Connectivity provider, Gogo, has announced that Ronald LeMay has informed the board of his intention to retire as chairman and step down from the board, effective December 31, 2020. Oakleigh Thorne has been elected to succeed LeMay as chairman and will continue to serve as president and CEO. Current director Hugh Jones has been elected to serve as lead independent director, also effective December 31, 2020. Following LeMay’s retirement, the Gogo Board will be comprised of eight directors.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Ron [LeMay] for his excellent stewardship throughout his more than 14-year tenure,” said Thorne. “Ron was instrumental in guiding the company during some of the most challenging and pivotal times in Gogo’s history; culminating with the successful sale of our commercial aviation business to Intelsat earlier this year. I am honoured to serve as chairman as we execute our strategy to capitalise on the opportunities in the business aviation market and drive value for our customers, employees and shareholders.”
“As we embark on this new chapter for Gogo, we’re pleased to appoint Oak [Thorne] to the additional role of chairman,” added Hugh Jones. “We believe his strategic vision, proven leadership capabilities and ability to execute through market challenges make him the right person to lead the Gogo board going forward.”
Hugh Jones has been a Gogo director since 2016. He previously served in a variety of leadership roles at Sabre, including president of Sabre Airline Solutions from April 2011 to August 2017. Prior to the Sabre Airline Solutions role, Jones served as the president and CEO of Travelocity. Jones has served on the board of directors of the Travelport travel technology company since May 2019.
