Richard Bodin joined fastjet in June 2012 at the Company’s re-admission having previously served as a consultant with easygroup from the commencement of the project in November 2011. In his role as Chief Commercial Officer he has been instrumental in the development of the Company, in particular in developing the marketing and commercial strategy to successfully introduce the low cost airline business model in Tanzania. Following completion of his MBA, at Bradford University Management Centre, in 1996 he joined easyJet airline Ltd. as contracts manager, progressing in 2001 to the travel insurance business of AIG (Europe) Ltd. He subsequently re-entered the airline industry as Business Director of Jet2.com Ltd. in 2004 and Managing Director of Jet2Holidays. Richard further held roles with Virgin Holidays as a Director, joining in 2010, and Low Cost Travel Group Limited as Director of Strategic Relationships, joining in 2011.
Krista Bates joins as General Counsel for the fastjet group. Krista has contributed significantly to fastjet’s development as a professional adviser, having advised the Company on commercial and legal matters in east Africa and the UK since its re-admission. Prior to joining fastjet, Krista Bates pursued a career as a corporate lawyer, having trained and qualified with Simmons & Simmons in London in 2001. She subsequently practiced with Linklaters in the London corporate group, Clyde & Co LLP (formerly Shadbolt) in London and Tanzania, and Anjarwalla & Khanna in Kenya. Krista has advised a diverse base of private and listed national and international clients, and in recent years has focused on investments across eastern Africa. She is a member of the England & Wales Law Society.
Clive Carver joins the board as a non-executive Director. After qualifying as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand in 1986, Clive pursued a career as a corporate financier with Shire Trust, Kleinwort Benson, Price Waterhouse, Williams de Broe and Seymour Pierce, culminating in his role in 2006 as a founding Director and Head of Corporate Finance of finnCap, which he undertook until 2011. He presently holds a number of non-executive appointments, being Chairman of three quoted companies, primarily in the natural resources sector, and a non-executive director of Darwin Strategic Limited.
Commenting on these appointments, Ed Winter, Chief Executive and Interim Chairman said: “These appointments add strength to fastjet’s Board as we continue our expansion beyond Tanzania.
“I am very pleased to welcome Richard Bodin to the Board. Richard was a part of the team that developed the original fastjet business plan, and as Chief Commercial Officer he has played a vital role working alongside me to prove the low cost model can be successful in Africa. I have no doubt his input will be invaluable at Board level.
“I am also delighted to be announcing the appointment of Krista Bates as Group General Counsel and member of the Board.
“Krista has been providing legal services to fastjet for the past 20 months through her role as a corporate consultant at a leading Nairobi law firm. Her appointment deepens fastjet’s legal and strategic capabilities across Africa and the UK as we expand our operations and continue to develop strategies against Africa’s complex legal and political background. Having Krista as a part of the team will be a huge advantage, given her wealth of experience and knowledge gained in both England and Africa.
“I am very pleased to be adding another dimension to the Board with Clive’s appointment. Clive adds essential and extensive city experience to the Board as we move forward in this next phase of our development. His experience and reputation, gained working in Corporate finance both with Merchant banks and broker Finncap and his position as a Board member on a range of companies will be a real asset to our Board.
“We will announce the recruitment of a non-executive Chairman in due course.”
About fastjet plc
fastjet plc is the holding company of the low-cost airline fastjet which commenced flight operations in Tanzania in November 2012. The airline operates a fleet of distinctively branded Airbus A319s and since its launch has grown to encompass the key domestic routes within Tanzania and a rapidly increasing number of international destinations. By adhering to international standards of safety, quality, security and reliability, fastjet has brought a new flying experience to the African market at unprecedented low prices.
fastjet is implementing the low-cost carrier model across Africa and its long-term strategy is to become the continent’s first low-cost, pan-African airline. fastjet plc is also the holding company of airline Fly540, which operates in Kenya, Ghana and Angola.
By offering one way fares from as low as $20, fastjet has stimulated a new customer base; the results of a customer survey showed that 38% of fastjet passengers had never flown before. This democratisation of air travel is expected to gather momentum across the final continent to experience the low-cost airline revolution.
fastjet is committed to communicating effectively with its existing and potential customers and has, to date, won a number of marketing awards. With over 140,000 social media followers, it occupies a unique position in African aviation.
fastjet plc is quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market.
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