National carrier Kenya Airways announced a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in a statement issued on Thursday, February 27.
Allan Kilavuka, who was the Chief Executive at Kenya Airways' subsidiary Jambojet, was confirmed as the substantive Kenya Airways CEO.
He replaces Sebastian Mikosz who left Kenya Airways in December 2019. Kilavuka had been named as the acting CEO on January 1, 2020.
Kenya Airways board chairman Michael Joseph heaped praise on him for a job well done in the period he led the company in an acting capacity.
"It is particularly gratifying to me that the Board agreed to support the appointment of Allan to the full role of substantive CEO.
"During his short time as acting CEO of KQ, Allan has thrown all his energy into this role, whilst still maintaining his position as CEO of Jambojet," Joseph stated.
Kilavuka was appointed to lead Kenya Airways' low-cost carrier which covers local routes, Jambojet, in January 2019, and impressed in the role as passenger numbers grew significantly.
The statement disclosed that Kilavuka would continue serving as Jambojet CEO until March 31, 2020. After March 31, Kilavuka will continue to sit on the Jambojet board but as a representative for Kenya Airways.
Before joining Jambojet, Kilavuka had served in a number of high-ranking senior management positions in private firms including Deloitte and General Electric (GE) Africa.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi and a Postgraduate Certificate in Psychology from the University of Liverpool.
He also trained in Executive Leadership, Advanced Management and Financial Management at General Electric's Crotonville Leadership Institute in the United States.
Kilavuka rose up the corporate ladder in his 13-year career at General Electric, eventually becoming the global operations leader for GE Africa.
