SUBANG, Malaysia, April 20 (UPI) -- Malaysia Airlines CEO Christoph Mueller resigned on Tuesday after less than a year of leading rebuilding efforts following the disastrous losses of two planes in 2014 -- MH370 and MH17.
Citing "a change in his personal circumstances," Mueller resigned without providing further details.
Malaysia Airlines suffered years of financial losses before the disappearance of MH370 somewhere in the Indian Ocean and the shooting down of MH17 in Ukraine.
Mueller signed a three-year contract and assumed his role in May 2015 to lead the carrier through a $1.56 billion reorganization plan. He will officially leave his post in September but will stay on the carrier's board as a non-executive director.
"We are very disappointed to lose Christoph as CEO but we fully understand his reasons and respect his need to do this," Malaysia Airlines Chairman Md Nor Yusof said in a statement.
Malaysia Airlines has begun looking for a replacement, considering both internal and external candidates.
Mueller is credited with creating a strong management team at Malaysia Airlines, which could allow for a smooth transition after his departure.
