SWISS has appointed Ignazio Strano to head its External Relations & Global Alliances unit. He will assume his new duties in March.

Ignazio Strano, who is 42 years old, can draw on 23 years of experience in the Swiss airline sector, including numerous positions in sales and marketing and various secondments abroad. He joined SWISS in 2002, and has been in charge of Sales Europe North since January of last year.

As Head of External Relations & Global Alliances, Strano will be responsible for SWISS's interline and codeshare agreements with other air carriers. He will also act as the prime SWISS contact for the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation and for Star Alliance, which SWISS joined in April 2006. In the latter capacity, he will further serve as SWISS's representative on the Star Alliance Airline Management Board.