Addendum
Former Abu Dhabi boss to chart Etihad’s new course
October 1st 2017
All industry eyes will soon be on Tony Douglas, 55, a veteran Middle East hand who has been chosen to claw the Etihad Aviation Group back from the abyss of its failed global alliance strategy. Read More » Lancastrian Douglas, who began his working life as a toolmaker on the factory floor, is to depart as CEO of Britain’s Ministry of Defence procurement division and assume control of the Gulf group in January.
The successor to James Hogan has deep credentials for the job. He has held senior positions in the Emirate including CEO of both the Adu Dhabi Airports Company and Abu Dhabi Ports. In the latter position, he was responsible for the successful delivery of Khalifa Port.
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In Britain, Douglas worked for the British Airport Authority where his responsibilities have included managing director of the Heathrow Terminal 5 project, group supply chain director and group technical director at the authority and CEO of Heathrow Airport.
Douglas will take over from interim group CEO, Ray Gammell, who will return to his former role as group chief people and performance officer.
Etihad Aviation Group chairman, Al Mazrouei, said: “Douglas has guided the transformation of large organisations in the UAE and the UK and he understands the UAE and the region. He also is deeply knowledgeable about commercial aviation and keenly familiar with Etihad’s challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing industry.”
Al Mazrouei said the new group CEO would guide the company in implementing “a range of strategic initiatives”. Douglas has his work cut out for him. Two of the group’s equity partners, airberlin and Alitalia, have entered administration. Recently Etihad sold its holding in Swiss regional carrier, Darwin Airline.
“Etihad is an economic and employment engine for the UAE and the region. With new infrastructure and attractions like the expanded airport, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Global Market, Etihad has a central role in supporting the UAE’s position as a global hub of transportation, tourism, commerce and culture,” Douglas said in a company statement.
The Etihad Aviation Group has five divisions and six airline equity partners - airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia. The divisional heads are Etihad Airways CEO Peter Baumgarten; Etihad Airways Engineering CEO Abdul Khaliq Saeed; Etihad Airport Services Chris Youlten; Hala Group managing director Gavin Halliday and Airline Equity Partners CEO Robin Kamark.
Under the leadership of former group CEO, James Hogan, who left the company earlier this year, Etihad pursued a strategy of a global alliance tied together with equity airline partnership across Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Some of the investments have turned bad, a situation that resulted in the group reporting a US$1.87 billion loss for the 2016 year. In January it was announced that Hogan was stepping down from the top job. It was later confirmed he would leave the carrier by mid-year.
