Cathay has appointed Aldric Chau as regional general manager, Southeast Asia & Oceania and Richard Jones as area head, Oceania.
The pair will spearhead Cathay’s passenger and cargo growth and development ambitions across Southeast Asia and Oceania under their respective portfolios.
Both Chau and Richard will oversee travel, lifestyle, cargo and operations with an ongoing commitment to deliver exceptional service for customers.
Chau previously worked as Cathayʼs general manager digital, leading the groupʼs data science, artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, innovation and digital transformation across the organisation.
During his 18-year tenure with Cathay, he has held managerial positions in commercial, service delivery and corporate functions including serving as country manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
In his new role, Chau will be based in Singapore and responsible for all commercial, operational and support functions across 20 ports in nine countries and regions.
“Southeast Asia and Oceania are some of the worldʼs fastest-growing travel regions and Iʼm excited about working with the local teams to maintain the momentum that Cathay has underway to strengthen our customer proposition and market presence,” Chau said.
“Iʼm looking forward to bringing my expertise and passion for the Cathay business to my new role as we work closely with our customers, partners and teams across the region to build on Cathayʼs strong foundations and create even better customer experiences and cargo solutions in the years ahead.”
A return Down Under
With more than three decades of experience at Cathay, Jones returns to Australia and New Zealand as area head, Oceania.
His previous senior leadership roles saw him lead Cathay’s commercial strategy across the United States, Canada and Latin America and included vice president, customer travel & lifestyle, Southwest Pacific and sales & marketing manager, Australia.
In his new role, Jones will focus on strengthening the groupʼs position and continued growth across Oceania, deepening customer and trade partnerships in both its passenger and cargo businesses
Jones said he is passionate about leading the business through its next phase of progression in the region.
“Iʼm a Cathay person through-and-through and am immensely keen and committed to ensuring Cathay Pacific remains the premium airline of choice for customers travelling between Oceania, Hong Kong and beyond. In this new role, I also have the opportunity to dive further into our Cathay Cargo business which provides a gateway for local produce from Australia and New Zealand to reach restaurants, stores and homes around the world through our award-winning service,” he said.
