EasyJet chairman to resign
Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the entrepreneurial founder of EasyJet, has announced that he will resign as chairman of the airline at its 2003 annual meeting and announced a shake-up of the board.
Mr Haji-Ioannou will remain as chairman of other companies in the Easy empire, including the Easyeverything internet cafe chain and Easyrentacar. Sir Colin Chandler has been appointed as deputy chairman of EasyJet, with the intention that he will succeed Mr Haji-Ioannou as chairman next year.
Three of the six senior EasyJet managers are stepping down from the board, leaving Mr Haji-Ioannou, Ray Webster, chief executive, and Chris Walton, finance director, as the only three remaining executive directors.
In a statement released by EasyJet, the airline said: “All current executive directors, with the exception of the Chief Executive and the Finance Director, will resign from the PLC Board and continue or become directors of easyJet Airline Company Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PLC and the company which holds the Air Operators Certificate. As a result, the majority of directors of easyJet PLC will be independent.”
Commenting on recent criticism by some institutional shareholders over the board make-up and its corporate governance, Mr Haji-Ioannou said: “Starting a company requires a very different skill set to those needed to chair a major PLC and I consider my strengths are in the former – I am a serial entrepreneur. The history of the City is littered with entrepreneurs who held onto their creations for too long, failing to recognise the changing needs of the company, its business and its shareholders. I took note of the concerns of institutional investors and I want to ensure the company abides by the highest standards of corporate governance.”
Read the full statement from EasyJet.
Read our previous stories:
7-Mar-2002 EasyJet Feb passengers up 35.8%
18-Feb-2002 Research shows strong growth for European travel sites
7-Feb-2002 Go and EasyJet passenger numbers rise
8-Jan-2002 EasyJet in push to increase business bookings
28-Jun-2001 TravelMole Site of the Week: easyJet.com
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers