Kazakhstan’s Air Astana brings in restructuring expert Gonçalo Pires as new CFO

Gonçalo Pires has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Air Astana. He will succeed Ibrahim Canliel, who is moving into the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the leading of Kazakhstan’s airline effective April 1.

The Portuguese national previously held the same role at TAP Air Portugal, having served as its CFO since October 2021. While there, he redesigned and implemented their restructuring plan and also launched a number of digitalization initiatives.

His career spans nearly two decades in the financial sector, primarily in investment banking. He held various executive positions at Banco Santander, focusing on equities and asset management. Pires also founded Adamastor Investments, a corporate restructuring fund. He holds a degree in Economics from NOVA University.

The new CFO will be based in Almaty, home to Air Astana’s headquarters.

“Having been the CFO of Portugal’s flag carrier for several years, Gonçalo has the right background to support Air Astana’s evolution and to capitalize on the growth opportunities in our markets,” said Air Astana’s current CEO, Peter Foster.