Global airline tech organisation, Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, better known as SITA, has announced the appointment of Pedro Alves as senior vice president of its Borders business.
He will be tasked with leading the next phase of innovation in digital border management.
This latest appointment at the air transport industry’s IT provider comes at a time when border agencies are under increasing strain, faced with surging traveller volumes, evolving security threats, and rising expectations for seamless journeys.
Alves succeeds Jeremy Springall, who spent nearly a decade helping governments rethink how they manage borders in a world where travel and security are more connected than ever.
As global pressures from terrorism, human trafficking, and emerging health threats grew, Springall shaped SITA Borders into the trusted partner of choice to over 70 governments, guiding them through digital transformation with solutions that balance security, privacy, and the free flow of people and goods.
Alves brings extensive industry experience to the role after helping to pioneer border and identity technologies that have shaped how people move across borders. Since joining SITA in early 2024 to lead global business development, he has worked closely with governments to drive modern border solutions that are secure, scalable, and people-centric.
SITA chief executive David Lavorel said Alves was taking the reins at a time when the needs of border agencies were evolving fast.
“With growing global mobility and the increasing complexity of threats, governments are turning to smarter technologies to keep borders secure while unlocking frictionless travel,” said Lavorel.
“At the same time, advances in digital identity present an exciting opportunity to completely reimagine the way people cross borders. Pedro’s deep expertise and forward-looking vision make him the ideal leader to carry SITA Borders into this next phase, building on the strong foundation Jeremy has laid.”
Alves said Springall was “a mentor and a visionary” whose legacy he was looking forward to carrying forward.
“We are at a tipping point where border control must be dynamic, integrated and seamless. Governments need to be agile in the face of fast-changing demands, and SITA is uniquely positioned to support them with proven solutions, trusted partnerships, and a strong focus on customer co-innovation,” said Alves.
Paying tribute to Springall on his retirement, Lavorel said his impact had been “nothing short of transformational”.
“From delivering critical projects to shaping long-term strategy, he’s been instrumental in SITA’s growth and influence in the border space. We thank him for his extraordinary contributions and wish him every success in this next chapter.”
Springall joined SITA in 2016 and led complex systems integration and border programmes around the world. Prior to SITA, he held senior roles at CGI and Logica, leading large-scale transportation and border security projects across multiple regions.
