Name: Pablo Chiozza
Title: Vice President, USA, Canada and Caribbean
Company, city: LATAM Airlines Group; Miami, Fla.
Number of employees: 1,654 in the United States; 54,000 worldwide
Recent project: Overseeing the merger of LAN and TAM airlines across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean and directing the integration and synergies that follow
First job: I began my career in the strategy department of BankBoston in Argentina.
Little-known fact about you: I carry four wallets in my travel backpack: one for Europe, one for Argentina, one for the rest of South America and a day-to-day U.S. wallet. I often combine business and personal travel, so I may use more than one wallet on a single trip.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: It may sound cliché, but I truly believe in “Work hard. Play hard.” Hard work fuels success, and enjoying life keeps perspective and creativity alive.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Flexibility and relevance. Being agile enough to evolve with industry demands and client needs keeps you ahead of competitors. Continuous adaptation is key.
Yardstick of success: Building and developing a team capable of operating independently. As a manager of more than 1,500 people, my real measure of success is whether the organization performs effectively with or without my direct presence.
Pablo Chiozza as a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling? I never leave home without my Bose headphones, a North Face fleece, a scarf, warm socks and a Tumi eye mask. These items ensure comfort and rest on long journeys.
How do you spend your time on board? For business trips, rest is my priority. I glance through the in-flight menus and magazine before takeoff, then settle in with headphones, fleece, scarf, socks and eye mask and sleep. For leisure travel, I enjoy the onboard service more and download movies and TV shows to my iPad to relax and be entertained.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world? Pepino in Buenos Aires serves my favorite hamburger. At home, no one beats my father’s asado (barbecue); if he opened a restaurant, it would be my top choice.
What is your favorite destination in the world? I am a proud porteño from Buenos Aires. Many compare it to Paris, but I believe Buenos Aires surpasses that comparison with its unique culture, food and vitality.
About LATAM Airlines Group
What upcoming changes can travelers expect from LAN and TAM in 2014? Travelers can expect a more unified and seamless experience from booking through arrival, including adjustments to fleet deployment, onboard service and loyalty programs. TAM will leave Star Alliance and join oneworld on March 31. We also begin receiving our new Airbus A350 aircraft in 2015, enhancing long-haul comfort and efficiency.
We are well positioned to serve visitors to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. TAM offers excellent domestic connections across Brazil and flies to all 12 World Cup host cities. Between June and July, Brazil anticipated around 3.7 million visitors, most of them domestic; Brazil’s domestic market represents a significant portion of LATAM’s overall capacity.
What makes your new Boeing 787 Premium Business class unique? The South American experience begins the moment you board: an award-winning wine list curated by South America’s only master sommelier, Hector Vergara, and menus crafted with regional flavors by Head Chef Hugo Pantano. Premium Business on the 787-8 features a 2-2-2 layout with 30 fully flat, 180-degree seats, each offering 75 inches of pitch and 23 inches of width. After more than a decade in the industry, the Dreamliner revives much of the excitement and wonder that first drew people to flying.
What does the route network of the newly merged LAN and TAM offer U.S. travelers? LATAM Airlines Group connects travelers to more than 40 destinations in Brazil and 76 across the rest of South America. We operate daily flights from JFK to Rio de Janeiro on refreshed Boeing 767-300 aircraft with fully flat seats, and daily service from JFK to São Paulo on Boeing 777-300s with Brazil-inspired interiors designed by PriestmanGoode. In February we launched a new TAM route from Miami to Belém.
From the United States we provide non-stop and connecting service to every major city in South America from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Orlando, and we extend our reach to more than 50 North American cities through airline partners. LATAM connects South America to the world with extensive coverage and local expertise, delivering a comprehensive travel network for business and leisure travelers alike.