IRVING, Texas (March 31, 2025) – LSG Sky Chefs – Americas (Sky Chefs), the market leader in airline catering and culinary solutions, today announced it has promoted Erik Olund, senior vice president of operations, to the role of chief operating officer (COO), effective April 1. Olund will oversee all operational market leadership in the United States and Latin America, as well as key areas of the organization, including safety and regulatory compliance, strategic infrastructure and operational excellence.

“As we continue to transform and elevate our business, it’s absolutely essential for us to have an operational leader who will guide our business through this important journey,”

said Greg Anderson, CEO, LSG Sky Chefs – Americas.

“Since joining us earlier this year as senior vice president of operations, Erik has proven his ability to lead our organization forward. In short order, he has demonstrated tremendous leadership, operational expertise, and a vision for what we can achieve together.”

Olund joined Sky Chefs in January 2025 as senior vice president of operations, leading operational strategy and service excellence for the eastern region of the United States. Prior to Sky Chefs, his career highlights include serving as COO for Jetstream Ground Services, vice president at Caliber Collision, and nearly nine years with American Airlines in operations and customer care roles, including managing director of base maintenance

Overall, Olund has more than 20 years of proven leadership experience in the transportation and service industries, where he led large-scale transformations, improved operational efficiencies, and driven sustainable growth.

“Erik’s promotion reflects not only his success in leading teams but also his proven ability to deliver transformational results. His expertise spans strategic planning, process optimization, and team development – skills that will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and deliver excellence across our operations,” said Anderson.

About LSG Sky Chefs – Americas

LSG Sky Chefs is dedicated to providing outstanding service to its airline partners while prioritizing safety and driving operational efficiency at every level. This investment underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to raising the standards of performance and reliability, positioning LSG Sky Chefs for continued growth and reinforcing its leadership in the airline catering industry.

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A Modern & Safe Fleet for Unparalleled Operational Excellence

The new fleet introduces a range of key innovations designed to enhance safety, reliability, and performance across operations. Highlights of the advanced fleet include:

• Intelligent Truck Camera Systems for real-time monitoring and improved operational oversight.
• Anti-Collision Systems to prioritize driver and cargo safety in dynamic environments.
• Streamlined Rear-Truck Entry Designs to enable faster, more efficient loading and unloading.

These enhanced technology investments reflect LSG Sky Chefs’ commitment to elevating safety for our employees and our airline partners.

A Bold Vision for People, Processes, and Technology

This fleet investment is a key part of our broader strategy to transform LSG Sky Chefs into the most modern, agile, and client-focused company in airline catering. At the heart of this transformation are five strategic pillars—People, Service, Clients, Culinary, and Digitalization —each designed to enhance our ability to deliver exceptional performance and meet the evolving needs of our clients.

“At LSG Sky Chefs, our commitment to innovation and modernization extends well beyond upgrading our fleet,” said Greg Anderson, CEO. “It’s about investing in the tools, technologies, and initiatives that will enhance our overall performance and empower us to meet the changing needs and expectations of our clients.”

Driving the Future of Airline Catering

LSG Sky Chefs is dedicated to providing outstanding service to its airline partners while prioritizing safety and driving operational efficiency at every level. This investment underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to raising the standards of performance and reliability, positioning LSG Sky Chefs for continued growth and reinforcing its leadership in the airline catering industry.

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Self-promotion is often crucial for leadership positions. This poses a problem to women, however, who are more likely to downplay their achievements. A 2017 study by LinkedIn found that even with similar experience levels, women on average include 11 percent less skills than men on their professional profiles.

This year’s spotlight goes to women from around the LSG Group world who share one thing they’re most proud of achieving. Some also include a special shout-out to colleagues, demonstrating the power and necessity of growing together.

Furthermore, the Sustainability & Diversity team at the LSG Group organized activities through the week that further the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day: Break the Bias. For instance, the team has brought #IamRemarkable, a Google-powered initiative, into the company. This falls in line with the LSG Group’s holistic approach to sustainability: “People. Planet. Prosperity.”  

Sinje Wojahn, Head of Global HR Management & People Development, said: “This is part of our efforts to develop all employees further. Through these initiatives, we hope to deepen the conversation surrounding diversity.”

More like this: Women in focus: How COVID-19 affected LSG Group employees worldwide

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The top chef’s sentiments prove true when we look at our own company. Much of what the LSG Group has accomplished this year was thanks to the great teamwork displayed within and between each department.

In a kitchen, cohesive teamwork is one that is just as crucial. For chefs to serve the best quality dishes to their guests requires trust, precision and communication.

In this video, the Michelin star chef talks more about the intricacies of teamwork from both a top-down and bottom-up approach.

For more on Thomas Bühner, check out the first episode on Culinary Identity.

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According to a report by German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the COVID pandemic resulted in a growing demand for convenience. As a result, the ready-made dish gained particular popularity during lockdown.

“Maultaschen” literally translates to “mouth pockets”, which aptly describes the dish. Originating from the Swabia region, Maultaschen consists of pasta dough stuffed with minced meat, spinach, breadcrumbs and various spices. The Swabian classic was recognized as a regional specialty in 2008. Therefore, to classify as genuine Swabian Maultaschen, it must be produced in Baden-Württemberg or the administrative district of Swabia.

In 2018, the LSG Group provided Maultaschen (among other bonus dishes) for German astronaut Alexander Gerst’s mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The LSG Group is currently involved in catering for ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, who is set to leave for the ISS next year. Click here for more information about the project.  

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After analyzing market data, the LSG Group’s trend experts identified “Mindfulness” as one of the five umbrella trends in the 2020 Trend Report. Google Trends also reported a surge in the number of searches for “vitamin C” and “immune system” in the middle of March. This coincides with a similar uptick in searches for “COVID-19”.

So what exactly is the future of health food? “We’re seeing a movement towards the marrying of science and wellness,” said Sunbul Dubuni. Director Customer Insights and trend expert at LSG Group. The global pandemic has boosted the interest in the search for healthy and innovative ingredients. Collaborations with nutritional scientists are growing, and as Dubuni added, there is growing analysis on traditional holistic medicine. The Ayurveda practice, for example, is part of the research at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of Europe’s largest university hospitals.

This holistic approach also extends to observing a truly balanced diet – which also includes indulgent food. “Food has the power to create different moods and connect people, both physically and virtually,” noted Dubuni. “In uncertain times like these, people want company and a meal that fits their mood, whether it’s to strengthen their body or to indulge.”

Such intuitive eating means that an otherwise healthy diet, which includes probiotics and vitamins, has its place alongside an ice cream cake.  

Jörg Hofmann, Head of Global Culinary Excellence and chef, added: “Our job is to create a dish that nourishes but also makes, in our case, the passenger feel good.” This means utilizing ingredients or products that boost the immune system, like the FlyYourVeda® concept launched in 2017. What is important is that the meal has to fit the mood and tell a story to the end consumer.

As Hofmann said: “There is a science behind cooking, but food is an emotional experience.”

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Last week, more than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world began observing Ramadan. Although the COVID-19 pandemic will challenge the normality of this holiday, this hasn’t stopped them from finding innovative (and safe!) ways of celebrating. Ramadan, also known as the holy month of fasting and abstinence, takes place between Thursday, April 23, and Saturday, May 23. Fasting during daylight hours is among the most important practices, thus leaving the Suhur (before sunrise) and the Itfar (after sunset) as the only opportunities to consume food.

We talked to Chef Ibrahim Atef, an awarded chef who has been working for LSG Sky Chefs for over 17 years about the importance of this celebration, its challenges and the meals they prepare throughout Ramadan.

What does this celebration mean to you?

For me, it is a unique opportunity to spend time with my family, especially with my two children with whom I share the same passion for cooking. They have both been recognized for their skills as chefs in culinary competitions, and I am very happy to enjoy the Itfar with them every day.

How is Ramadan usually celebrated in the Cairo CSC? 

Usually, the company organizes a fast-breaking event with the idea of sharing a good time with our colleagues along with a nice dinner but, unfortunately, this year it will not happen due to the coronavirus outbreak.

How do you taste the food you cook when you are fasting?

Egypt’s population is 10 to 20 percent Christian, so the staff members who are not Muslim taste the food.

Do you think the food during Suhur (before sunrise) should be heavy and plentiful? What do you eat before sunrise?

Since this food has to keep us active until sunset, it has to be hearty, but not too heavy. What is important is the quality of the food so that we can continue to work one hundred percent, especially those who are more physically active.

Before sunrise, we usually drink fresh juices like Karkade (Hibiscus) and eat natural yogurt, tahini, cheese, dates and bread among other local foods.

Are there any variations in the dishes you cook for Ramadan? Are there any special requests from airlines?

Unfortunately, due to the current situation, we do not have a significant production this year, so we do not have any special orders either.

However, for normal Ramadan periods, we usually adapt the menus according to the client’s needs. For example, the meals are generally heavier and sweeter.

In the next few days, we will be catering a Malaysia Airlines flight and the menu will include traditional items like Tahina, Sayadeia fish, oriental rice, fresh vegetable mix and the popular date chocolate cake.

How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting the normality of this celebration?

While our meal preparation for some airlines is running on a smaller scale, we continue to distribute meals for 1,700 people at Cairo airport, including the airport police and the Egyptian ground service. However, the coronavirus is already limiting our activities and we had to cancel our fast-breaking celebration.

For us, social distancing is very important, and since the celebration is based on bringing all of us around a table full of food, it’s impossible to do it this year.

Despite the current situation, we are still looking for a responsible way to celebrate the end of Ramadan this year at home, with our families.  

Happy Ramadan and stay healthy!

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The meeting took place in an extraordinary and exciting place, the Domäne Mechthildshausen. Regarding why and how they chose the location, Jörg Hofmann explains: “Chefs are unique. We’re not the simplest of people, and we sometimes have an atypical resume or a certain edginess about us, so the philosophy of Domäne Mechthildshausen immediately appealed to me! Here, young people who have taken an unfortunate turn at a young age are given a second chance through hands-on learning with an apprenticeship, whether in the service or culinary sector. I was very pleased to be able to show my colleagues this special place.”

A culinary highlight was also served at the end. Together with Thomas Bühner’s team, the chefs were able to let off steam in the kitchen and conjure up outstanding creations together. A fitting way to end the three-day meeting – with a three-star chef.

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John Rutjes, Spokesperson for the NAM region, will also become Spokesperson for the LAM region and assume responsibility for the Finance, Product, HR and Business Development functions.

Cesar Forno, currently Head of Sales NAM, will become Head of Commercials LAM and be responsible for all regional sales activities.

Luis Deyheralde, Head of Operations LAM, will remain in his position.

All three members of the leadership team have had standout careers within the LSG Group:

John joined in 2002 in the Corporate Finance & Controlling team, and held multiple leadership roles in this area in the UK, UAE, South Africa and Latin America, until he took over as Head of Finance and Administration for NAM in 2014.

Cesar came to the LSG Group in 2000 as Director Marketing and Sales Latin America. After several career moves in the Latin and North America Sales organizations, he was promoted to his current position in the NAM region in 2016.

Luis also started with us in 2000 as Controller in Buenos Aires. In 2011, he moved to Sao Paulo and held various regional leadership roles in Procurement, Pricing and Finance. In 2013, he became Managing Director Brazil and has been in his current role since 2017.

“We are convinced that this new leadership structure, and the filling of the positions with experienced and highly committed leaders from within our organization, will foster our leading market position in Latin America,” said Jochen Müller.

Our best wishes go to John, Cesar and Luis in their new and extended positions!

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