Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has appointed Emma Woodthorpe as chief people officer, effective April 27, with a mandate to strengthen leadership and advance the company’s people agenda across its global workforce.
Woodthorpe will report to chief executive officer Michael Steen and sit on the executive leadership team at the White Plains, N.Y.-based aviation logistics company, which employs approximately 5,000 people and operates in more than 300 destinations across 90 countries.
“I am excited to join the team at this pivotal moment in Atlas’ journey,” said Woodthorpe. “The company has built strong momentum, and we will build on this foundation to support our global workforce and position the business for long-term success.”
Woodthorpe brings more than 25 years of experience in human resources leadership across global organizations. In her new role, she will oversee talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, total rewards, employee engagement and relations, HR operations, and people technology.
Before joining Atlas, Woodthorpe served as chief people officer at Brooks Automation, where she worked with the chief executive and board to strengthen leadership, improve governance, and build people practices to support growth.
Earlier, as senior vice-president and chief human resources officer at Mercury Systems, she helped scale the company through 14 acquisitions. During her tenure, the company grew from approximately $200 million to nearly $1 billion in revenue.
She began her career in senior HR roles at Xylem and DuPont, gaining international experience in organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategy.
“At Atlas, our people are at the center of everything we do,” said Steen. “Emma has demonstrated success in strengthening leadership capability, increasing employee engagement, embedding clear values and behaviors, and creating more connected and accountable organizations.”
Woodthorpe holds a bachelor of arts in business administration from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Atlas Air Worldwide is the parent company of Atlas Air, Inc., Titan Aviation Holdings, Inc., and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. The company operates the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighter aircraft.
