Scoot's top man, 26-year veteran Campbell Wilson, quits to join Air India

SIA announced that Mr Campbell Wilson's last day at Scoot will be June 15, 2022. PHOTO: CMG

SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines' low-cost carrier Scoot will see a change in its top management with current chief executive officer Campbell Wilson leaving the company in mid-June, to be replaced by SIA veteran Leslie Thng.

SIA announced that Mr Wilson's last day at Scoot will be June 15, and he will subsequently join the now Tata-owned Air India as its new CEO.

Mr Thng, 47, who is senior vice president sales and marketing at SIA, is no stranger to the low-cost carrier.

He has been with the SIA Group for 23 years and was chief commercial officer of Scoot from May 2016 to October 2017. Prior to his current role, he was CEO of Vistara, SIA's Indian joint venture with Tata Sons, between October 2017 and December 2021. He was CEO of SIA's regional carrier SilkAir between August 2012 and May 2016.

Mr Wilson, 50, joined SIA in April 1996.

A native of New Zealand, he has been CEO of Scoot since April 2020, but was previously its founding CEO between 2011 and 2016, when it was still a long-haul low-cost carrier, and prior to its merger with short-haul low-cost carrier Tigerair.

Mr Wilson then assumed the role of senior vice president sales and marketing at SIA between September 2016 and March 2020. He has also run SIA's overseas operations in Canada, Hong Kong, and Japan.

SIA's CEO Goh Choon Phong noted he was one of the most experienced senior executives at the airline, and had made many important contributions in key management roles within the SIA Group.

"While we are sad to lose him, he goes to Air India with our full blessings," Mr Goh said. "We wish Campbell every success in his new and exciting role."

Mr Goh also noted that Mr Thng had successfully led Vistara through a significant period of growth in its domestic and international business.

"He has also had a broad range of management experience within the SIA Group and is no stranger to Scoot, having previously been its CCO. Scoot is an integral part of our portfolio of airlines, and we are confident it will emerge stronger and retain its leadership position in the low-cost market segment with Leslie at the helm."

India's Tata conglomerate took control of Air India in January this year after successfully bidding for the airline during the Indian government's privatisation exercise in October last year.

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