Kersti Krepp exits carrier after nearly 25 years, having overseen commercial strategy and transition following the February wind-down decision
Polar Air Cargo’s senior vice president and chief management officer, Kersti Krepp, has bid farewell to the carrier, 10 months after the closure of the joint venture (JV) between Atlas Air Worldwide and DHL was announced.
Krepp said in a LinkedIn post on 1 January that she would be moving onto a new career opportunity after working at Polar for 24 years, but has not yet confirmed further details.
"A new chapter is on the horizon—and the legacy of Polar is the foundation for what comes next," said Krepp. "My 24-year journey with Polar Air Cargo — through growth, challenges, and successes — has been one of the proudest experiences of my career. I am deeply grateful for the exceptional colleagues, amazing customers, and outstanding partners I’ve had the privilege to work with along the way."
Krepp began working for Polar in 2002, following the airline's acquisition by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings in 2001. She initially worked on sales strategy, designing a new route structure, and optimising pricing across APAC, continuing this work when in 2007 DHL Express entered into a strategic arrangement with Atlas to acquire a 49% equity interest in Polar.
After nearly 20 years and having taken on the role of vice president, sales & marketing, Asia Pacific, Krepp became senior vice president and chief commercial officer to grow the company’s end-to-end commercial strategy.
She was responsible for global leadership of commercial operations, technology & systems, capacity management, customer service, marketing, account management and strategic communications.
In April 2024, she transitioned to senior vice president and chief management officer with a focus on a wide variety of commercial, operational and organisational leadership initiatives.
These included establishing and guiding successful leadership teams; identifying, developing, and securing new revenue streams; and driving international expansion strategies.
In February last year, Atlas Air Worldwide and DHL announced they would end their Polar Air Cargo JV after 17 years of joint operations. The companies said they had decided that the JV was no longer a strategic business interest, according to an Atlas Air Worldwide spokesperson.
Krepp further stated: "I greatly appreciated the care with which the joint venture was thoughtfully wound down and valued the opportunity to help ensure a smooth transition for our company, our people, and our customers."
She had told ACN in 2024 how Polar had moved forward with a robust company culture one year on from the announcement of a major fraud case, which saw 10 people charged with allegedly defrauding the airline.
