Etihad appoints Irishman Gammell as interim CEO

Etihad accelerated its strategic reset by naming an interim chief executive to take the reins from James Hogan, the architect of the carrier’s costly bets on ailing Alitalia and Air Berlin.

Wicklow native Ray Gammell, the Abu Dhabi-based group’s chief people and performance officer, will assume “full management responsibilities from today,” Etihad said.

That means Mr Hogan effectively has no official role. His departure is now set for July 1, the earliest possible date after the company previously said he’d leave sometime in the second half.