Professional non-executive Board Director,consultant,strategic adviser Board Safety Advisor,Virgin Australia Non Executive Director,Ngati Whatua Orakei WhaiRawaNon Executive Director,Christchurch Airport Former Chief Executive Officer, WestJet Ailrines Group Ed Sims has almost 40 years’ experience in aviation, logistics, transportation, and wholesale and retail industries spanning the private and public sectors of the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.Ed has extensive transformation experience, notably within Air New Zealand in the early 2000s after the collapse of subsidiary Ansett Australia.As a member of the Air New Zealand Executive Leadership Team, responsible for the international airline, Ed restored the commercial strength and reputation of the long-haul operation while his work on aircraft interiors like the Economy Skycouch seat won global accoladesEd was appointed CEO of SOE Airways in 2011, managing 30 million kms of airspace for New Zealand’s air traffic controller. Over this time Airways built a world leading reputation for safety, operational efficiency and financial sustainability.In 2017 Ed moved to Calgary, Alberta to join WestJet, Canada’s second largest airline. Within months he was appointed as CEO of an organisation with more than 180 aircraft,14,500 employees, and a turnover of over $5bn CAD.The global pandemic hit shortly after Ed had driven the largest private equity deal in aviation history with the sale of WestJet to Onex for $5.5 bn CAD in late 2019.Ed returned to New Zealand in early 2022, and subsequently joined the Boards of KiwiRail,Ngati Whatua Orakei WhaiRawa and Christchurch Airport while taking on the role of Board Safety Advisor to Virgin Australia.Over the last decade his previous Board and governance experience has included organisations like New Zealand Police, the office of the NZ Auditor General, the Canadian Business Council and as Global Chair of CANSO, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation.