AirPlus International has appointed Diane Laschet head of
Americas and Rebecca Kilby CEO and president of the U.S. and Canada. They
jointly replace Yael Klein, who had held both roles since 2014 and is now chief
marketing officer at the payment company’s Germany headquarters. Earlier this
year, CEO Patrick Diemer told BTN it was expanding, including establishing a subsidiary
in Brazil. According to a spokesperson, the expansion necessitated additional
leadership in the region.
Laschet, who has more than 25 years of experience in the
business travel industry, was previously managing director of AirPlus' Italian
subsidiary. She will continue to report to Michiel Verhaagen, executive
director of global sales and country management. Daniele Aulari, who previously
headed the sales and account management team in Italy, replaces Laschet as
managing director there. Laschet first joined the company in 2001 in Italy,
where she rose through multiple roles and grew the market by double digits,
according to AirPlus. She also has worked for American Express Business Travel
and Travelport.
Kilby,
who will report to Laschet, was head of sales and account management for the U.S.
and Canada. In her five years with AirPlus, she's held numerous roles,
including head of customer service operations in North America and implementation
manager in the U.K.