Rodger Foster, the CEO and Managing Director of South Africa’s Airlink, will step down from his position after nearly 33 years of leadership. Foster co-founded the airline in 1992 and has served as CEO and Managing Director since then, leading it to become the prominent African airline it is today. Who will succeed Rodger Foster? Airlink will undergo a leadership change when Rodger Foster steps down at the end of March 2025.
He will be succeeded by the company’s current Chief Financial Officer, de Villiers Engelbrecht, with effect from April 1, 2025. However, Foster will remain an Airlink shareholder and continue serving as a non-executive director. Engelbrecht has been involved with the airline for over 20 years, serving as a non-executive director for a period and joining as an executive in February 2011.
He has played a significant role in ensuring the sustainable growth of the airline. Speaking about the development, Rodger Foster said, “It has been a privilege to have led Airlink through what has been an exciting, at times very challenging, but ultimately a rewarding and fulfilling journey. However, after more than three decades in the post, it is time to hand over the flight controls to my successor and our Chief Financial Officer, de Villiers Engelbrecht.
” Foster added that Engelbrecht, a widely respected figure in the industry, helped steady the airline when it faced two existential threats: its separation from South African Airways when the national carrier e.
