​​​​​​​Girma Wake, Ethiopian Airlines Board Chair steps down

Mr. Girma Wake

Astute aviation professional, Mr. Girma Wake has stepped down as the board chairman of Ethiopian Airlines Group, effective June 8, 2023.

The reasons for his sudden departure, however, remains unknown. Mr. Girma could not readily be reached for comments.

In a Tweet on Monday, June 12, the Addis-Ababa-based airline confirmed Mr. Wake’s departure and named his successor as Lieutenant General Yilma Merdassa, the Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force.

Mr. Girma Wake has led the Group as Management Board Chairman since March 2022. During this period, Mr. Girma has provided effective guidance to the Group sharing his wealth of experience in the aviation field.

Prior to that, he had served the airline in different capacities including as member of the Management Board, and CEO positions at different times.

“Ethiopian Airlines would like to extend its gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Girma and wish him all the best in his new endeavours,” portions of the tweet said.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that there may be some managerial changes at Africa’s largest airline in the coming weeks.