The Etihad Aviation Group has appointed Mark Powers as its new group chief financial officer from January 2018.

Powers will be responsible for the finance function across the Abu Dhabi-based group’s five divisions, comprising Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Engineering, Etihad Airport Services, Hala Group and Airline Equity Partners. He will report directly to Tony Douglas, who assumed the role of group chief executive officer of Etihad Aviation Group on January 3, 2018.

“I am looking forward to joining Etihad Aviation Group and taking on this unique opportunity to lead the financial development of the group’s divisions at this exciting moment in its history,” said Powers.

Powers joins Etihad from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, where he was professor of finance. He has previously held senior leadership roles at major airlines including JetBlue, where he was most recently chief financial officer, Northwest Airlines, where he was vice president of treasury and corporate finance, and Continental Airlines, where he was treasurer and associate general counsel. He was also director of customer finance and commercial engine programmes at GE Aviation.

“We are delighted that Mark will be joining the executive leadership team at Etihad Aviation Group,” said Douglas. “His corporate finance knowledge of aviation is unrivalled and he is extremely familiar with the challenges and opportunities that face our industry. The Etihad Aviation Group board believes Mark and the wider finance team will play a pivotal role in helping to guide Etihad onto the next stage of its development.”

Ricky Thirion, who has been interim group chief financial officer, will resume his position as group treasurer, according to Etihad.