GF commercial directoress resigns

[Al Fakhem Snr.]

Well slap my @rse Susan!

I've just heard her royal highness has resigned by e-mail from London!

How queer!

[Desert Diner]

Talk about the night of the long knives.

They seem to be dropping like flies!

Just exactly what happened in the Pink Palace to initiate all this recent activity?:confused:

[fab40]

Sources at pink palace say the resignation came by fax!!! :ok:

[left_to_first_class]

Helps to resign from London and avoid any possible visits from CID (like Michael Kent) and any travel bans.

[brassbut]

Surprised he has not sent his resignation from Abu Dhabi, all the work he has been doing since he came to GF seems to have been for the benefit of Etihad!

[midseal]

Another one bites the dust!! another one bites the dust, another goes, another bites the dust , oh oh ........ (Sounds something like that......) , who we refering to here?

did Lee shave with a knife ?

Coz!! he just left the building!!. What happenin folks?

[airfort]

Who do you think is next to escape ?

[left_to_first_class]

Basically any expat manager who was employed during the Hogan era.
Not many left I believe - think there's the head of sales and that scandinavian bloke who does distribution.

[Icarus]

Leave the 'Mad Swede' alone - he's a nutcase yes, perhaps even related to that nutcase of nutcases the Swedish Chef of Muppet fame, but he is a real stand up guy and has masses of energy being channelled in the right direction.

[stupidimbecile]

Absolutely true icarus, I could have not said it better!:ok:

[sirwa69]

And theres nothing wrong with Head of Sales either

He keeps his head down and gets on with the job :ok:

On On

[left_to_first_class]

Full agreement on both Head of Sales and Distribution.
Question is would they want to stay with all the crap that is going around them? I hope they do as they get on with the job and let others play the politics game.

[Flygulfair]

I love this post:

Another one bites the dust!! another one bites the dust, another goes, another bites the dust , oh oh ........ (Sounds something like that......) , who we refering to here?

did Lee shave with a knife ?

Coz!! he just left the building!!. What happenin folks?

lol, lee shave looked gay in some pics :eek: on the GDN website :=

[BoogieLegs]

Trouble is he's still not an airliner nor will he ever be. He's a hotel guy who new Hogan, the hotel business is management by panic. All HOS know's how to do is ask the WW sales tema to make more and more sales calls, irrespective if they make sense. He does nothing about the fact that EK and EY etc. are always cheaper. In Germany, for example, under his policies all the major corporate trasvel chains have cancelled their agreements with GF. Still more sales calls will always fix the problems, not better pricing, better connections, better after sales service especially from finance. It takes years for travel agents to get refunds.

[soggyblonde]

Dear Al Fakhem Snr,

I have asked you before and I will ask you again. !!! Who is this Susan that keeps slapping your @rse and for the right price will she come around and slap mine.
You keep asking her to slap it so it must be GOOOOOOOOOOD:E;)

[airfort]

Isn’t it enough to know that the company sales have gone down since he took over as head of sales? The guy does not have the knowledge, the experience or the competencies to do the job. Why is he still there? All he has he learned from the people around him. Why are they keeping him? There are people in his department if not better they are no worse. Does any one know how much he cost the company ? ! ! !

[Icarus]

If he has learnt all that he knows from those around him and you believe he is still not up to the job; then surely those around him must be at least as bad if not worse. It has long been understood that those in 'sales' (and I am talking long term in sales) dont sell. That's why there are so many sanctioned fares, for 'groups' of two or three! Area Managers believe selling is undercutting and their GM's approve! It is perhaps not the head that needs to roll but the torso that is supposed to be supporting it.

[airfort]

So who is responsibility if GMs and Managers do not sell? Isn’t it his responsibility to see that they are good salesmen? If you are a professional, it is no excuse you relinquish your responsibility to those under you. An expate is employed to benefit from his knowledge and experience. As BoogieLegs said " Trouble is he's still not an airliner nor will he ever be. He's a hotel guy who new Hogan, the hotel business is management by panic " . The guy failed to build a strong sales team and failed to increase sales. I agree with you, it is inconceivable the guy and his expates torso (who he employed) are still there, they are costing the company without good reason. If things are to change these must go immediately.

[left_to_first_class]

I'll add my view points into this discussion being a pen pusher somewhere in the commercial world.

At head level its about the strategy and how you will deliver the revenue today and tomorrow. To do this requires strong sales management skills and sales experience - not just being in the airline world for 10-20 years.
Within GF, it should be the Head of Sales and RGMs' that create the direction (which given that GF has had no leadership for over a year is a difficult task).
The role of the GM and sales team is to implement and deliver the changes. Unfortunately many of the GMs' and sales managers out in the field have no concept of selling and as Icarus has pointed out its about being the cheapest and undercutting everyone and anyone.
Of course there are some issues, such as product and schedule which makes life a bit difficult, but if you build good relationships in the market (regular sales calls) than you work with the travel agents to overcome some of these challenges.

Finally, heard many GMs' are under investigation for alleged corruption - i.e getting cheap fares approved and making a deal with a few special agent friends to share the difference. Is this selling ? :E

[Hunter58]

Is this selling?

Not really but to certain extent a widely accepted and used practise... Usually helps to cover up missing experience and know-how...

[airfort]

And I will add, if you do not know where you are going, you will never know when to get there? I will not turn this into management books talk, but sorry this is not about management skills you learn in school, this is about people relationship, respect, team work and being honest. How can the GMs implement a strategy or a direction if they are not given one at the first place? If the GMs are not told of the changes, how are expected to deliver. This is not this year or last year, the guys were there for years. Why all of a sudden is it difficult for the Head of Sales and the RGMs to create the direction when they have already presented with the plans and agreed to the targets. If it is assumed it is difficult for the Head of Sales and RGMs to create the direction, why should it be easy for the rest of the team.

Yes you are write, Not just the GMs are being investigated but also the Head of Sales and RGMs. Opportunities make the thief.

As they also say " Zeal without knowledge is fire without light ".