Atlas Air Inc. announced that Richard Broekman had been promoted to executive vice president, chief commercial officer and head of sustainability.

In a statement, Atlas said in his new role, Broekman will be responsible for the development and execution of Atlas Air's global commercial strategies and the management of the corporate sales strategy for ACMI, CMI and Charter Services.

He will also assume an expanded role as Head of Sustainability to drive the company's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

In this capacity, Richard will lead the development of the company’s decarbonization strategies, which include partnering with its customers to implement sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon offsetting initiatives.

Broekman succeeds Michael T. Steen, who assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of Atlas Air Worldwide, as previously announced.

Since joining Atlas in 2004 as a Flight and Revenue Analyst, Broekman has served in roles with increasing responsibility. 2018 he was named senior vice president of global sales and commercial development.

"Richard brings a strong personal commitment to our Company's mission to be our customers' first choice and most valued partner," said Steen.

"He is well-respected across the air cargo industry and brings extensive expertise across many facets of the business. Under his strong leadership, we look forward to continuing to serve our blue-chip roster of customers with the world-class performance that defines Atlas," the newly-minted chief executive added.

Broekman also welcomed his appointment.

"I am very proud of the role we serve in the global supply chain and am excited for the opportunity to build on our position as one of the world’s largest freighter operators," he said. 'It is a great honour to lead this team as we partner with our customers to help them achieve their business goals and deliver on our shared commitments to sustainability and corporate citizenship."