Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) has announced the appointment of Hernan Abbes as vice-president of global sales.

In his new role, the company says that Abbes will play a “pivotal leadership role” in driving business growth and nurturing relationships with new and existing airline customers.

Panasonic CEO Ken Sain said: “Hernan is a valuable addition to Panasonic’s senior leadership team, and a skilled and proven executive who is passionate about customers, meeting their needs and exceeding expectations. Under his leadership, I have no doubt that our company will elevate our responsiveness and customers will benefit from his expertise and dedication.”

He will report directly to CEO Ken Sain and have worldwide responsibility for developing and implementing strategic sales initiatives across Panasonic Avionics’ range of products, services and solutions.

Abbes will oversee efforts to strengthen customer relationships, listen to and understand customer needs, propose solutions and share the voice of the customer feedback within Panasonic. As a member of Panasonic’s senior leadership team, he will also participate in strategy formulation and key decisions across the business.

He joined the business in 2011 as an account manager for the Americas region. He progressed quickly upwards through a series of sales roles, and was appointed regional vice-president for the Americas and Oceania in 2019.

Abbes added: “I am truly excited about my new role, and look forward to leading Panasonic’s team of incredibly talented sales executives. Our industry is facing challenging times but with the skill of our people and the strength and innovation of our services and solutions, I am confident that Panasonic will continue to grow as the provider of choice for airlines across the globe.”

Abbes’ started his career at Boeing, and then at Raytheon, as an electrical engineer developing wiring diagrams and cable assemblies, before he took a role at Thales Avionics as an installation engineer.

He later transitioned into a senior account manager role for Thales’ Latin America region selling In-Flight Entertainment and avionics. He has also held roles as a consultant to Gogo and a strategic account manager at Carlisle Interconnect Technologies.