LONDON, Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Abra Group (Abra), which brings together iconic brands Gol, Avianca, and Wamos Air under one of the most competitive air transport groups in Latin America, announced that on November 6, 2025, and to advance the next phase of Abra’s strategic plans, its shareholders approved changes to the composition of its Board of Directors.
Effective on January 1, 2026, Abra’s Board will be composed of 9 members, as follows:
Continuing members:
- Constantino de Oliveira Junior – Chairman
- Roberto Kriete
- Richard Schifter
- Patricio Kiblisky
- Jackson Schneider
The Board’s newly appointed members contribute extensive expertise across the aviation, finance, and travel industries:
- Robert Fornaro
- Timothy Coleman
- Stephen Kavanagh
- Howard Millar
The updated Board has been structured and selected to achieve a majority of directors who would satisfy the independence criteria of the U.S. stock exchanges, reflecting Abra’s commitment to strong governance, transparency, and accountability.
“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.”
Abra extends its sincere gratitude to its departing Board members for their invaluable contributions since the Company’s inception in 2023. Their leadership and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the Company’s foundation and guiding its early growth.
Board Biographies
Constantino de Oliveira Junior has served as a member of our board of directors since 2023 and as Chairman since January 2024; he served as our Chief Executive Officer from 2023 to January 2024. Mr. de Oliveira founded Gol in 2001 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2001 to 2012. He has been a member of the board of directors of Gol since 2001 and Chairman since 2012.
Roberto Kriete has served as a member of our board of directors since 2023. Mr. Kriete has served on the board of directors of Avianca’s holding company since its incorporation in March 2022; he also served as Chairman of the board of directors of Avianca from February 2010 to August 2013, was a director of Taca International Airlines from 1982 to February 2010 and Chief Executive Officer of Taca from 2001 to February 2010. Mr. Kriete also serves as chairman of the board of directors of Kingsland International Group S.A., president of the Kriete Investment Company group and president of the Gloria de Kriete Foundation. He is a founder of Volaris in Mexico and a former member of its board of directors; he has also served as president of ALTA, the Association of Latin American Airlines. Mr. Kriete is also a member of the board of directors of MRO Holdings Inc. and Teléfonos de México, S.A.B. de C.V.
Richard Schifter has served as a member of our board of directors since 2023. Mr. Schifter has also served on the board of directors of Avianca’s holding company since 2022 and has served on the board of directors of the Avianca Group since 2019. He is currently a Senior Advisor at TPG, where he was a Partner from 1994 to 2013, and member of the board of directors of Caesars Entertainment Corp., LPL Financial Holdings, Inc. and ProSight Global, Inc. as well as member of the board of supervisors of the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania and co-director of the National Advisory Board of Youth, Inc. He has previously held positions as a member of the board of directors of Midwest Airlines, Inc., EverBank Financial Corp., Mtel Latin America Inc., Controladora Milano, SA de CV, Alpargatas SAIC, Bristol Group SA, Grupo Milano, SA, Corporacion General Directa, Producer of Papel SA de CV (Proposa), Empresas Chocolates La Corona, SA of C.V. (The Crown), Republic Airways, Ecoenterprises Fund, Gate Gourmet International, American Beacon Advisors, Inc., American Airlines Group Inc. America West Holdings Corp., U.S. Airways Inc. and Ryanair Holdings PLC.
Patricio Kiblisky has served as a member of our board of directors since 2023. Mr. Kiblisky also serves as a member of the board of directors of Avianca’s holding company, as well as on those of RVX Asset Management, LLC and Nexus Chile. He served as President of Nublense SADP from 2007 to 2022 and as a Senior Vice President at UBS Wealth Management from 2009 to 2021. Mr. Kiblisky has over 20 years of experience as a board member of health, sports and logistics companies in South America. Mr. Kiblisky has previously served in private client services roles at Lehman Brothers, CSFB, Smith Barney and UBS.
Jackson Schneider has served as a member of our board of directors since 2023. Mr. Schneider has been a Senior Research Scholar and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University since 2023, and was a Visiting Senior Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Mr. Schneider was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Embraer Defense & Security from 2014 to 2023. In addition, Mr. Schneider is the Chair of the High Council for Foreign Trade at FIESP (a Brazilian industry federation). He was the chair of the Brazil chapter of the BRICs Business Council. Mr. Schneider currently serves on the board of directors of OdysightAI, Mercedes-Benz Latin America and Casas Bahia.
Robert Fornaro will serve as a member of our board of directors beginning on January 1, 2026. Mr. Fornaro also serves as a member of the boards of Avianca’s holding company, as well as those of Southwest and WestJet. Mr. Fornaro is currently a Principal at ParkView Partners LLC. He has over 40 years of experience in the transportation and travel industry and has previously served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Spirit Airlines and as Chief Executive Officer and President of AirTran Holdings Inc.
Timothy Coleman will serve as a member of our board of directors beginning on January 1, 2026. Mr. 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, Mr. Coleman spent 23 years at Blackstone, where he was Senior Managing Director and Head of the Restructuring and Reorganization Group.
Stephen Kavanagh will serve as a member of our board of directors beginning on January 1, 2026. Mr. 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 Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager in 2019 following a 30-year career with the Irish airline. During his time with Aer Lingus, Mr. Kavanagh also held a number of executive roles, including Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, and Corporate Planning Director.
Howard Millar will serve as a member of our board of directors beginning on January 1, 2026. Mr. Millar is the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Ryanair. He joined Ryanair in 1992 as Financial Controller and became a Finance Director in 1993 and later Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer in 2003. He is a former non-executive director for Sirius Aviation Capital Holdings Ltd, and he has also served as a non-executive director for various other companies, ranging from Plc’s, private equity-backed ventures and startups.
About Abra Group
Abra, a UK-based company, is one of the most competitive air transport groups in Latin America. It brings together the iconic Gol and Avianca brands under a single leadership and a strategic investment in Wamos Air, anchoring an airline network that has one of the lowest unit costs in its respective markets, leading loyalty programs across the region (LifeMiles and Smiles) and other synergistic businesses. In addition, Abra has a convertible debt representing a minority stake investment in Sky Airline Chile. The Group consolidates a team of around 30,000 highly qualified aviation professionals and a fleet of more than 300 aircraft, with scheduled flights serving over 25 countries and more than 140 destinations. Gol is one of Brazil’s leading airlines, operating a standardized fleet of 143 Boeing 737 aircraft and employing 15,000 highly qualified professionals. Avianca, the second oldest airline in the world, operates more than 140 A320 and B787 passenger aircraft, as well as 6 cargo aircraft, and has more than 14,000 employees. Finally, Wamos Air is Europe’s leader in wide-body ACMI operations, operating 13 A330 passenger aircraft. For more information, visit www.abragroup.net
SOURCE Abra Group
