Low-cost carrier HK Express has appointed Mandy Ng as its new CEO, with immediate effect.
Ng takes over from former CEO Ronald Lam, who is now Cathay Pacific chief customer and commercial officer. Lam also assumes the chairmanship of HK Express.
“Over the past month, we have worked closely with the team at HK Express following its acquisition by Cathay Pacific, and have achieved a smooth transition while also laying down a solid transformation plan to make HK Express better and stronger moving forward. Our commitment towards HK Express operating as a stand-alone low-cost airline remains unchanged,” said Lam.
“Ensuring continuity in HK Express’ business direction is of paramount importance. Mandy has worked with me both on the acquisition of HK Express and during the transitional process. She has played a key role in ensuring the smooth transition for the airline and the Cathay Pacific Group. Mandy and I will work closely together to lead HK Express into an exciting future for our people and our customers.”
Ng has spent 17 years with Cathay Pacific. She began her career with the Cathay Pacific Group as a management trainee in 1999 and has since held a variety of positions involving planning, revenue and sales in Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia.
This included being the airline’s manager airline planning, where she was responsible for overseeing the group’s scheduling, departure and arrival slots, aircraft deployment and profit optimisation for its fleet of more than 200 passenger and cargo aircraft.
Ng also spent years working in sales and revenue management, in particular overseeing cargo sales and market development, as well as revenue maximisation across the airline’s network. She also led the sales forces in Hong Kong, Macau and the Pearl River Delta as passenger sales manager.
Before joining HK Express, Mandy was general manager business development at Swire Pacific, a position she held since July 2018. Before that, she was the director and general manager of Akzonobel Swire Paints Hong Kong, in charge of the joint venture between Swire and Akzonobel that manufactures and distributes decorative paints in mainland China and Hong Kong, primarily under the Dulux brand.
On Friday, Cathay Pacific’s CEO Rupert Hogg resigned and Augustus Tang Kin Wing was named the new chief of Hong Kong’s flag carrier.
Although HK Express is a low-cost carrier with no premium cabins, some of the airline’s routes may be attractive to frequent business travellers. For example, the airline provides the only non-stop service between Hong Kong and Hiroshima – a flight that Business Traveller Asia-Pacific has reviewed here.
