Vinod Kannan takes over as Vistara CEO, replaces Leslie Thng

Vinod Kannan took over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vistara airline on Saturday, a statement said.

Kannan replaced Leslie Thng who was the CEO from July 16, 2017 to December 31, 2021.

In its statement, Vistara said Deepak Rajawat has been elevated to take up the role of Vistara's Chief Commercial Officer from Saturday onwards.

"Kannan started his stint with Vistara as the Chief Strategy Officer in June 2019 and took over as Chief Commercial Officer in January 2020 with responsibility for developing, executing, and sustaining Vistara's corporate strategy and ensuring the airline's commercial success," it mentioned.

Kannan spent over two decades working with Singapore Airlines (SIA) and has held several senior positions in the airline's head office in Singapore as well as overseas, it said.

He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and University of California, Los Angeles, it noted.

Vistara, is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and SIA.

Rajawat, the new Chief Commercial Officer, has been with Vistara since its inception and has held several leadership roles in corporate planning and finance functions, the airline's statement said.

He was the Divisional Vice President and Head of Corporate Planning with the airline until December 31, 2021, it noted.