AirAsia Expedia appointed Kathleen Tan chief executive in a new joint venture between low cost airlines-AirAsia and online travel company-Expedia Inc., according to Breaking Travel News.
Tan will supervise AirAsia Expedia businesses in south-east Asia, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Tan, who served AirAsia as a head of commercial senior vice president of Greater China since 2004 and her eight years of dedicated hard work, has built AirAsia into Asia's best low-cost carrier. She's also counted among Asia's top 10 most influential women leaders.
"We are thrilled to have a business leader of Kathleen's caliber join the AirAsia Expedia joint venture," Dara Khosrowshahi, Expedia group president, said, according to Breaking Travel News. "She has an impressive track record in building AirAsia into Asia's biggest low-cost carrier over the past eight years, and we are delighted to have those skills brought to the AirAsia Expedia joint venture. Furthermore, her substantial knowledge of Asia's travel landscape and proven business acumen will be immensely valuable in taking AAE to future heights."
"Kathleen came to Malaysia not knowing anything about aviation, but her determination has led her to overcome every challenge and today she holds the pulse of Asia's travel market," Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group chief executive said. "As AirAsia progress towards the second decade of success, we feel comfortable in letting Kathleen move to AirAsia Expedia.
"Our focus for the next five years is ancillary and adjacent business. The potential of AirAsia Expedia is enormous," he said. "Having Kathleen driving the business gives me huge encouragement and I am sure AAE and the OTA industry will escalate tremendously when Kathleen gets to work her unique style of brand-building, sales and profits growth."
