Independent airport ground services and air cargo handling company Swissport South Africa highlighted on Wednesday that it had recently appointed two women to its board of directors, with a third woman also being recently appointed as its new chief financial officer (CFO). The announcement came the day after South Africa’s Womens’ Day public holiday.
The three were directors Fundiswa Sithebe and Khangi Khoza and CFO Neena Harri.
In its statement, the company said that the three women brought “vast industry experience and skills, along with greater cultural and gender diversity”.
Sithebe worked for the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) from April 2015 to April 2021, holding the post of chief operating officer in that company during the 2017 to 2021 period. She also headed Acsa’s commercial division, responsible for its non-aeronautical revenues. She obtained her private pilot’s licence in 2003 and was an enthusiastic aviatrix.
Khoza was already Swissport South Africa CEO and was the first CEO of the company to be appointed to its board. She was appointed CEO in June last year and had a Master’s Degree in Economics from Stellenbosch University.
Harri was appointed company CFO last month. However, she actually joined the company, as a financial manager, in 2018. She had more than 15 years’ experience in financial management.
“The broader resultant cultural leadership transformation and gender diversity these appointments bring to the board of directors and leadership team will continue to position Swissport as a preferred service and outsourcing provider for airlines and airport operating companies looking for a partner anchored in a resilient business model and focused on a set of distinctive success factors,” affirmed Swissport Middle East and Africa region CEO Dirk Goovaerts. Swissport South Africa was the local subsidiary of global group Swissport International, which was founded and was domiciled in, unsurprisingly, Switzerland.