ECS Group has appointed Francisco Hernandez as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Americas, the company said, as it steps up its global general sales and service agent (GSSA) transformation. Hernandez will work closely with Joao Ferreira, Chief Commercial Officer for the Americas, to build a more integrated Americas organisation capable of scaling while maintaining close customer relationships and local market expertise, ECS Group said.

ECS Group said it is strengthening its regional management structure ahead of further expansion across the Americas. In his 16 years at ECS Group, Hernandez has worked closely with commercial, customer service and operational teams in the United States, building up extensive understanding of the company’s 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,” said 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 as Chief Operating Officer of one of the world’s most dynamic air cargo markets a natural next step.

Hernandez will be responsible for regional coordination and operational execution of the group’s Americas strategy, working with Ferreira on the commercial side to establish a streamlined Americas organisation with the flexibility to grow and adapt while maintaining the customer-centricity and market knowledge for which the group is known.

“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,” said Francisco Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer for the Americas. “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 improve productivity, responsiveness, and decision-making across the region. Customers should experience ECS Group as one connected Americas organisation, locally expert, operationally consistent, digitally enabled, and able to mobilise the strength of the wider Group.”

Note: ECS Group describes itself as the world leader in the GSSA business, representing hundreds of companies in over 50 countries through 173 offices and more than 1,400 employees.