Cathay Pacific has appointed Rupert Hogg as its new chief executive officer, effective from May 1, 2017.

Hogg [left], who is currently chief operating officer, will replace Ivan Chu [centre], who will be appointed chairman of John Swire & Sons (China) Limited. Chu will remain on the board of Cathay Pacific as a non-executive director.

Self Photos / Files - Rupert Hogg+Ivan Chu+Paul Loo

Hogg will also become the chairman of Cathay Dragon and will remain the chairman of Cathay Dragon’s executive committee.

“Ivan played a key role in the airline’s management during some very good times and, more recently, some difficult and challenging times,” said John Slosar, chairman of Swire Pacific Limited and Cathay Pacific Airways Limited. “In response, he led the team in devising the three-year transformation strategy which will provide the platform for Cathay’s medium-term recovery and continued development. The new senior management structure we have announced today is the fruit of that extensive work and we are confident that it can take Cathay Pacific to new heights.”

The Cathay Pacific Group announced in March 2017 a net loss of HK$575 million (US$74 million) for 2016, its first full-year loss since 2008.

Hogg has been chief operating officer and a director of Cathay Pacific since March 2014. He is also chairman of AHK Air Hong Kong Limited.

“Rupert brings an impressive level of aviation and business experience to the job,” said Slosar. “He has played a major role as chief operating officer over the last three years and brings commercial focus and a spirit of innovation to our efforts to overcome the well-documented structural challenges facing the airline. He is the right man to lead our team.”

Paul Loo [right], director of corporate development and IT at Cathay Pacific, will also be appointed chief customer and commercial officer of the airline from June 1, 2017.

Loo joined the airline in 1991 and has worked in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, the Middle East, the Philippines and Taiwan. He was previously director of corporate development and general manager of China, according to Cathay.