Executive team
Get to know our senior leadership and the expertise they bring to guide us forward in pursuit and realization of our ambitious growth plans.
Review individual biographies by clicking the Executive team member's name.
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Alexis began his role as Chief Executive Officer of the WestJet Group in February of 2022.
Responsible for the overall leadership of the WestJet Group of Companies, Alexis harnesses the power of WestJet’s people, fleet and technology to strategically position the airline for long-term profitable success.
Prior to joining WestJet, Alexis spent 16 years at the Lufthansa Group, his last role being the CEO and CFO of Austrian Airlines where, during his three-and-a-half-year tenure, he restructured the airline and its network to compete with ultra-low-cost-carrier (ULCC) competition in Austria. In addition, Alexis was instrumental in successfully leading the company through the COVID-19 crisis. Previous roles within the Lufthansa Group included Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Cargo AG, head of commercial at the airline's biggest hub in Frankfurt, and head of strategy and investment management for the Lufthansa airline.
Born in Cologne, Germany, Alexis attended the University of Bonn, where he received his Physics diploma in 1995 and later, completed his PhD at Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in 1999. Alexis spent his early career at The Boston Consulting Group, working out of their Munich and Tokyo offices, with a strong focus on clients from the aviation industry.
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Diederik joined WestJet in October of 2021 as Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. Responsible for the safety and daily operations of the WestJet Group, Diederik oversees flight operations, inflight, airports, technical operations, general operations, crew resources and training. With a focus on optimizing the efficiency of WestJet’s operational performance and enhancing the experience of the airline’s frontline staff, Diederik leads a dedicated and collaborative team who support the airline’s immediate and future operational success.
With more than 25 years of aviation-industry experience in the Asia-Pacific and European regions, Diederik joined WestJet from Wizz Air, a fast-growing, ultra-low-cost business, where he held the position of Executive Vice-President and Group Chief Operations Officer. In this role, Diederik was responsible for the company’s significant expansion into the U.K., Central and Western Europe and its startup in the Middle East. Previously, Diederik held leadership roles at Martinair Holland and Virgin Blue Airlines in Australia.
Diederik holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Business Economics from the University of Amsterdam.
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Jacqui joined WestJet in October 2024 as Chief People Officer and oversees the airline’s people, labour relations, health, external affairs and communications teams. She also plays a pivotal role in driving the airline's sustainability initiatives.
Jacqui is an accomplished executive leader who has served as a trusted advisor to CEOs and boards for more than 30 years. In her most recent role as Executive Vice-President, Chief People and Social Impact Officer at Element Fleet Management, Jacqui was instrumental in the transformation that took the organization to top-quartile employee engagement and client retention. She was also key in developing a performance culture that placed the company in the top five per cent of companies within the TSX Composite index.
Jacqui’s prior roles include, Executive Vice-President, Safety and Organization Effectiveness at Cenovus Energy, Head of Global Human Resources at Talisman Energy, and Vice-President, HR, Brand & Marketing for the Global Wealth Management division of RBC Royal Bank.
Jacqui holds an MBA in business administration and management from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts in French from Western University in London, Ontario. Jacqui loves adding destinations to her expansive travel portfolio and makes it a priority to explore new cities with her family each year.
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As Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, John is responsible for multiple areas driving the WestJet Group’s $7 billion in annual revenue, including network planning, revenue management, sales, loyalty, strategic partnerships, alliances, cargo, and Sunwing Vacations Group.
John oversees a group of dedicated teams who optimize WestJet’s revenue streams to support the strategic direction of the WestJet Group. This includes the deployment of the airline’s fleet of approximately 200 aircraft across its growing global network.
John has more than 25 years’ experience in the aviation industry and joined WestJet in 2013 as Director, Network and Schedule Planning. He subsequently held the Vice President roles overseeing Network and Revenue, before becoming EVP and CCO in March 2021.
Before joining WestJet, John was Executive Vice President, Route Development at InterVISTAS Consulting. He held responsibility for management of the firm’s air service development practice, leading strategic projects for airport, government and tourism clients in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America.
John holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
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Samantha (Sam) Taylor was appointed WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer March 2025. Sam joined Sunwing in March 2020 as Chief Marketing Officer, and in August 2023 was appointed Chief Marketing & Digital Officer of Sunwing Vacations Group, the vacation division of the WestJet Group, and first joined WestJet’s executive leadership team in October 2023.
Sam’s portfolio is accountable for critical touch points in the guest journey and includes leading all Marketing, Guest Experience and Contact Centres for WestJet and Sunwing Vacations.
Before joining Sunwing, Sam held a variety of executive leadership roles including Chief Marketing Officer at Indigo and Director of Sales and Consumer Products at Mattel. Consistently leveraging customer insights to drive innovation, Sam’s track record for growth and eye for brand marketing is a driving force behind Sunwing Vacations Group.
Driven by data, research and digital marketing trends, Sam uses an empathetic and people-first approach to bolster her team to excellence.
Sam holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Toronto in International Relations.
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Mike joined the WestJet Group in June 2023 and oversees all financial management of the organization. This includes leading all Accounting and Financial Reporting, Planning and Analysis, Treasury, Tax, Procurement, Supply Chain, Real Estate and Payment Services teams.
With 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, Mike holds extensive expertise in asset and capital management, investor relations, merger and acquisition realization and has successfully worked with three unique private equity sponsors.
Before joining the WestJet Group’s executive team, Scott’s long-established career with StandardAero included more than 13 years as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. There he led tremendous growth with revenue increases of more than 300 per cent, while delivering a 400 per cent increase in profitability through a combination of organic growth, cost management and synergistic mergers and acquisitions.
A native of Winnipeg, Mike has his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) designation and is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA, FCMA). He currently serves on the board of EnviroTREC and was previously on the board of the Manitoba Aerospace Association. In 2022, Mike was a recipient of the Manitoba Aerospace Builder Award recognizing his contributions to the Manitoba Aerospace sector.
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Tanya Foster joined WestJet in January 2023 and serves as Group Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. She leads the organization’s technology, digital, data, and cybersecurity functions, driving the strategy and delivery of secure, resilient, and innovative capabilities that empower both employees and guests while supporting WestJet’s continued growth and transformation.
With more than 20 years of leadership experience in the telecommunications and cable industries, Tanya has built a distinguished career delivering large-scale technology transformation and business innovation. Prior to joining WestJet, she held several senior technology leadership roles at Shaw Communications, including Vice President, Enterprise Solutions and Strategic Delivery.
Tanya is recognized for her ability to align technology strategy with business outcomes, partnering closely with stakeholders to accelerate revenue growth, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen organizational resilience. Her people-first leadership approach fosters high-performing teams and a culture of innovation, enabling the delivery of exceptional technology and digital experiences across the enterprise.
Tanya holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a double major in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Lethbridge, Canada.
From left to right: WestJet Group executives Mike Scott, Tanya Foster, John Weatherill, Jacqui McGillivray, Alexis von Hoensbroech, Samantha Taylor and Diederik Pen.