THE 19TH ANNUAL AIRLINE STRATEGY AWARDS 19 JULY 2020
BRIEFING DOCUMENT
strategyawards.com Introduction The Airline Strategy Awards are unique First held in 2002, as the industry struggled to emerge moved to the IATA AGM in Washington DC, linking in from crisis, the Airline Strategy Awards recognise the with the celebration of a Century of Powered Flight. in the air-transport industry, launched by crucial role that management talent plays in shaping Airline Business to recognise excellence future success. They are open to any senior executives, In 2005, the event returned to London, to Middle or airline teams, that have demonstrated excellence Temple Hall, another key piece of London’s legal in boardroom leadership. over the last year in setting out strategy in their area history, on the bank of the River Thames. and seeing it through to success. From 2006 to 2013, the event was back within the The inaugural event, in July 2002, took place on the impressive setting of the Great Hall Lincoln’s Inn and eve of the Farnborough Airshow, in the magnificent returned in 2014 to Middle Temple Hall. For 2018 and setting of the Great Hall of Lincoln’s Inn - home to 2019, the event took place in the Prince Consort Rooms, London’s oldest legal community. In 2003, the Awards the Consort Rooms, where it will return to in 2020.
strategyawards.com INTRODUCTION
Who’s invited? The guest list for The Airline Strategy Awards has always been composed of a highly select group of individuals to reflect the senior readership level that Airline Business has within the air transport industry. Numbers are strictly controlled, with over 200 guests attending the 2019 event.
The list naturally focuses on the airline boardroom, but there is a strong mix of other influential professionals, including academics, journalists, financiers and analysts. Spouses are also invited, to help ensure a relaxed and social environment in which this senior group of peers can network.
Highlights from the 2019 event
Type of organisation Job role
Airline...... 21% Finance/ leasing...... 8% Associate/analyst...... 2% Manager Airport...... 6% OEM/ supplier...... 16% CEO/ Chief/Board /executive...... 8% Association...... 8% Other...... 27% /CCO/chair...... 21% Other...... 45% Consulting...... 14% Director/Head of/VP /principle...... 25%
strategyawards.com INTRODUCTION
Who attended in 2019? Airports Airlines Aviado Partners Air Canada Finnair South African Airways Centrus Aviation Capital AirBaltic IAG Swissport UK & Ireland Fredericton Int. Airport British Airways Jetstar Group TUI fly Deutschland London City Airport Delta Air Lines Kenya Airways Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd London Stansted Airport EasyJet Lufthansa WestJet Tampa International Airport Emirates Norwegian AGK Sourcing Consultrancy Limited (Heathrow Airport)
OEM/suppliers/finance/leasing/consulting/associations/other
Accenture Blackstock Consulting Global Eagle Panasonic Access Group Boeing Gravity Global Pembroke and Rye Aerobility Boston Consulting Group GTLK EUROPE DAC Reed Exhibitions African Aviation Services Brand Finance Hillbrook Partners Reuters Air Transport Action Group CFM International IAG RPK Capital Airbus Chapman Freeborn Airchartering IATA RShah Advisory LLC Aircraft Interiors Expo Ltd ICF Saudia Cargo Airline Management Group Cirium JLS Consulting SkyOps Consulting Limited Airline/Aircraft Projects Inc. Collins Aerospace Johnson Matthey SmartKargo AIRLINEPROS INC Commsoft OASES Judge Snowfall Ltd AirlinePros Inc. Crabtree Capital Junction Communications Standard Chartered Bank Airlines UK CTAIRA JWMConsulting Star Alliance Amadeus DDCL Kazmunaygas Stobart Group Amedeo Dunleavy White Knighthood Capital Through The Looking Glass Ltd Aviationwise Ltd DVV Media Korn Ferry Travelport Bain & Company EQUUS Global Aviation LLC Latitude Aviation TYM Aviation Inc. Baldwin Editorial ERA Lease Corporation International Visit Japan BAR UK falko regional aircraft Leidar Volantio BBAM Franke & Co OdgersBerndtson XXL Solutions BKH Aviation Ltd GE Aviation Oliver Wyman
strategyawards.com INTRODUCTION
2020 Award categories The Airline Strategy Awards cover the main functions that make up a successful airline leadership team, from the chief executive down. The judges will look for individuals, or executive teams, who have demonstrated memorable and measureable achievements in these areas over the past year.
Executive Sector Leadership Low-cost Air-Cargo Leadership For the chief executive and Leadership Leadership management team demonstrating For the airline president/chief executive excellence leading a carrier providing For the chief executive and For the chief executive or general who has demonstrated outstanding strong transportation links within a management team that have manager, and management team strategic thinking and leadership over the market sector. demonstrated excellence in leading a that have demonstrated excellence past year. low-fare or ultra-low-fare carrier. This in leading a cargo carrier or cargo includes airlines that predominantly business unit. This category applies This category applies to all types operate in one geographic region, to all types of air-cargo carriers and The Award recognizes the of carriers - including scheduled, offering low-fare, short-haul services businesses - including scheduled, achievement of the individual charter, passenger, cargo, and others and also the growing number of charter, ACMI/wet-lease and executive, rather than the airline, - operating either independently or longer-haul operators that are integrator, and operating either based on areas such as: serving mainline network majors. adopting the (ultra) low-fare model. independently as a dedicated air- • Strong people/team leadership cargo business or as a freight division • Success in business transformation and Among the key criteria are market of a passenger airline group. restructuring stimulation through low fares, • Establishing a clear corporate vision maintaining a tight grip on costs Among the key criteria are business • Setting an innovative strategic and production integrity, and taking performance, network strategy, direction innovative approaches to growing innovative thinking and demonstrating ancillary revenue streams. clear corporate vision and strategy. Particular note will be taken of achievements that have strategic lessons/ application for the wider industry.
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2020 Award categories
Marketing Digital Innovation The Airline Diversity in For the management team that has For the airline management team Business Award Leadership demonstrated excellence in any that has demonstrated innovation in aspect of airline marketing over the the development and deployment of This special award is made by Airline This special award is made by Airline past year. This includes excellence digital technology. Business to recognize an individual Business and Korn Ferry’s Civil Aviation and innovation in areas including, but making a lasting strategic contribution Practice to recognize an airline to the air transport business. Unlike organisation that has advanced diversity, not restricted to, marketing strategy, This includes recognising airlines the other awards, the final decision in the broadest sense of the word, in its new product development, branding, making significant investment into rests with the Airline Business team leadership. digital marketing, advertising and identifying and cultivating ideas and represents recognition of strong promotion, customer relationship delivering innovation, and where leadership and strategic thinking. management, ancillary revenue their digital technology strategy is The winner is chosen based on generation, sales, and distribution. benefiting the passenger experience. achievement in areas such as increasing Such recognition will focus on where the diversity of a leadership team; Such recognition will focus the specific deployment of technology promoting and advancing the careers on evidence of a focused and is having industry-wide implications. of diverse leaders; and creating differentiated marketing strategy organisational conditions that contribute which has helped to strengthen or to attracting and retaining diverse reshape a carrier’s overall market leaders and professionals. positioning with strong commercial and financial results.
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2020 Judging panel
Montie Brewer Barbara Cassani Christina Cassotis Alex De Gunten Montie Brewer was chief executive of Air Barbara Cassani began her career in Christina Cassotis has been chief executive Alex de Gunten is the business Canada between December 2004 and April management consulting in the USA and at Allegheny County Airport Authority in development officer of HEICO Aerospace 2009. Prior to Air Canada, he was senior UK then held a variety of roles at British Pittsburgh, since January 2015 and director Corp, based in Miami. From 2003 to vice-president planning at United Airlines. He Airways, culminating in the start-up of its of S&T Bank since 2017. Prior to this, 2013 he served as executive director of has also held senior positions at Northwest low-cost subsidiary Go in 1997. Cassani Cassotis worked for consultancy ICF SH&E the Latin American and Caribbean Air Airlines, Republic Airlines, Braniff and established the successful London 2012 where she held various positions including Transport Association (ALTA), which he was TWA. He currently serves on the boards of Olympic bid as chairman then vice- managing officer for airport services. instrumental in relaunching. De Gunten Allegiant Travel Company, Finnair and Radixx chairman and was awarded an honorary Previously, she was deputy director of has also served in senior positions at International, and was formerly on the boards CBE. She has served on various corporate communications at Massachusetts Port Orbitz, RepWorld Holdings, LanChile and of Swiss and Aer Lingus. and non-profit boards, including Marks Authority. She holds an MBA from the MIT Canadian Airlines. & Spencer, a European hotel group and Sloan School of Management and a BA several European airlines. from the University of Massachusetts.
strategyawards.com INTRODUCTION
2020 Judging panel
Professor Rigas Chris Tarry Michael Bell Max Kingsley-Jones Doganis Chris Tarry established independent Michael Bell is a Senior Client Partner and Max Kingsley-Jones is executive director consultancy and advisory business CTAIRA Leader of the Civil Aviation Practice at Korn content at FlightGlobal. He was appointed as Rigas Doganis advises governments in 2002, providing advice to clients across Ferry International, based in Miami. Bell editor of Airline Business in December 2010, and airlines on air transport policy. Until the industry. Prior to that, he was one of brings a quarter century of experience serving having spent 14 years with Flight International, 1997 he was head of the air transport the most highly rated aviation analysts airlines, airports and other civil aviation where he ultimately became deputy editor. department at Cranfield University. He during his near 20-year period in the companies on their executive recruitment and Kingsley-Jones previously spent a decade became chairman of Olympic Airways London market. He writes a monthly human capital requirements. He has worked working at Airclaims and also had a short spell in the mid-1990s, implementing a major column in Airline Business and lectures at in every continent and in 70 countries around with Aviation Week magazine. restructuring programme. He sat on the a number of universities, besides chairing, the globe. board of Hyderabad International airport moderating and presenting at conferences and spent nine years on the EasyJet around the world. board. He chairs the European Aviation Club in Brussels.
strategyawards.com INTRODUCTION
2019 Winners
Executive Leadership Sector Leadership Low-Cost Leadership
Carsten Spohr Martin Gauss The Leadership Team Chief Executive Chief Executive Jetstar Group Lufthansa Group airBaltic
Marketing Digital Innovation The Airline Business Award
WestJet easyJet Bill Franke Founder and Managing Partner Indigo Partners
THE DIGITAL PRINT REPLICA OF THE 2019 WINNER BROCHURE IS AVAILABLE Finance Diversity in Leadership TO VIEW BY CLICKING ON Delta Air Lines Air Canada THE COVER IMAGE
strategyawards.com What our guests have to say…..
As always, a most interesting and useful Brilliantly executed and quite interesting Thrilled by attending your fantastic event evening catching up with many others. An for networking. Thank you again to you all. again. It is very fascinating to meet new impressive range of winners. I hope airlines in people from various parts of the whole value East Asia will feature again soon. EQUUS Global Aviation, LLC chain in the industry each year and you really are very good in mixing the attendants. CBE It is such a convivial and enjoyable event JWM Consulting to meet up with old friends who really This is the best Awards dinner that I have know our industry. ever attended. I had a truly wonderful Overall the event was awesome. time. Airbus We enjoyed the event.
Cirium Volantio Really enjoyed the evening. I was particularly impressed with the dinner. It Congratulations on another outstanding was a great combination from my point of view Airline Strategy Awards Dinner. Well- & great quality too...delicious! deserved winners and excellent evening over all. JLS Consulting Airline Management Group
Congratulations on yet another hugely Well organised, great networking, successful and thoroughly enjoyable interesting, and overall well done. Bravo! event.
Fredericton International Airport Authority Junction Communications
As usual, it was a most enjoyable evening Kudos for orchestrating such a great filled with much chatter and gossip and evening. The night was not only highly laughter. beneficial to TPA, but also a lot of fun.
Lease Corporation International Tampa International Airport
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ABOUT AIRLINE BUSINESS MAGAZINE: Awards contact
STRATEGY FOR AIRLINE BOARDOOMS WORLDWIDE General Enquiries:-
Airline Business magazine has established itself Chloe Bass Operations Executive over three decades as an essential read for senior airline management, with a reputation Tel: +44 (0)7970 772159 for providing high quality industry insight, [email protected] analysis and intelligence.
Since 1985, when Airline Business made its debut in airline boardrooms, the magazine has Airline Business contacts forged a high quality reputation of reporting, in-depth, on the strategic and economic drivers Editorial / Nomination Enquiries:- of the airline business. Max Kingsley-Jones Executive Director, Content Airline Business deals with management issues, including corporate strategy, alliances, Tel: +44 (0)20 8652 3825 marketing, cost control, yields, financial [email protected] performance and labour. Sponsorship Enquiries:- Robert Hancock VP Americas Tel: +1 703 795 5155 [email protected]
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