The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the appointment of Brendan Sullivan as IATA’s new Global Head of Cargo with immediate effect replacing Glyn Hughes who stepped down from the post in January.

IATA noted that since Hughe's departure, Sullivan has been acting global head of cargo along withhis role as head of cargo operations and e-commerce.

In a statement, the organization noted that Sullivan has worked in air cargo for 20 years including spending 14 years at IATA. He began his air cargo career at Air Canada in 2000, where he gained “front line operational experience and developed expertise in dangerous goods handling that facilitated his transition to IATA in 2007,” IATA said.

“Brendan will be a great Global Head of Air Cargo. He knows the industry from frontline operations to the development of global standards. He recognizes the critical need for modernization to meet the needs of air cargo’s biggest business opportunities—e-commerce and special cargo. And he has the passion to drive a post-crisis agenda that will strengthen air cargo’s contribution to the global economy and to the airline business,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.