(Posted 23rd March 2022)
Ato Tewolde GebreMariam has been under medical treatment in the USA for the last six months, explaining his prolonged absence and putting to rest malicious rumours about his departure from Ethiopia some time ago.
As he needs to focus on his personal health issues, he is unable to continue leading the airline as a Group CEO, a duty which demands close presence and full attention.
Accordingly has Ato Tewolde GebreMariam requested the Board of Management of Ethiopian Airlines Group for early retirement in order for him to focus his full attention to his medical treatment. The Board, in its ordinary meeting held earlier today, Wednesday, March 23, 2022, has accepted Mr. Tewolde’s request for early retirement.
Mr. Tewolde led the Airline for over a decade with remarkable success reflected in its
exceptional performance in all areas including but not limited to exponential
growth from one Billion USD annual turn-over to 4.5 Billion, from 33 airplanes to 130
airplanes and from 3 million passengers to 12 million passengers (pre-COVID data).
Under his leadership, the airline group has grown by four fold in all measurements
building more than USD 700 million worth of vital infrastructure like Africa’s biggest
airport hotel, a new cargo terminal, MRO hangars and shops, a fully fledged Aviation Academy and Full Flight Simulators for many aircraft types flown by the airline and across Africa.
The Board, the Senior Management, employees and the whole Ethiopian Airlines family express their gratefulness for his contribution and wish him full recovery soon. ATCNews also extends our best wishes to Ato Tewolde for a speedy recovery.
The Board will announce a new Group CEO and successor to Ato Tewolde GebreMariam shortly. Meanwhile has Ato Girma Wake, a former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines and like Tewolde one of the most respected aviation figures not only in Africa but across the globe, has been appointed recently as a new Chairman of the Board of Management of Ethiopian Airlines Group by the Ethiopian Public Enterprises Holding & Administration Agency.
ATCNews, well acquainted with Ato Girma from his time at Ethiopian Airlines and later as Chairman of the Board of Directors of RwandAir – but also through his engagement with #AviaDevAfrica – wishes him well in his new position and for the many challenges ahead as the airline industry continues to face not just COVID19 related issues but has also been impacted by the ongoing war of aggression by Russia against the Ukraine.
