ECS Group has appointed Francisco Hernandez as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Americas, as its steps up its global GSA transformation. Francisco Hernandez will work closely with Joao Ferreira, Chief Commercial Officer – Americas to create a more integrated Americas organization capable of scaling while continuing to uphold close customer relationships and maintaining local market expertise.
ECS Group is strengthening its regional management structure in preparation for further expansion across the Americas. In his 16 years since joining ECS Group, Hernandez has worked closely with commercial, customer service and operational teams in the U.S., building up extensive understanding of its operations, airline partners, teams, local market realities, and customer needs. As COO, his focus will be on building and deepening ECS Group’s airline partnerships, developing flexible, tailored solution models, and embedding digital capabilities for improved customer service.
“Across the globe, our ECS Group mission is to transform the traditional GSA business model by leveraging the ideal combination of digital capabilities and human expertise to drive commercial resilience and growth.” says Jean Ceccaldi, Chief Executive Officer of ECS Group. “Who better to lead operations in the Americas, than someone who has been so actively involved in establishing its U.S. airline portfolio and has in-depth comprehension of CargoTech’s digital capabilities? Francisco’s long-standing experience and contribution to the ECS Group, make his appointment to Chief Operating Officer of one of the world’s most dynamic air cargo markets, a natural next step.”
Francisco Hernandez will be responsible for regional coordination and operational execution of the Group’s Americas strategy, working closely with Joao Ferreira, Chief Commercial Officer – Americas on commercial aspect to establish a streamlined Americas organization that has the flexibility to grow and adapt, while maintaining the customer-centricity and market knowledge that the Group is known for.
“Getting the Americas to operate as one connected network, will open up many opportunities and offer far greater customer value. By sharing market intelligence, coordinating key accounts, and developing cross-border and interline flows, our local teams will be in a stronger position to serve customers and offer fast solutions across the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean,” Francisco Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer – Americas, states. “My first priority, therefore, is team connection and capability alignment to create a solid operating rhythm across the entire Americas. Clear accountability, consistent performance management and faster escalation and decision-making will ensure and strengthen service quality for our airline partners. Digital transformation will also be a key enabler to consistently improving productivity, responsiveness, and decision-making across the region. Customers should experience ECS Group as one connected Americas organization – locally expert, operationally consistent, digitally enabled, and able to mobilize the strength of the wider Group”