Aviation tech specialist Accelya promoted Jim Davidson to chief executive

Aviation tech specialist Accelya promoted Jim Davidson to chief executive

Former Farelogix boss succeeds John Johnson who has become special advisor to the board

by Kaia Hicks

Aviation technology specialist Accelya has announced the appointment of Jim Davidson as its chief executive.

Davidson succeeds John Johnston, who transitioned from the chief executive position in November but will continue as a special advisor to the Accelya board of directors.

He has been chief strategy officer for the past three months and is a recognised industry leader, having worked in airline distribution and commerce evolution for more than 25 years.

In that time Davidson has served as president and chief executive of NTE, president and chief executive of Amadeus Global Travel, North America, head of sales and marketing at System One, and vice president of marketing at Reed Travel Group/OAG.

It was as chief executive of Farelogix, prior to its acquisition by Accelya, that Davidson oversaw the building of its New Distribution Capability (NDC) solutions which have become a key element of its FLX Platform.

Davidson said: “I’m honoured to be named CEO of Accelya. Over the past few months, I´ve been able to work with the executive team across all areas of the business and am energized by the Accelya team’s commitment to customer success.

“We are better positioned than ever to continue delivering innovation and game-changing solutions to the global airline and travel industry.”

Burke Norton, co-head of Vista Equity Partners’ Perennial Fund and Accelya Board Member, said: “We are excited for the next phase of Accelya´s growth and we are confident that Jim is the perfect leader to guide the company in its mission to accelerate digital transformation of the airline industry,”

“Jim’s extensive global leadership experience, combined with his deep understanding of the needs of airlines worldwide, will ensure a smooth transition and strong leadership as Accelya continues to focus on innovation and the commercial success of its customers.”