Luzius Wirth to head Swissport UK & Ireland as Tommy Watt retires

Swissport has appointed Luzius Wirth (pictured above) chief executive of its UK and Ireland operations.

Mr Wirth has agreed to pair his new role with his existing job of executive vice president group services for the ground handler.

Mr Wirth’s career has seen him work as a consultant for both IBM and PwC before moving on to McKinsey, where he took responsibility for project management.

He then moved to US chemical company NCH Europe as head of strategy and planning but less than a year later moved to Swissport, where he has spent the past five years.

Mr Wirth takes up his new duties in June, which will focus on regional expansion of Swissport.

In taking on the role, he will replace Tommy Watt, who announced his retirement after four years with the company following its acquisition of Servisair in 2013 – where Mr Watt worked as chief operating officer.

Over a 40-year career, Mr Watt held numerous positions in the ground handling sector.

Eric Born, group president and chief executive of Swissport International, described the UK and Ireland as important markets for the ground handler.

“We are committed to ensure a smooth transition and to continue to deliver services to our valued customers with reliability, consistency and quality,” added Mr Born.

“We all wish Tommy only the best for his future.”