A global search is on for a replacement for outgoing Air New Zealand boss Greg Foran, but one candidate from within the business is said to be one of the best placed of those being considered.
Sources say Nikhil Ravishankar, who is currently the airline’s chief digital officer, is the top pick of those within Air New Zealand.
Mr Ravishankar took on the job in September 2021 after leaving Vector New Zealand and before that he was a managing director at Accenture in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
He previously held technology strategy and transformation leadership roles at Telecom New Zealand, which has since been renamed Spark.
Market experts have described Mr Ravishankar as bright and say that he has successfully led the Air New Zealand digital transformation.
His consideration for the top job at the national carrier across the Tasman comes after Air New Zealand announced in March that Mr Foran was stepping down and would leave the airline on October 20.
There has been speculation that Mr Foran, a former Woolworths and Walmart executive, could take on a chief executive role in Australia or the US.
Sources say that the airline, which is 51 per cent owned by the New Zealand government and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, has conducted an extensive search for Mr Foran’s replacement.
Air New Zealand was run by Ralph Norris between 2002 and 2005 before he went on to run Commonwealth Bank.
His success at both the airline and bank was attributed to his skill around the digital and IT transformation strategies for both businesses.
For the six months to December, Air New Zealand reported an 18 per cent decline in its net profit to $NZ106m after engine availability issues kept multiple aircraft grounded throughout the period.
No guidance was issued for the full year, due to the uncertainty about fleet availability, and a dividend of NZ1.25c a share was announced.
The second half of 2025 was forecast to be even more challenging financially, marking the first full year impacted by global engine maintenance requirements.
Amid discussion of more government asset privatisations in New Zealand, sources believe a further selldown of the carrier is off the table, as returns achieved from the move would be unlikely to make it worthwhile financially.
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