Delta Airlines appoints Mary Gbobaniyi as manager sales - West Africa

Delta Airlines has announced the appointment of Mary Gbobaniyi as the new Manager of Sales, in West Africa, effective immediately.

In her new role, Gbobaniyi will be based in Lagos, Nigeria, and will oversee Delta’s sales and commercial operations across the West African region, including the airline’s key online stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. Additionally, she will support Delta’s joint venture partners, including Air France KLM and Virgin Atlantic.

Gbobaniyi joins Delta with a wealth of experience in the aviation industry, having previously served as a sales manager for Nigeria at Emirates for nine years.

Before her tenure at Emirates, she worked with Lufthansa German Airlines for six years, culminating in the position of Regional Manager for Key Accounts.

Gbobaniyi’s extensive background in sales and management, coupled with her strong understanding of the aviation market, makes her an invaluable addition to Delta’s leadership team in West Africa.

Manoj Kuraikose, Delta’s General Manager of Sales, Middle East, Africa, and India (MEAI), remarked on Gbobaniyi’s appointment, stating, “I am excited to have her on board and look forward to the experience and knowledge she will bring to our already amazing team.”

Gbobaniyi holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Business Information Technology and Marketing from London Metropolitan University, as well as a GNVQ Advanced in Business Studies from Westminster Kingsway College in London, UK.

On the personal front, Gbobaniyi is married and a mother of two children, ages ten and eight. Gbobaniyi is also a music lover, although not a professional singer but has a passion for singing in the church choir.

Reflecting on her appointment, Gbobaniyi disclosed: “One of the reasons I chose to work with Delta is because its core values—integrity, resilience, honesty, and servant leadership—resonate deeply with me.

“I am grateful to the leadership team for entrusting me with the opportunity to steward the brand within the West African region. I am excited to leverage my commercial expertise and collaborate with the team across my markets to further strengthen Delta’s footprint in this dynamic region,” she stated.

Delta Air Lines remains committed to expanding its presence in West Africa and enhancing its service offerings in the region. With the addition of Mary Gbobaniyi to the team, the airline anticipes further growth and success in its West African operations.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.