MONTREAL, July 15, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada has won the inaugural award for Diversity in Leadership at the 2019 Airline Strategy Awards presented in London, England. The prize recognizes an airline organization that promotes diversity among its senior leadership team.

"We are very pleased to receive this award because Air Canada has made diversity a strategic focus and this has not only enriched our workplace but it has also become a competitive advantage for our company. One way we have done this is by encouraging diversity throughout the company, including in the leadership ranks. That a well-regarded, international organization such as the Airline Strategy Awards is recognizing our efforts is evidence that we are succeeding in building a truly diverse company," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Senior Vice President, People, Culture and Communications. 

"Airlines led by the smartest and most innovative management teams still set the benchmark to which others aspire. The Airline Strategy Awards have recognized the best in boardroom leadership for 18 years, and 2019's winners all excel in this regard," said Max Kingsley-Jones, executive director content at FlightGlobal and host of The Airline Strategy Awards.

This the first year The Airline Strategy Awards have presented the Diversity in Leadership Award. The winner was chosen based on achievement in areas such as increasing the diversity of a leadership team; promoting and advancing the careers of diverse leaders; and creating organizational conditions that contribute to attracting and retaining diverse leaders and professionals. Air Canada's award was accepted by Catherine Dyer, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, at an award ceremony on July 14. This is the third consecutive year Air Canada has won an award from Airline Strategy, in 2018 Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, won for Executive Leadership, and in 2017 Air Canada won for Finance.

Air Canada has been named one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers for four consecutive years. Its employees work in more than 80 languages, and women occupy prominent roles throughout the airline, from non-traditional roles to the C-suite.  For more information on diversity at Air Canada and its diversity programs please see Air Canada's 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report at www.aircanada.com.

The Airline Strategy Awards event is organised by Airline Business magazine in partnership with the civil aviation practice of Korn Ferry, the largest human-capital solutions provider in the world. Winners are selected by an independent panel of industry experts. Airline Business also presents its own award, recognising an individual making a lasting strategic contribution to the industry.

About Air Canada 

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving nearly 220 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2018 served nearly 51 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 62 airports in Canada, 54 in the United States and 100 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 airports in 193 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2019 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

Internet: aircanada.com

SOURCE Air Canada

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