Etihad appoints two new senior executives
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has boosted its management team with the appointment of two new senior executives.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline has appointed Ray Gammell, 46 years old, to the position of chief people and performance officer and Jim Callaghan, 40 years old, to the position of General Counsel and executive vice president legal.
Both individuals, who are Irish nationals, will be based at Etihad’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi and report directly to the airline’s chief executive, James Hogan.
Within his new role Mr Gammell will oversee the airline’s expanding human resources department while Mr Callaghan will be responsible for its legal departments.
Mr Hogan said: “Ray and Jim both have proven track records in their respective fields of expertise which will be crucial to the company’s development and I look forward to welcoming them to Etihad.
“Ray will play a key role in recruiting the best people to the airline as well as retaining and developing those who have helped us to grow at such an impressive rate.
“Jim has specialised in the aviation industry for the past nine years, and he will bring a wealth of experience to our multinational negotiations.”
Mr Gammell joins Etihad from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), where he held the post of director of human resources, Europe and the Middle East regional markets. Prior to that he held the same position at the Ulster Bank Group in Ireland and RBS European Consumer Finance.
Mr Gammell has 15 years of human resources experience, having also held a number of roles within Intel Corporation in the USA and Ireland. This included the posts of global director of recruitment, and human resources manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa for New Business Group at Intel.
He has a degree from University College Galway in Ireland and a Masters in Business Studies from the Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin. Mr Gammell is also a chartered fellow at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Mr Callaghan joins Etihad from Ryanair in Dublin where he held the post of director of legal and regulatory affairs since 2000, and became the airline’s company secretary in 2003.
Mr Callaghan has 17 years of legal experience, having also worked for the international law firm Linklaters and Alliance in Brussels, Belgium, and for Balzarini, Carey & Watson and Buchanan Ingersol in Pittsburgh, USA.
He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies from DePaul University in Chicago and both a Juris Doctorate Degree and a Masters Degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr Callaghan also has an LL.M in European and International Law from Vrije Universiteit Brussels.
