Change in top management at Lufthansa Group

Change of leadership in two important management positions at Lufthansa Group: Heike Birlenbach will become the new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). She succeeds Tamur Goudarzi Pour who will in future be responsible for Customer Experience within the Lufthansa Group and also for a newly established taskforce. The aim of this taskforce is to sustainably improve operational stability, punctuality, customer service, customer communication and baggage processes in 2024.

Heike Birlenbach will assume the position of CCO at SWISS on January 1, 2024. She has been Head of Customer Experience for the Group’s airlines since 2021. Previously, she was CCO of Lufthansa Airlines and was responsible for sales for the hub airlines in a dual role. Heike Birlenbach began her career at Lufthansa in 1990 and has held various management positions, primarily in the areas of sales and product development in London, Amsterdam, Milan, Munich and Frankfurt. She holds a Master of Management from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Tamur Goudarzi Pour will take over responsibility for the Lufthansa Group’s Customer Experience division on January 1, 2024. In addition to this role, he will also assume responsibility for a Lufthansa Group-wide taskforce with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction in the next year. A particular focus will be on the areas of operational stability and customer interaction. Various initiatives are to be bundled here and measures taken to improve offers and services.

Tamur Goudarzi Pour has been CCO of SWISS since 2019. He was previously responsible for sales in the region “The Americas”. Before moving to New York, he headed up sales in the Middle East & Africa region from Dubai. Tamur Goudarzi Pour began his career with the Lufthansa Group in 2000 and holds a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.

Christina Foerster, Member of the Executive Board Lufthansa Group, says: “I would like to thank Heike Birlenbach for her outstanding cooperation. In challenging times, she has played a key role in shaping product development and the offering for our guests. I look forward to working with Tamur Goudarzi Pour in the future. With his great expertise and many years of experience in commercial areas and his profound knowledge of the needs of our customers, he will decisively advance the product, quality and premium initiatives of Lufthansa Group Airlines.”

Dieter Vranckx, CEO of SWISS, says: “I would like to thank Tamur Goudarzi Pour for his great commitment to SWISS. After the difficult Covid years, he played a major role in the rapid recovery of SWISS from the crisis and its emergence as one of Europe’s most profitable airlines. I am delighted to welcome Heike Birlenbach, a proven airline expert, on board at SWISS. With her broad expertise, particularly in the commercial areas, she is a very good fit for our team, both personally and professionally.”

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