Margaretha Laseen was all set to retire at the end of 2017. After 40 years in the corporate world, and 20 years running sales and marketing for the Americas at Cathay Pacific Cargo, she was going to retire. But then she got to talking with longtime friend, Joe Czyzyk, and it occurred to her that maybe she wasn’t  done just yet. 

“I know Joe very well, and I really believe in his concept,” Margaretha said. “I admire what he has done, and I also thought that maybe I have more to offer.”

She came aboard with Mercury Air Group in February 2018 as the Director of Commercial Development.  “My expertise is mainly on the air cargo side, so I assist the teams in the different companies to make new contacts, and to help them with sales and marketing issues overall,” she said.

Her current project is working with Mexico-based G Force, she said, to see how they can develop operations and sales even more. She’s also been working with Mercury Air Cargo.

She said she enjoys working with the teams to find and develop opportunities with other companies that have not yet been pursued, or to make connections within the Mercury companies themselves.

“I really enjoy the development of new business, and I also aim to provide thoroughly good service to the ones you have,” Margaretha said. “My enjoyment is as a connector in a way. I truly like the teamwork with other people and how you can develop together. I'm a great believer in that,”

she said.

Originally from Sweden, Margaretha came to the U.S. to do an internship after completing her master’s degree at Uppsala University in Sweden. She migrated to the west coast to work with a Swedish company, and was originally on the freight forwarding side of the business. In 1992, she joined Malaysia Airlines as Cargo Manager for North America.

It was between this posting and the following position at Cathay Pacific in 1997 that Margaretha first worked with Joe Czyzyk. “Back then, [1995-1997] I was developing GSA programs, the agencies, on both the cargo side and the handling side,” she said.

When she joined Cathay Pacific in 1997, she ran the Western Region, and then developed more, adding Miami, Dallas, Mexico and South America to the roster. Eventually, she was promoted to oversee the cargo sales and marketing for the Americas for Cathay Pacific Cargo. The experience there, she said, provided her with a thorough proficiency in sales.  

“When you work for Cathay Pacific, you almost learn how to run an airline because you get involved with everything: the crew, the landings, the extra space to fill the airplane, and you have all the staff,” Margaretha said. “It was a great environment with lot of work in all areas, and I‘m very grateful for the experience I received,” she said. “I had a fantastic 20 years with CX with a lot of fun memories and great friends and colleagues,” she said. 

Now that she’s with Mercury, she’s looking to further build on Mercury’s strong place in the market. 

“Mexico is a good example where we see many opportunities,” she said. “I see that as a big project where I can assist for sure, and to get more customers and to get the broader business,”

she said.

Margaretha said she’s excited to be in a new area of business with Mercury, and to be working with a great group of people. “I enjoy the team here,” she said. “And it’s something new, and I think it’s important in life to challenge yourself to learn even more,” she said. 

“Even though I’ve been in the business for many years, I’m still learning something new every day, and I'm humble for that,” Margaretha said.

Margaretha currently resides in Redondo Beach, where she enjoys an active lifestyle, especially hiking outdoors. In her free time, she loves to travel or entertain, and she shares a love of cooking with her two sons, one of which lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the other in San Francisco.