Cover image via AP Photo/Vincent Thian
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) CEO Christoph Mueller has informed that he will be leaving the company in September this year, two years ahead of the expiry of his three-year contract
Image via AP Photo/Vincent Thian
Mueller said in an internal circular that he was particularly sad to leave the company for personal reasons which are "beyond his control".
He also mentioned that this decision was a tough one as the company's efforts to improve the carrier's services was starting to show signs of success.
**"I would like to express my gratitude and pride to have had the opportunity to work alongside all of you, and I thank you all for your hard work and efforts that have led us to where we are today," Mueller said.**
"I am confident given what we have achieved so far, the company is now on the right track to succeed in its next phase of growth under the committed management team."
With more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, Mueller was hired last year, to head the turnaround efforts for the national flag carrier that was formerly known as Malaysia Airlines Systems (MAS)
Mueller, the first non-Malaysian at the helm of the national carrier, led the carrier to a profit in February. It was the company's first positive monthly result in years.
Image via Traveller.com.au
The German-born, Harvard MBA graduate, said that MAB is on track to return to full profitability by the year 2018.
"For a company that lost RM2 billion just last year, if you are able to break even for a month or so, it means the financial gap between revenue and cost has significantly closed, and that is good news that tells us that we are on the right trajectory," he said in an interview with AP about two weeks ago.
**Describing the airline as a "ship that has many leaks", Mueller said during the interview that he was pushing for hierarchies and bureaucracy to be slowly removed.**
