and balance the fastjet board, constitute another important building block in fastjet's wider stabilisation plan and the transformation of its business".
Nico Bezuidenhout (pictured), fastjet CEO and himself a previous Mango employee, added that the benefits of the stabilisation plan are "beginning to materialise". Bezuidenhout has held the fastjet chairmanship on an interim basis since November last year.
