Star Alliance announced on June 5, 2023, that it has appointed Theo Panagiotoulias as its new chief executive officer.
Australian-born Panagiotoulias will joining Star Alliance from Hawaiian Airlines, which is curiously not a member of the alliance, where he was vice president for Global Sales and Alliances.
Panagiotoulias has held a number of other managerial positions in the commercial aviation industry over the years. Before moving to Hawaiian Airlines nine years ago, he held the role of vice president and general manager for the Asia Pacific region at Sabre Corp, a company providing booking systems for airlines and travel agents. Prior to that, he spent 15 years in various roles at American Airlines.
This move comes after current CEO, Charlotta Wieland, who had been serving as interim CEO of the 26-member alliance, returns to her regular role as vice president Alliances and Industry Affairs at SAS Scandinavian Airlines.