Flybe CFO resigns, three board members step down, former easyJet UK director joins as CCO

Flybe Group stated (05-Aug-2013) that following the separation of roles between Chairman and CEO, with the appointment of Saad Hammad as CEO and the move to non-executive Chairman by Jim French with effect from 01-Aug-2013, the Board of Flybe announces a restructuring of the Board and senior management changes. Paul Simmons will join the company as Chief Commercial Officer with effect from 28-Oct-2013 and will report directly to Mr Hammad. Mr Simmons joins from easyJet where he was Director UK market since returning to the airline in 2009 and was responsible for the commercial programme and revenue delivery across its eleven bases and 110 aircraft in the country. Mark Chown (Director of Corporate Strategy), Mike Rutter (Managing Director: Flybe Outsourcing Solutions) and Andrew Strong (Managing Director: Flybe UK) will step down from the Board with immediate effect. They will continue to report to Saad Hammad. Andrew Knuckey, CFO since 2007, has "decided it is an appropriate time to step down from the Board and leave the Company as soon as a successor can be appointed and a suitable handover period has been completed". Mr Knuckey is looking to pursue a number of finance opportunities, the company said. [more - original PR]