Cramer Ball to be new Alitalia CEO

(ANSA) - Rome, December 17 - Alitalia announced Thursday that it has appointed Cramer Ball to its board of directors and designated him to take over as the airline's CEO from March 2016.
    In a statement the airline said Ball's experience in the aviation sector and his managerial and change management skills were behind Thursday's decision. Australia's Ball, 48, comes to Alitalia from Indian airline Jet Airways, where he is currently CEO. He has also served as CEO for Air Seychelles and has overseen major transformation in both companies, the statement from Alitalia said.
    "I believe Cramer is the right person to ensure continuity to our existing industrial plan, with the aim of returning the company to profit in 2017," Alitalia chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said. Bell replaces Silvano Cassano, who resigned at CEO in September. Montezemolo has received the authority to exercise his powers in the interim.