management team

Frederico Pedreira assumed the role of President and CEO of avianca in January 2024, following his appointment as Deputy CEO in September 2023. His primary mandate as CEO is to continue the successful implementation of the business plan. Frederico initially joined the company as COO in 2021, where he took charge of the company's operations, service, and business model transition during his tenure as COO. Mr. Pedreira played a pivotal role in clearly defining and reconfiguring the avianca product and its overall value proposition, while ensuring safe and punctual flights. He orchestrated the transformation of the operational area, leading a team of over 10,000 employees to champion the new business model, streamline processes, reduce inefficiencies, and restructure the fleet.

With a 15-year career in various airlines, Frederico has held key positions such as Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer. His extensive experience spans business transformation processes, customer service enhancements, and management changes in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Frederico is an Aerospace Engineer with degrees from the Technical University of Lisbon (Portugal) and SUPAERO (France), and he holds an MBA from the INSEAD business school (France and Singapore).

Rohit Philip was named CFO of avianca in April 2021. His initial mandate as CFO was to oversee the Company’s successful emergence from Chapter 11 reorganization following the COVID-19 pandemic. He leads the implementation of avianca’s post-reorganization business model, focusing on streamlining operations to strengthen the cost structure, reduce debt, improve liquidity, and substantially reduce fleet costs.

Mr. Philip has more than 20 years of relevant experience at leading global airlines, including United and IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd), where he led corporate finance strategies related to equity and debt issuance, aircraft leasing, liquidity management, financial planning and analysis, investor relations and relationships with banks and credit rating agencies, among others.

Gabriel Oliva was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Cargo CEO in September 2023. In his role he leads the company's operations and service delivery areas, and the ongoing transformation of the cargo business. He joined the avianca cargo team as CEO in August 2021. His extensive experience has proven to be crucial in reinventing the business unit to position it as a strong player in Latin America.

Mr. Oliva has more than 20 years of relevant leadership experience, with the last 11 years spent within the cargo industry. In his most recent role before joining avianca, he held the position of Senior Vice President for the North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions at LATAM Airlines Cargo. Mr. Oliva had previously worked at The Boston Consulting Group and Siemens. He held a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires in Argentina and held an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Michael Swiatek joined avianca as Chief Strategy and Planning Officer in November 2019. In his role as CSPO, Michael has been implementing the new Point-to-Point network, including the reconfiguration and simplification of the product, which will help the group maintain its low-cost position.

Mr. Swiatek has worked at the executive level for some of the largest, fastest growing, and innovative airlines on five continents. His areas of expertise have centered around strategy and network planning for both full service and low-cost airlines. He joined the airline industry in 1991 after receiving an MBA in Finance from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Manuel Ambriz has served as avianca’s CCO since July 2021. His considerable expertise will enable the Group to execute its new business model focused on low-cost pricing, ancillaries, product simplification and digital direct distribution.

Prior to joining avianca, Mr. Ambriz served as Chief Commercial Officer at Vueling, a Spanish low-cost airline owned by International Airlines Group (IAG). He previously held the same post at VivaAerobus, a Mexican low-cost carrier. Prior to this role, he was Director of Network & Strategy at Volaris, another Mexican low-cost carrier. Mr. Ambriz holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles, California.

Richard Galindo was named avianca’s General Counsel in November 2020 after joining avianca as Associate General Counsel in 2017. He currently leads the Legal, Compliance and Governmental Affairs teams. In his role as the Company’s General Counsel, Mr. Galindo was integral to the Company’s successful Chapter 11 reorganization and emergence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Galindo has more than 20 years of related legal experience and specializes in corporate and business law, with an emphasis on international contracts, M&A, joint ventures, aeronautical regulation and consumer protection. Richard has worked in local and international top-tier law firms, where he has led corporate, commercial, M&A and antitrust practice groups. Richard obtained his law degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), where he also pursued postgraduate studies in Corporate Law. He later earned a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Business Law at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) and earned a Tax Law Specialization degree from Universidad del Rosario (Colombia).

Renato Covelo has worked with avianca since December 2016. In his current role as avianca’s Chief People Officer, he is primarily responsible for building and aligning avianca’s new corporate culture throughout the organization.

Prior to joining the Company, he served as Legal Director and General Counsel at Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileras, a Brazilian low-cost carrier. Mr. Covelo has also served at several prominent law firms, including Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and within the legal departments of several other organizations in Brazil. He was nominated and confirmed as President of the Brazilian Bar Association’s Aviation Law Committee. Mr. Covelo holds a law degree from the Law Faculty of the Metropolitan United Faculties in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a degree in Corporate Law and Economics from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a master's degree in International Law from the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Mr. Lara initially joined Grupo TACA in 1991, serving in multiple executive roles and areas. In 2010, he became avianca’s Vice-President Information Technology, leading the Company’s critical technology projects. After 2016, he served as C-Executive Consultant for Air Canada, CIO of Interjet Airlines, and as Chief Executive Officer of Transcend Consulting. In 2021, Mr. Lara rejoined avianca as CIO, leveraging his considerable industry knowledge and experience to lead avianca through the sector’s dynamic digital moment. He is focused on ensuring avianca’s technological transformation and stabilization are closely aligned with the Company’s new business model.

Mr. Lara holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science as well as an executive MBA. He also completed multiple abridged MBA programs specializing in Project Management.

Claudio Vélez rejoined avianca as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in June 2023. He brings over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, revenue optimization, analytics, and payments within the airline industry. Claudio oversees Network, Revenue Management, and Alliances, optimizing both capacity and revenue streams.

Previously, he served as VP of Planning and IT at avianca Brasil, Global Operations Director at Rappi, and VP of Operations LATAM at Global Payments.

Claudio holds an Industrial Engineering degree from the University of Antioquia and a Data Science MBA from the University of Sao Paulo (USP).

Matt Vincett has been Chief Loyalty Officer & CEO of lifemiles, avianca's frequent flyer and loyalty business, since mid-2010. Mr. Vincett and his team launched lifemiles in March 2011. lifemiles has since become the region’s most awarded program, known for innovation and for delivering member value. In 2015, Mr. Vincett led the separation and partial sale of the lifemiles business, which is known for innovations such as being the first airline loyalty business to raise capital via the debt markets. lifemiles was repurchased in its entirety by Avianca Group in 2020.

Mr. Vincett has an extensive industry background, having previously served as Commercial Vice President at TACA Airlines, Vice President of TACA’s regional airlines, and Director of Strategy & Business Development at TACA. He holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Philosophy from Huron University College/University of Western Ontario and an MBA from the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD).

Ms. Cortes, born in Colombia, is one of the women who form part of the Executive Leadership Team. She is very proud to be part of a company employing more than 5000 women. While completing her degree at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, she discovered the love for the public sector and returned to Colombia to start her career as an advisor to the World Bank at the National Planning Department. Two years later, while working on her master’s degree in Development Studies at Universidad de los Andes, Ms. Cortes was exposed to the consulting industry and worked for the first corporate reputation management company in Colombia. As an expert in crisis and stakeholders’ management for more than 15 years, she has helped companies across the globe as a full-time consultant, including several airlines.

Ms. Cortes joined avianca in 2018, just before the onset of several of the greatest challenges for the Company and airline industry as a whole: the aftermath of the pilots’ strike, fleet simplification, restructuring process, COVID-19 pandemic, entry and exit from C11, ABRA´s project, and the rehaul of the business model of a 103-year-old airline.

Ms. Cortes is also a guest lecturer for several master’s degree courses. She holds a degree in finance, government and international relations, a master’s degree in development studies, and a minor in business communications.

Alex Benitez is Senior Vice President – Corporate Development. Alex oversees government and aeronautical affairs, and the Strategy team responsible for developing and executing a wide array of strategic initiatives across different work groups. In addition, Alex is responsible to ensure avianca’s optimal asset allocation outside Colombia working closely with commercial and operational partners in the region.

Mr. Benitez has more than 30 years in the airline industry. Alex began his career at TACA Airlines in 1993, he’s held numerous positions in TACA and avianca, including Revenue Management, Corporate Development, Network Planning, Information Technology, Government Affairs, Alliances and Commercial Planning. Prior to re-joining avianca, Alex was Managing Director of International Network Planning for Delta Airlines, where he served in several roles in the Latin, Transatlantic and Transpacific regions, including network planning roles at Gol and Aeromexico.

Alex earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from Florida International University and earned an MBA specialized in Informatics from the Rotterdam School of Management (Netherlands).