Cathay Cargo Terminal appoints new CEO and COO

Effective 1 September 2025, Cathay Pacific has announced a leadership transition with Pierre Bastjaens appointed CEO of Service Subsidiaries while Ruize Zhao steps in as Chief Operating Officer at Cathay Cargo Terminal, succeeding Mark Watts. The appointments mark a new chapter for the organisation as it reinforces its commitment to operational excellence, safety, and sustainability.

Pierre, the new CEO of Service Subsidiaries at Cathay Pacific will now be responsible for leading Cathay Cargo Terminal, Cathay Dining, Hong Kong Airport Services Limited (HAS by Cathay), and Vogue Laundry. He has been with the Cathay Group since 2011, previously holding the role of General Manager of Procurement and Aircraft Trading, where he excelled in forming strategic supplier partnerships and optimising operations.

Ruize Zhao, newly appointed Chief Operating Officer at Cathay Cargo Terminal, brings over a decade of multifaceted experience in aviation and shipping. Beginning his career in 2011 as an International Management Trainee at the Swire Group, he advanced through diverse commercial, procurement, and engineering roles at Swire Shipping, serving in Southeast Asia, China, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

Transitioning to the Cathay Group, he contributed as Digital Manager for Engineering and then as Head of Procurement for Customer Experience before leading Passenger Network Planning at Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong from 2022 to 2025. His expertise in strategic planning and network optimisation played a key role in Cathay Pacific's post-pandemic recovery, equipping him to drive operational excellence in his current role.

In a LinkedIn post by the Cathay Cargo Terminal, Ruize said, “I’m excited to join Cathay Cargo Terminal as Chief Operating Officer. Together with our teams and partners, we’ll enhance safety, efficiency, reliability and service quality to support our customers—strengthening Cathay Cargo Terminal’s position as a world‑leading air cargo terminal.”

“I’m honoured to lead the teams at Cathay Cargo Terminal, Cathay Dining, HAS by Cathay and Vogue Laundry. Together, we will cultivate talent, elevate safety, and drive operational excellence—ensuring our subsidiaries remain industry leaders and continue delivering exceptional value to our customers and partners,” added Pierre.

During Mark Watts’ tenure as COO, Cathay Cargo Terminal achieved several milestones, including a company-wide rebranding, the opening of the Dongguan outpost in Mainland China, and the construction of Hong Kong International Airport’s largest dedicated Pharma Handling Centre. The company also advanced its sustainability agenda by launching the e-SRF initiative to move towards a paperless operation, improving plastic circularity, and increasing the waste recycling rate fivefold. These efforts earned Cathay Cargo Terminal Hong Kong’s highest corporate awards for safety and sustainability.

Watts brings over 25 years of leadership experience across aviation, aerospace, and logistics. He began his career in media and inflight services before moving into business development at OnAir, a joint venture between Airbus and SITA, where he pioneered inflight connectivity solutions in Asia Pacific.

He joined Cathay Pacific in April 2006, where he held senior procurement and sales leadership roles, including Head of Procurement for Product, Marketing, and Technology, and Head of Global Sales. He did a brief stint as Commercial Lead at Abacus International before serving as GM, Group Component Services at HAECO and holding board roles at Goodrich TAECO, Honeywell TAECO, and Goodrich Asia-Pacific.

Returning to Cathay Pacific in 2018, he led Flight Crew Relations before being appointed Chief Operating Officer at Cathay Cargo Terminal in 2021, where he spearheaded rebranding, new facility expansions, and sustainability initiatives.

Watts will now take on the role of General Manager, Procurement and Aircraft Trading (CPO) at Cathay Pacific.

Cathay Cargo’s solid performance was underlined in July 2025, with cargo volume increasing 11% year-on-year to 140,156 tonnes. Demand surged, especially from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong, driven by machinery and perishables, including a seasonal boost in cherry exports from the United States.