Siza Mzimela

CEO of SA Airways (SAA)

Siza Mzimela is the first female Chief Executive Officer of South African Airways (SAA), appointed in February 2010. Mzimela is the first woman to be appointed to the International Air Transport Association’s board of directors in 67 years. She was previously CEO of South African Express Airway (SAX). Mzimela's first job was in the small business and retail division of Standard Bank in 1991. Three years later she joined Total SA as a corporate planning analyst responsible for managing capital projects, before joining SA Airways (SAA) in 1996 as a research analyst. After various promotions at SAA, Mzimela was appointed executive vice-president of global passenger services in 2001, later taking on responsibility for global sales and the airline's Voyager programme. She is also a board member of SA Tourism and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. In 2002, she was a finalist in the Nedbank Businesswoman of the Year Award.