The Business Magnate. Frederico Pedreira, CEO, Avianca. From being part of the Avianca Group and family since 2017 and currently at a much higher position at the airline company, Frederico is a pioneer and a business leader in the Aviation Industry. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Avianca’s CEO aligns his journey with inclusivity, sustainability, accessibility, growth, expansion, improved customer experience, and a strategic business transformation post-pandemic. Frederico was appointed Deputy CEO in 2023 last year and assumed the CEO role in January of this year (2024). Today in Bogota, Colombia, Frederico leads the first commercial airline founded in Latin America – Avianca, with determination and passion doing all it takes to continue the vision of being the preferred airline in the region.
Frederico at Avianca – Pioneering Leadership and Professionalism:
Avianca, South America’s first commercial airline company today was founded in 1919. Established in Bogota, Colombia, the current CEO at Avianca is Frederico Pedreira. After being a Board Member for two years at Avianca, Argentina, Frederico became the CEO at Avianca, Brazil in 2015, and later in 2021 was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Bogota, Colombia. Since then, he has climbed the corporate ladder and become deputy CEO, and now he is the full-time CEO in the country.
Having an Engineer’s Degree in Aerospace from Higher Technical Institute, an Engineer’s Degree in Space – Telecom Sector from the National Higher School of Aeronautics and Space, and then an MBA Degree in Business Administration from INSEAD, Frederico has over 20+ years of experience in the Airlines and Aviation Industry having worked in various roles and positions. He is now a proud member leading over 14,000+ team members in around 20+ countries across the globe, connecting 30+ million travelers annually with 700+ daily flyers. Applying his experience, knowledge, and leadership skills to driving Avianca’s business transformation, growth, improved customer experience in airlines, accessibility, affordability, inclusivity, and expansions, post-pandemic, Frederico today shares the same passion of being a travel addict with fellow travelers around the world.
Frederico’s Efforts at Avianca:
When the new business model led by the former CFO – Adrian Neuhauser (current CEO at Abra Group) was established and set into motion in 2021, Frederico played his pivotal part and role in driving operational excellence in airlines at Avianca. This period saw and acknowledged Frederico as an important and key player during the transitional shift of the airline company to the newer business model of improving efficiency, customer experience, fleet restructuring, sustainability, establishing smooth processes, strengthening online customer services, revamping digital channels and mobile apps, best-in-class loyalty programs, and strategically pricing flights making them better accessible to the people. Avianca was also positioned as a competitor in the market making it the largest cargo operations in the region, Latin America’s first-largest commercial airline, and the world’s second-best commercial airline.
For driving operational strategies that Frederico oversaw and was responsible for at Avianca, the CEO wanted the airlines to become more sustainable. By envisioning that today’s sustainability efforts will mark tomorrow’s future, Avianca strives to take appropriate actions today which would become the journey of the future tomorrow. Embarking on a “Sustainability is Now” mindset, Avianca with Frederico’s leadership supporting and backing up his team, drives strategic sustainability plans in environmental, social, and corporate.
Sustainability Efforts Today in the Environment, Social, and Corporate:
Listed in 2023 as Avianca’s best Latin American airline for driving effective climate change management, Frederico has successfully bridged the gap between the environment and the company with a commitment rooted in achieving the planet’s sustainability. With strategic measures taken towards climate control and environmental management, eco-efficiency and circular economy initiatives have also been adopted and integrated into Avianca’s sustainability operations. Just last year in 2023, the airlines managed to save 44% of non-hazardous wastes from being dumped at landfills, and over 87% of hazardous wastes went through a recycling and recovery, or refining process.
To ensure a more civil, just, and equitable society in the region and around the world, Avianca with Frederico Pedreira established the DEI strategy (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). By placing diversity and inclusion as their priority, Avianca also manages accessibility for various disabilities thereby reducing potential barriers that deterred customers and passengers from trust, safety, and experience. Last year in 2023, Avianca established “Holy” a new sustainable business model and platform for implementing a positive ESG-level social impact in communities through sustainability efforts and initiatives. Not only focusing on business expansions but also on environmentally conscious business decision-making, Avianca is working on building new alliances to reinforce its development alliances and strategies for new sustainability projects.
As a corporate building on sustainability efforts today for a brighter and greener future tomorrow, Avianca’s management includes and gives importance to work culture, ethics, values, integrity, responsibility, professionalism, and accountability. Thereby, improving decision-making and efficiencies that run parallel with Avianca’s business model and industry, high performance standards are maintained with clear and transparent communication in ESG progress.
Beyond his role, Frederico’s pioneering leadership facilitating the growth, expansion, and sustainability efforts at Avianca, is an instrumental and inspirational commitment to other leaders in the industry, in post-pandemic airline recovery, and setting new standards for strategic business transformations. For a more inclusive and developing South America, Frederico Pedreira continues to empower and drive change as CEO at Avianca and a change manager for profit and non-profit organizations around the world.