Mumbai: Aditya Ghosh’s recent resignation is a rare top level exit at IndiGo, India’s top carrier by market share, which has held on to most of its key men since inception in an industry that sees frequent churns at the helm.
Nevertheless, too many people close to the company are talking about a subtle shift in power in the boardroom, as new appointees — mostly expatriates — work sideby-side with the old guard, often making key decisions in the company.
They are people mostly hand-picked by maverick co-founder Rakesh Gangwal, as is evident from their background with his previous employers. And they are the ones expected to play a key role as IndiGo steers into its next phase of expansion, primarily into the big, wide international skies of Europe and perhaps beyond. ET takes a look at the new men and woman at IndiGo:
Gregory Taylor, imminent president & CEO: IndiGo’s chief-to-be has spent the biggest chunk of his career — three decades — at United Airlines, the world’s third largest carrier by revenue, and Gangwal’s first airline employer as well as US Airways where Gangwal was CEO. Taylor held leadership positions in flight operations, financial planning and analysis, and revenue management at United, and its senior vice-president of corporate planning.
Willy Boulter, chief strategy officer: Boulter joined IndiGo earlier this month and is primarily in charge of its international sales and revenue management. Boulter was earlier board director and chief commercial officer at TAAG Angola Airlines between September 2015 and February 2018. His earlier stint was with Etihad Airways as vice president, network planning, between June 2012 and May 2015.
Michael Swiatek, chief planning officer: Swiatek’s Linkedin profile has the following interesting self-description. “I am a disabled (mostly blind) entrepreneur, executive leader, advisor, and disability advocate. This offers very unique perspectives on problem solving. I believe courage and character create credibility.” Swiatek joined IndiGo in February, before which, he was vice president, network planning, at Chile’s LATAM Airlines.
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, chief operating officer: Aveteran in Indian aviation with significant stints at Jet Airways and Go Air, Prock-Schauer joined IndiGo in Febuary. In his first job with Austrian Airlines, he oversaw its expansion from 20 planes to 100. During his six year-plus stint at Jet, he presided over its fleet expansion from 40 planes to more than a hundred, its first international flights to Colombo and later to London, its public listing and acquisition of Air Sahara.
Jason Herter, vice president, operations control centre and dispatch: Herter joined IndiGo in October 2016. Sources have said his appointment was a rapid decision by the management when IndiGo began to falter in its on-time performance. Herter was regional head of network management centre at AirAsia.
Rohit Philip, chief financial officer: Rumoured to be the first appointment that tilted the scale of power at IndiGo, Philip joined the airline in July 2016 as its chief financial officer. Sources close to the know have said Philip was a parallel power centre within the organisation with Ghosh.
Cindy Szadokierski, vice president, airport operations and customer services: The first of the United Airlines veterans to join IndiGo in March 2016. Szadokierski joined United Airlines in 1985 after five years of teaching high school French.
30/04/18 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times
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Nevertheless, too many people close to the company are talking about a subtle shift in power in the boardroom, as new appointees — mostly expatriates — work sideby-side with the old guard, often making key decisions in the company.
They are people mostly hand-picked by maverick co-founder Rakesh Gangwal, as is evident from their background with his previous employers. And they are the ones expected to play a key role as IndiGo steers into its next phase of expansion, primarily into the big, wide international skies of Europe and perhaps beyond. ET takes a look at the new men and woman at IndiGo:
Gregory Taylor, imminent president & CEO: IndiGo’s chief-to-be has spent the biggest chunk of his career — three decades — at United Airlines, the world’s third largest carrier by revenue, and Gangwal’s first airline employer as well as US Airways where Gangwal was CEO. Taylor held leadership positions in flight operations, financial planning and analysis, and revenue management at United, and its senior vice-president of corporate planning.
Willy Boulter, chief strategy officer: Boulter joined IndiGo earlier this month and is primarily in charge of its international sales and revenue management. Boulter was earlier board director and chief commercial officer at TAAG Angola Airlines between September 2015 and February 2018. His earlier stint was with Etihad Airways as vice president, network planning, between June 2012 and May 2015.
Michael Swiatek, chief planning officer: Swiatek’s Linkedin profile has the following interesting self-description. “I am a disabled (mostly blind) entrepreneur, executive leader, advisor, and disability advocate. This offers very unique perspectives on problem solving. I believe courage and character create credibility.” Swiatek joined IndiGo in February, before which, he was vice president, network planning, at Chile’s LATAM Airlines.
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, chief operating officer: Aveteran in Indian aviation with significant stints at Jet Airways and Go Air, Prock-Schauer joined IndiGo in Febuary. In his first job with Austrian Airlines, he oversaw its expansion from 20 planes to 100. During his six year-plus stint at Jet, he presided over its fleet expansion from 40 planes to more than a hundred, its first international flights to Colombo and later to London, its public listing and acquisition of Air Sahara.
Jason Herter, vice president, operations control centre and dispatch: Herter joined IndiGo in October 2016. Sources have said his appointment was a rapid decision by the management when IndiGo began to falter in its on-time performance. Herter was regional head of network management centre at AirAsia.
Rohit Philip, chief financial officer: Rumoured to be the first appointment that tilted the scale of power at IndiGo, Philip joined the airline in July 2016 as its chief financial officer. Sources close to the know have said Philip was a parallel power centre within the organisation with Ghosh.
Cindy Szadokierski, vice president, airport operations and customer services: The first of the United Airlines veterans to join IndiGo in March 2016. Szadokierski joined United Airlines in 1985 after five years of teaching high school French.
30/04/18 Anirban Chowdhury/Economic Times
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