oneworld, the airline alliance uniting such carriers as American Airlines, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and others, has found a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after its former CEO left for a C-level role at American Airlines.
Hiring Finnair’s ex-CCO
On February 23, 2026, oneworld announced that it has appointed Ole Orvér as its new CEO, with the Swedish executive replacing Nat Pieper, who left the alliance in November 2025 to become the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of American Airlines.
Orvér will begin his tenure as the CEO of oneworld on April 1.
The alliance noted that Orvér, who has more than 20 years of experience in the airline industry, most recently served as Finnair’s CCO. Prior to joining the Finnish carrier in May 2019, Orvér worked as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning at Qatar Airways.
During his career, Orvér also held senior leadership positions at SAS, LOT Polish Airlines, and airberlin.
The Swedish national said that he is joining oneworld at “a pivotal moment for global travel,” adding that the alliance’s members will “continue the work to showcase the world's premium alliance, elevate the customer journey, and unlock new tools and technology.”
Robert Isom, the CEO of American Airlines, added that Orvér will bring a “proven track record of driving commercial performance, deep knowledge of airline partnerships, and extensive international experience,” which will help oneworld to deliver “on the slate of forthcoming customer-first initiatives that further strengthen oneworld's position as the world's premium airline alliance.”
Replacing Pieper
While Pieper has been at American Airlines since November 2025, his tenure with the alliance was fairly brief. The executive took over the leadership of oneworld in April 2024, joining from one of the alliance’s members, Alaska Airlines.
During his tenure, two new members joined the alliance: Fiji Air, which became a full member on April 1, 2025, and Oman Air, whose passengers have been enjoying the benefits of alliance membership since July 1, 2025.
Before that, Alaska Airlines joined on March 31, 2021, and Royal Air Maroc became a member of oneworld on April 1, 2020. However, LATAM Airlines, following an investment from Delta Air Lines, left the alliance on May 1, 2020.
Pieper himself replaced Rob Gurney, who left the alliance on July 1, 2023, and who invited Alaska Airlines, Oman Air, and Royal Air Maroc to join oneworld.
And for a slight hint of irony, Vasu Raja, who was the CCO of American Airlines until June 2024, led the search for Gurney’s replacement, who turned out to be Pieper, his successor at American Airlines, more than a year later.
Rytis Beresnevicius
