Having had close contact with this person at various stages during the past 4 years there are a couple of things I can say without question:
1. This man is one of the finest operators I have seen.
2. This man is one of the finest managers I have seen.
3. This man is balanced in his views, treats people fairly, and is very honest in his appraisals.
4. This thread is a ridiculous attempt at a slur on a man who deserves far better, and some of the comments posted here are nothing short of shameful.
Again, all of the above I can say WITHOUT QUESTION.
It is true that mainline rejected this and many other well qualified candidates. That is more a quirk of the system then a commentary on the relative merits of the individuals. Recruiting processes, and indeed any type of process, do not get it right all of the time. Ask yourself - do you get caught every time you speed?
If I can be half the operator as the subject of this thread I will have achieved something.
FT.