Max Williams, former Group Head Inflight Ancillary of the ‘Big Retail’ inflight business at AirAsia has joined the Gate Retail Onboard (GRO)/Inflight Service Group (IFS) where he is understood to be reporting in to John Moriarty, the CEO at GRO.

 

This is apparently just one of several appointments amongst a new team, which is being formed to take this business forward.

 

GRO is currently aiming to build its sales turnover so it reflects a 50% contribution from its onboard retail business by 2020, so balancing the very strong catering side, which dominates its airline provisioning business today.

 

Prior to his new appointment at GRO, Williams was the former Tourvest Duty Free Chief Commercial Officer for four and a half years before joining AirAsia in March 2014.

 

Before Tourvest he was the Managing Director of the Ultramarine Partnership in the publishing and advertising business where he created the Airline Retail Conference (ARC) back in 2007, before selling this business in 2009.

 

Other positions held in the industry include Sales & Marketing Director at Alpha Flight UK; Retail Development Director at Flightstore Interactive Retailing; Sales and Marketing Director – Inflight at World Duty Free; and In-flight Retail buyer-Manager at Virgin Atlantic Airways.