SAS Group, Scandinavia’s leading airline, has announced the appointment of Pernille Ormholt Vang as the Chief People Officer, effective from January 1, 2024. This appointment is part of the leadership reshuffle at the group following the retirement announcement of Carina Malmgren Heander, the Executive Vice President, and Chief of Staff.

Assuming her new role, Pernille brings around 30 years of HR leadership experience, covering leadership development, talent management, work culture, and employee experience. She currently serves as the Regional Head of HR for the Maersk APAC Region.

In her previous roles, Pernille held leadership positions, including Board Member at KJAER Group A/S, HR Manager for CPH/Sweden/Norway & Global Head of HR N&H Corporate Functions at DuPont, and HR Consultant at Mercer. She also served as the Global Head of HR for COO at Maersk in 2012.

Welcoming Pernille to the leadership role, President and CEO Anko van der Werff said, “I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to Pernille Ormholt Vang. With a comprehensive background in global, corporate, and regional HR leadership roles, Pernille brings extensive experience to our organization. Her proven track record in driving organizational transformations makes her a valuable addition to the SAS management team. We look forward to the positive impact this will have.”

Pernille added, “I am truly honored and excited to embark on this new journey at SAS. My career has been dedicated to creating business results in global organizations, and I look forward to contributing my skills and expertise to the dynamic environment at SAS and together with the team.”

Carina, who will hold the position until February 1, 2024, will continue as a senior advisor to CEO Werff until mid-year 2024 to ensure a smooth transition.

As part of the leadership reshuffle, a new Chief People function has been established to replace the Chief of Staff function, encompassing HR and Communication roles, among others. Pernille will spearhead this new function of the group. Additionally, the General Counsel position will be under the Group Management, and Anna Almén, the current Vice President General Counsel, will assume her new role as Chief Legal Officer.

Extending wishes to the departing EVP and Chief of Staff Carina, Werff said, “I want to thank Carina for her dedication to SAS during almost a decade of very demanding times. We appreciate her stamina, strategic mindset, and focus on achieving results. I wish her all the best in the new phase as she retires.”

Carina added, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been part of SAS Group Management and the journey to secure and maintain SAS’ role as the leading airline in Scandinavia. The dedication and commitment shown by SAS employees every day is something that has made a lasting impression.”

Werff also welcomed Anna, saying, “Almén has been instrumental in SAS’ ongoing restructuring and a driving force in our transformation. She has been a valued colleague at SAS for over 20 years, and I look forward to continuing our close cooperation. I am delighted to welcome Anna into the Group Management team.”

Anna concluded, “I am excited about the opportunity to continue shaping SAS together with my colleagues and our new owners.”