New CEO joins Dnata UK

Air and travel services provider, Dnata, has appointed Lynn McClelland as chief executive officer (CEO) of its Catering and Retail division in the UK. She will head Dnata’s operations at 18 airports across the UK, a setup with 3,000 staff that currently provides catering and retail services to 38 airlines.

McClelland brings experience from previous executive roles, including as head of British Airways’ global catering and director of worldwide operations for IAG Cargo. Even so, she will have a challenge on her hands as the aviation sector recovers rapidly from the effects of the pandemic – indeed Dnata’s flight catering operation uplifted 50.5 million meals from April to September 2022, which was a sharp increase of 204% compared to 16.6 million meals in the equivalent period in 2021.

Robin Padgett, CEO of parent company, Dnata Catering and Retail, said of the appointment: “Lynn brings a wealth of international experience and has a demonstrable track record in building high-performing businesses and teams, driving operational excellence, understanding our customer’s needs, as well as financial and change management.

“With her broad expertise and passion for culinary excellence, Lynn is well-positioned to lead our dedicated team and help Dnata’s customers deliver on changing traveller expectations and needs.”