IATA appoints Brendan Sullivan as global head of cargo

July 13, 2021: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the appointment of Brendan Sullivan as IATA's global head of cargo with immediate effect.

Sullivan has worked in air cargo for 20 years including spending 14 years at IATA. Since January, he has been acting global head of cargo alongside his role as head of cargo operations and e-commerce.

He replaced Glyn Hughes, who left the job in January 2021 as part of IATA's restructuring programme initiated in response to the critical financial crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In February 2021, Glyn took the newly created role of director-general at The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA).

Recent achievements of Brendan Sullivan
The One Source platform: This provides comprehensive information on infrastructure capabilities critical to taking advantage of special cargo and e-commerce activities.

The IATA FACE Campaign: This builds the next generation of air cargo leadership by attracting, developing, and retaining young talent within the air cargo industry. Over 200 cargo professionals are engaged in the initiative.

Sullivan began his career in air cargo at Air Canada in 2000, where he gained frontline operational experience and developed expertise in dangerous goods handling that facilitated his transition to IATA in 2007.

Nick Careen, IATA's senior vice president for operations, safety and security, said, "Brendan will be a great global head of air cargo. He knows the industry from frontline operations to the development of global standards. He recognizes the critical need for modernization to meet the needs of air cargo's biggest business opportunities—e-commerce and special cargo. And he has the passion to drive a post-crisis agenda that will strengthen air cargo's contribution to the global economy and to the airline business."

A Canadian national, Sullivan is fluent in English and French.