Bangkok, Thailand-based aviation safety and quality management solutions ASQS has appointed Captain Pich Damrongmanee as deputy director general, effective 1 July, 2022.

Damrongmanee has over 24 years of experience in aviation, having worked for companies such as United Offshore Aviation and Thai Airways, and 16 years in various management positions in national and international organisations. He holds both a fixed wing and rotary wing licence (Thai and Canadian ATPL(H)), has longstanding experience in offshore helicopter and commercial flight operations, as well as in quality and safety management, which he has further expanded in the scope of his activities as an aviation safety management system consultant. He serves as a member of several national and international helicopter operation committees including the Thai Pilot Association Technical Committee (Helicopter Operations), Helicopter Association International, the IFALPA Helicopter Committee as well as the International Society of Air Safety Investigators.

Throughout his career, Damrongmanee has been involved in the development and implementation as well as the auditing of procedures and processes for efficient flight operations, resulting in, among other achievements, the standardisation of operational requirements in the helicopter offshore and onshore industry. He also brings experience in managing flight operations in terms of cultural development and sustainability of workforce performance, and has been responsible for establishing and maintaining cooperative relationships between different aviation stakeholders.

In his new role he will be responsible for business development in Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific regions, driving sales activities and further growth of the company, following his predecessors Larisa Patrascu and Jonathan Frey. He will also manage larger system implementations, supporting operators transitioning to the software. In the past few months, he has been able to familiarise himself with the team, the corporate structure and the market strategy of the ASQS Group to enable him to integrate quickly into the company.

"ASQS is still growing in the APAC region, as well as in the Middle East, and the markets still offer a lot of potential," says Damrongmanee. "Thanks to the efforts of Larisa, Jonathan and the entire ASQS Group team, we are in a good position to further grow our business. I look forward to working with the entire crew to capitalise on the market opportunities ahead."

Current director business development APAC Jonathan Frey, who has led the ASQS Bangkok office since the beginning of 2020, will take on a new role within the ASQS Group from August 2022.

"It's been an incredible two and a half years in Bangkok, and even during times that were overshadowed by a global pandemic, we were able to further grow our fantastic team and strengthen our basis in the Asia-Pacific markets," he says. "We used this time to clearly position ASQS to continue its path to success in the APAC region and the Middle East by building a strong foundation for further expansion with the necessary resources and our highly trained team. It has been exciting to be a part of building this team and infrastructure, and I look forward to seeing the company continue to evolve and grow under Capt Pich's leadership.”