Full article in JPG format: page 32/33 & page 34
To most casual observers, the challenges faced by Etihad chief executive James Hogan during 2011 would appear quite exceptional. In the space of a few short months the Abu Dhabi-based carrier – still only seven years old – has been forced to contend with a dramatic oil price rise, civil unrest on its doorstep, and a combined tsunami-cum-nuclear crisis which sent shockwaves around the globe.
But for a man whose résumé includes breakneck expansion in the face of countless prior crises – including the SARS pandemic, the global financial crisis, and aviation-related terrorism, to name just three – the turbulence of the past few months is nothing out of the ordinary.
Hogan was drafted in to head up Etihad in 2006, having served prior senior management stints at Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air and the UK airline, bmi. With more than 35 years of industry experience to his name, the Australian native understands the cyclical nature of aviation better than most. His business model is the stuff of nightmares for Etihad’s legacy rivals...
