Meet The CEO of Air France

Join us for a lively lunchtime discussion about the global travel outlook with Benjamin Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Air France-KLM and FACC Philadelphia’s President Emeritus Jonathan Grode.

Benjamin Smith has a long history and diverse experience in the world of airlines. Before becoming the Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM, he spent twenty years at Air Canada. 

In 1990, in parallel with his university studies, Ben began working part-time as a customer service agent at Air Ontario. In 1992, he embarked on entrepreneurship and created his own travel agency, which he successfully managed for eight years. 

In 2002, Ben joined Air Canada, designing, then heading their Tango subsidiary. He was promoted to Vice President in charge of network planning within the company, then Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer in 2007, before becoming President of the Airlines (Air Canada, Rouge, Express and Cargo), and Chief Operating Officer in 2014. Then responsible for commercial activities, operations and customer service, Ben lead the company's commercial growth strategy, which was rewarded with impressive financial performance. 

In August 2018, Ben was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM. In December of the same year, he joined the Board of Directors of Air France-KLM.