Mr. Mesfin Tasew Bekele has been named Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group, effective March 23, 2022, by the Board of Management of Ethiopian Airlines Group. Mr Mesfin is the successor to Tewolde GebreMariam, the former CEO of the airline group, whose request for an early retirement due to health issues was approved by the board.
Mr. Mesfin has 38 years of experience in airline operations and management, including aircraft maintenance and engineering, procurement, information technology, flight operations, capability development, capacity building, corporate strategy development, airline operations management, and corporate leadership. He holds an MBA from the Open University in the United Kingdom, an MSc in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Communications Engineering from Addis Ababa University, and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Addis Ababa University.
“I would like to congratulate Mr Mesfin on his new appointment, and I am fully confident in his capabilities,” said the airline’s Board Chairman, Mr. Girma Wake. Mr Mesfin, we believe, will take the airline to even greater heights, keeping it on a path that will see it thrive for many generations to come. I implore Ethiopian Airlines’ 17,000 employees and board members to support the new Group CEO in order to keep the airline flying high. We’re also grateful for the former Group CEO’s outstanding contributions.”
“I am honored and humbled to be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group, which I have served in various capacities for nearly four decades,” Mr Mesfin Tassew said. My new position allows me to continue our beloved airline’s rapid and profitable growth and take it to the next level. I encourage all of my Ethiopian colleagues to join hands and push forward in order to achieve even greater success.”
Mr Mesfin has been a key player in the planning and execution of strategies that have led the airline to shine in the African skies and beyond during his 38 years of service in various capacities. He took on responsibilities that included, but were not limited to, overall maintenance of the Ethiopian fleet, capability and capacity development, leading the Maintenance and Engineering Division’s automation project, and managing aircraft acquisition projects.
Mr. Mesfin has been the Chief Executive Officer of ASKY Airlines since 2021, and until his new appointment, he has led the airline with a profitable growth strategy. From 2010 to 2021, he served as Ethiopian Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer, successfully leading the airline’s operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner by optimizing processes and developing internal resources to meet the airline’s growth strategy.
In addition, from 2006 to 2010, he served as Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering, Chief Information Officer from 1998 to 2006, Manager of Planning and Automation, Maintenance and Engineering Division from 1995 to 1997, and Avionics Engineer and Supervisor Avionics Engineering Group from 1984 to 1994.
He attended numerous local and international seminars on leadership and the aviation industry. He received training in a variety of areas, including leadership, airline operations management, aviation regulations, and aircraft maintenance.
Mr Mesfin received a gold medal as an Outstanding Graduate of the Year from Addis Ababa University Faculty of Technology in 1984.