Dubai: Emirates airline confirmed on Tuesday that its president, Sir Tim Clark, will be stepping down from his position in June 2020. Clark has spent 35 years with Emirates. He had confirmed earlier he would be retiring soon, but did not give details as to when at that time.
Shaikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, had earlier said that the company was looking at a number of possibilities for Clark’s replacement, but did not say who he was eyeing as the new president.
Clark, 70, will will continue to provide consultancy to Emirates after stepping down.
At Emirates’ last large-scale presence - during the Dubai Air Show last month - Shaikh Ahmed described Clark as a “genius” at his job and in his impact on the aviation industry. “Tim has served the company since the start. He’s a genius in what he’s doing in the industry, and how this company did with his involvement over the years - so we have to give him a lot of credit,” Shaikh Ahmad said.
The chairman hinted that Emirates may appoint a new president internally, saying that the carrier already has Emiratis and non-Emiratis who could take on the job. He suggested that there were two names in the forefront for the role, but did not elaborate.
A 1985 entry
Clark had joined in 1985 as head of airline planning, and was part of the founding team. Prior to that, he had built a reputation as a route planner at Gulf Air, which had recruited him from Caledonian Airways. He also held the position of managing director of Sri Lankan Airlines until 2008.
He will be known for his efforts in building the Emirates brand and establishing the carrier as one of the world’s largest. In the industry, he is also known as an exceptional dealmaker.
He received a knighthood in 2014 for services to the aviation industry and for British prosperity.
Clark holds a degree in Economics from London University, according to his bio on the Emirates website. There is also an honourary doctorate from the University of Middlesex and another from the Newcastle Business School at Northumbria.
