Shareholders of Abra Group — the UK-based parent company of Gol, Avianca, and strategic investor in Wamos Air — have voted to approve changes to the composition of the board of directors, effective January 1, 2026.
Five current members will continue to serve on the Abra Group board of directors, where they will be joined by four newly appointed members.
Continuing members:
- Constantino de Oliveira Junior (chairman)
- Roberto Kriete
- Richard Schifter
- Patricio Kiblisky
- Jackson Schneider
Newly appointed members:
- Robert Fornaro
- Timothy Coleman
- Stephen Kavanagh
- Howard Millar
In a statement, Abra Group said the updated board has been structured and selected to achieve a majority of directors who would satisfy the independence criteria of the US stock exchanges.
"Abra is entering an exciting new chapter," said Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Abra. "Our new Board brings together diverse expertise and perspectives that will guide our strategy and continue to strengthen our competitive position."
The newly appointed members of the board will bring “extensive” expertise from across the aviation, finance, and travel industries, the Group said.
Robert Fornaro also serves as a member of the boards of US low-cost carrier Southwest and Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet.
He is also currently a principal at ParkView Partners, and in his 40-year career in transport and travel, he has served as president and CEO of Spirit Airlines and president and CEO of AirTran Holdings.
Timothy Coleman also serves as an independent member of Gol's board of directors. He previously held the position of partner and global head of the restructuring and special situations group at PJT Partners.
Before PJT's spin-off from Blackstone, Coleman spent 23 years at Blackstone, where he was senior managing director and head of the restructuring and reorganization group.
Stephen Kavanagh has served as a non-executive director of CDB Aviation Finance since 2019, of Oman Air and Oman Airports Management since 2023, and of Norwegian Air Shuttle since 2023.
He served on the board of Aer Lingus until 2023, having stepped down as CEO and accountable manager in 2019 following a 30-year career with the Irish airline.
Howard Millar is the former deputy CEO and CFO of Ryanair. He joined Ryanair in 1992 as financial controller and became a finance director in 1993.
He is a former non-executive director for Sirius Aviation Capital Holdings, and he has also served as a non-executive director for various other companies, ranging from Plc's, private equity-backed ventures and startups.