New Group Management at SAS in line with new strategy

 President and CEO Rickard Gustafson today launched his new strategy for SAS – 4EXCELLENCE. At the same time, the Group Management is being restructured to become broader and more clearly based on the four excellence areas of the strategy.

“The successful implementation of Core SAS has meant that we now have much better conditions as we begin implementing 4EXCELLENCE,” says Rickard Gustafson.

As a result of the new strategy and the fact that SAS has changed from a holding structure with several subsidiaries to become one functionally organized airline, President and CEO Rickard Gustafson has decided to appoint a new management team. “I have decided to appoint a broader management group with responsibilities that are clearly based on the four excellence areas in the strategy,” says Gustafson.

The Group Management will in the future besides Rickard Gustafson consist of CFO and Deputy President Göran Jansson, Deputy President Henriette Fenger Ellekrog with responsibility for HR & Communication, Flemming Jensen with responsibility for Operations, Benny Zakrisson with responsibility for Infrastructure, and Chief Legal Officer Mats Lönnkvist. The management group will also include a new head of Commercial and a new head of Sales & Marketing.

Now that the Core SAS strategy has reached its completion, Deputy President John Dueholm will end his operational responsibility at SAS as planned. Dueholm is not to leave SAS, however, until spring 2012 as he will continue as the chairman of SAS Group subsidiaries Widerøe and Blue, as well as act as advisor to the CEO.

“I have greatly valued the close cooperation that John and I have had since I joined in February this year. I have been able to benefit from his many years of experience and I am pleased that I will be able to take advantage of this for a bit longer,” says Rickard Gustafson.

Chief Commercial Officer Robin Kamark has decided to leave SAS, but will continue as CCO and as a member of the Group Management with responsibility for commercial functions as a whole at SAS until the two new heads are appointed – which will be no later than March 2012.

“When new structures are established and when an organization changes, you should always ask yourself if you want to be part of the future organization. After careful consideration, I have decided that I would like to pursue my career outside SAS,” says Robin Kamark.

“Robin Kamark has worked incredibly hard for SAS and I wish him every success in his future career,” says Rickard Gustafson.

A press conference with Rickard Gustafson, where he will present the strategy more in-depth, will be available live as a webcast on September 14 at 13.30. To view the webcast, please go to: http://bit.ly/SAS-webcast (https://riaportalv6-10.sas.se/owa/Anders.Lindstrom@sas.se/redir.aspx?C=8725547d8e994cfba340dcc3ed55f69c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fbit.ly%2fSAS-webcast).For further information, please contact:
Anders Lindström
PR Director, SAS
Phone: +46 70997 3394
E-mail: anders.lindstom@sas.se (anders.lindstom@sas.se)