Funny, I don't know the guy, but from following PPrune over the years I always thought BA pilots hated the guy.
Now he is at IB and suddenly everything he says and does makes sense...
BASSA hated 'the guy', I think you will find that the majority of BA pilots had grudging respect for the capabilities of 'the guy'. If his tenure hadn't made sense then no compromises to the working conditions and the pay/pensions would have been reached. BA Pilots were and are always willing to listen, discuss and negotiate with the management.
He is a businessman trying to turn around a loss making company in a very heavily unionised and economically destroyed country. Not an easy task.