Abu Dhabi’s Etihad changes course to make the airline’s structure ‘leaner’
Move will aid Etihad’s efforts to turn itself into a smaller airline
Abu Dhabi: Etihad on Sunday announced a few organizational changes aimed at transforming the company into a “mid-size, full-service” carrier with a “leaner, flatter and scale-able” structure.
The new operational model will result in changes to the airline’s executive leadership team. Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, has stepped down and now the business units under Kamark’s oversight will be separated and transferred under the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Financial Officer Adam Boukadida and Terry Daly, who will assume the role of Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand and Marketing.
Al Bulooki will assume responsibility for network planning, sales, revenue management, cargo and logistics, commercial strategy planning, and alliances, in addition to his existing portfolio. As part of his new role, Daly will lead the marketing, brand and partnerships department, and Etihad Guest, the airline’s loyalty programme.
Duncan Bureau, senior vice president sales and distribution, is also leaving the company. Martin Drew will take on Bureau’s portfolio alongside his current responsibilities as managing director for cargo and logistics.
Following the departure of Akram Alami, Chief Transformation Officer, the procurement and supply chain department and transformation office will move under the leadership of CFO Boukadida. He will also assume responsibility for the analytics department. Ibrahim Nassir, Chief Human Resources and Organisational Development Officer, will have an additional responsibility for the asset management department.
Mutaz Saleh will be leaving his position as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. Henning zur Hausen, General Counsel, will take on additional responsibility for ethics & compliance, while risk and performance reporting will move under Boukadida, forming part of a new corporate strategy team. Business Continuity will transfer to Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Senior Vice President Government, International and Communications.
Etihad’s woes continue
Etihad was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, which has continued to hurt global air travel demand. The airline reported operating losses of $758 million in the first six months of 2020 with revenues hit due to the closure of international borders, and the suspension of flights to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“After our best-ever Q1 performance, none of us could have predicted the challenges that lay ahead in the remainder of this year,” said Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, in a statement. “As a responsible business, we can no longer continue to incrementally adapt to a marketplace that we believe has changed for the foreseeable future - that is why we are taking definitive and decisive action to adjust our business and position ourselves proudly as a mid-sized carrier”
“The first stage of this is an operational model change that will see us restructure our senior leadership team and our organization to allow us to continue delivering on our mandate, ensuring long-term sustainability, and contributing to the growth and prominence of Abu Dhabi,” added Douglas.