Management

David Gary Neeleman, a dual Brazilian and U.S. citizen, is the Chairman of our Board of Directors and served as Chief Executive Officer until July 2017, since he founded Azul in January 2008. Prior to Azul, Mr. Neeleman founded JetBlue Airways, where he held the position of Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to 2007 and Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2008. Mr. Neeleman’s career in the airline industry began in 1984 when he co-founded Morris Air. As President of Morris Air, he implemented the industry’s first electronic ticketing system and pioneered a home reservationist system that is now the foundation of JetBlue’s call center. Mr. Neeleman sold Morris Air in 1993 and took the electronic ticketing to Open Skies Incorporated. He later sold Open Skies Inc. to Hewlett Packard in 1999. Mr. Neeleman was also co-founder of WestJet Airlines and served as a member of its Board of Directors from 1996 to 1999. Mr. Neeleman currently also serves as CEO and Chairman on Breeze AirwaysTM, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Lilium N.V. since September 2021.

Carolyn Trabuco has been an independent member of our board of directors since March 10, 2008. Ms. Trabuco is the founder of Thistledown Advisory Group LLC, an advisory firm that works with companies focusing on high growth disruptive industry opportunities created by ESG and sustainability driven investment demand. Prior to founding Thistledown, she was a portfolio manager and senior advisor at Phibro Energy Trading LLC, with responsibility for investing in global resources, oil and energy equities. Prior to that Ms. Trabuco was a portfolio manager and senior equity research analyst at Pequot Capital Management where she established the firm’s investment presence in global metals, mining and steel and in Brazil. Ms. Trabuco began her investment career in Equity Research at Fidelity Investments and later at the Wall Street firms Lehman Brothers, Montgomery Securities and First Union Capital Markets. She is a graduate of Georgetown University (A.B.) and Sacred Heart University (MPA).

Decio Luiz Chieppe has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since August 15, 2012. He is also Vice President of Innovation and Finance at Grupo Águia Branca and a member of the Board of Directors of VIX Logística S.A. Throughout his career, he has held positions of leadership in all companies of the Águia Branca Group, including the current position, since 1993, and of CEO of some companies of the Águia Branca Group, from 1978 to 1993. Mr. Decio holds a degree in Business Administration from the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo and an Executive Master Degree in Finance from IBMEC. He concluded executive skills, tools and competencies program - STC of J.L Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and PGA (Advanced Management Program) at INSEAD – The Business School For the World.

Gelson Pizzirani has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since April 30, 2012. Between 2002 and 2007, he served as Vice President of Information Technology, Revenue Management, Network and Fleet Planning at Tam Linhas Aéreas S.A. between 2002 and 2007. Before joining Tam Linhas Aéreas S.A., he held several management positions with different information technology companies. Mr. Pizzirani holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the Universidade de Santo André and a master’s degree in Strategic Management and Information Technology from Fundação Getúlio Vargas.

Gilberto Peralta has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since August 24, 2018. With more than 40 years of experience in the aviation sector, Mr. Peralta has held led positions at General Electric-GE global conglomerate, including the positions of Chief Executive Officer of GE Brasil, General Manager of GE Capital Aviation Services in Latin America and Caribbean, having also held the position of Vice President at GE Aviation in France, where he led the Airbus aircraft area. Mr. Peralta holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Mechanical Engineering from the Universidade Católica de Petrópolis, and currently also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helibras - Helicópteros do Brasil S.A., an Airbus Group subsidiary, as well as an independent director of Ascensus Group.

Patrick Wayne Quayle has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since April 29, 2021. Patrick brings 15+ years of experience in airline network, fleet, and corporate planning across positions at United Airlines, American Airlines, and Continental Airlines. Patrick is currently Senior Vice President, International Network and Alliances at United Airlines, where he is responsible for the company’s $20B international route portfolio and enterprise fleet strategy. He has led the launch of 70+ new international routes to 15+ new destinations and has directed the design and interior configuration of more than 1,000 aircraft. Patrick received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rice University, his MBA from the University of Bath, and was named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40.

José Mario Caprioli dos Santos is a member of our Board of Directors, having been our Vice President of Institutional Relations from February 18, 2014 to March 9, 2020, and Chief Operating Officer from August 15, 2012 to February 18, 2014. Mr. Caprioli was the founder of TRIP, where he served as the Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to 2013. Mr. Caprioli holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas. He also attended a specialization course on public transportation at Universidade de Campinas and a capital markets program at Columbia University. He currently also serves as an independent member of the Board of Directors of four more companies.

Michael Lazarus has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since February 20, 2013. Mr. Lazarus co-founded Weston Presidio Capital, a private equity firm focused on growth companies, in 1991 and currently serves as one of its Managing Partners. Mr. Lazarus is also a founding partner of Main Post Partners, a San Francisco based growth equity fund. Prior to the formation of Weston Presidio Capital, he served as Managing Director and Director of the Private Placement Department of Montgomery Securities. He was previously the founding Chairman of JetBlue Airways and served on the Board of Directors for the airline as well as on the boards of directors for Restoration Hardware, Morris Air, Guitar Center, Fender Musical Instrument Corp., Integro, Jimmy John’s LLC, and numerous privately held companies. Michael graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Grove City College and he is a certified public accountant in the United States.

Renan Chieppe has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since August 15, 2012. Chairman of the Águia Branca Group, Vice-President of the Group – Passenger Division and member of the Board of Directors of Vix Logística, he is also the current chairman of Fetransportes (Federação das Empresas de Transportes no Estado do Espírito Santo “Federation of Transport Companies in the State of Espírito Santo”) and former president of Abrati (Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Transporte Terrestre de Passageiros “Brazilian Association of Passenger Ground Transport Companies”). He holds a degree in Business Administration and a Specialization in Advanced Management at Fundação Dom Cabral.

Sergio Eraldo de Salles Pinto has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since March 10, 2008. Mr. Sergio is CEO of Grupo Bozano and currently also serves as an external member of the Audit, Risk and Ethics Committee of Embraer, member of Investment Committees of Crescera Capital, CEO of Legend Capital and representative member of the Shareholders Committee of Conglomerado Alfa. In addition to the positions currently held, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of large companies, such as Netpoints, Embraer, Votorantim S.A. and Votorantim Finanças S.A., having also served as director of Banco Bozano, Simonsen S.A., and held the position of Chairman of Bozano Simonsen Securities in London. Mr. Sergio holds a degree in Economics and Electrical Engineering from the Universidade de Brasília and a master’s degree in Economics from Fundação Getúlio Vargas do Rio de Janeiro and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro.

Peter Allan Otto Seligmann has been an independent member of our Board of Directors since April 29, 2021. He is the CEO and co-founder of Nia Tero, a joint venture of the Emerson Collective, the MacArthur Foundation, the Mulago Foundation and Conservation International. Nia Tero works alongside Indigenous peoples and local communities in securing their rights, cultures, and well-being through agreements that secure the vitality of their oceans and lands. Mr. Seligmann is also the Chairman of the Board, and former CEO, of Conservation International (CI), a global nonprofit organization he co-founded in 1987. Under Seligmann’s leadership, CI emerged as one of the most impactful conservation organizations in the world. CI, working in over 40 nations, has become a cutting-edge leader in valuing and sustainably caring for nature for the well-being of people. For nearly 40 years Mr. Seligmann has been an influential and inspiring voice in conservation. He works in partnership with governments, communities, and businesses to find innovative and pragmatic solutions to ensure the sustainability of our natural resources. Mr. Seligmann is a Director at First Eagle Holdings, Inc. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves on the advisory board of BDT & Company, and also serves on the boards of the Mulago Foundation, Lafayette Square, Only One and Glassybaby. He was also named to the Enterprise for the America’s Board by President Clinton in 2000. He holds a Master of Science in Forestry and Environmental Science from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology from Rutgers University. Mr. Seligmann has Honorary Doctorates in Science from Michigan State University and Rutgers University.

John Peter Rodgerson is our Chief Executive Officer. He has been our Chief Executive Officer since July 24, 2017. Mr. Rodgerson previously served as our Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations Officer. Prior to joining Azul, Mr. Rodgerson served as the Director of Planning and Financial Analysis at JetBlue Airways from 2003 to 2008. Before JetBlue, he worked for IBM Global Services from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Rodgerson holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Brigham Young University.

Alexandre Wagner Malfitani is our Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations Officer, a position he has occupied since July of 2017. Previously, Mr. Malfitani served as the Head of our TudoAzul loyalty program and our Director of Finance and Treasurer. Mr. Malfitani joined Azul in 2008 as one of the airline’s founding members. Before joining Azul, Malfitani worked at United Airlines in Chicago, in several leadership positions including managing director of treasury. Before that, he worked for five years in the finance industry, including as Fund Manager at Deutsche Bank, as well as a Trader at Credit Agricole Indosuez Wealth Management. Mr. Malfitani received an MBA with honors from the Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Universidade de São Paulo. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst – CFA®.

Antonio Flávio Torres Martins Costa is our Chief Operating Officer. He joined Azul in 2008, as part of the Azul founding team, as Technical and Operations Director responsible for the flight certification process of the Company at ANAC. After that, he became our Logistics Director, responsible for airports and infrastructure, non-aeronautics procurement and the development of Azul Cargo’s business. In 2012, he became Azul’s Chief Operating Officer, and in addition to this current role he is also the Chief Executive Officer of Azul Conecta Ltda., Azul’s regional aviation subsidiary. With nearly half a century of experience in the airline industry, Mr. Costa served as Chief Operating Officer at Pluna S.A., Varig and OceanAir. He holds a Telecommunication Engineering degree from Nuno Lisboa University, with MBA in Business Logistics and MBA in Business and Information Technology from Fundação Getúlio Vargas – FGV. Currently, Mr. Costa is also a master’s student in Supply and Logistics from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ).

Abhi Manoj Shah is our Chief Revenue Officer and one of the founding members of Azul. Prior to joining Azul in 2008, Mr. Shah worked at JetBlue Airways from 2004 to 2008 and at the Boeing Company from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Shah holds a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Washington.