Congratulations Mr Luxon. 1st year in the job now, things seem to be going OK.
Full NZ Herald article here
In part
Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon has carved out a big reputation for foot-on-the-throat attention to the bottom line.
That's already paying off with soaring earnings in the past year and even better promised in 2014.
But he's not about to let that commercial focus bury the airline's hard earned edgy image that helps a relatively small airline get noticed.
"It's been important to talk about commercial performance this year as we try and reset the business and give it a strong commercial engine but that's not code for losing our brand mojo," Luxon said.
Luxon started his career at Unilever as a marketer, it's in his nature, but it is the stellar financial performance of the airline and a fresh, outward-looking approach that earns him Herald Business Leader of the Year.
He is zealous about what he calls the best job in the world but, as one tourism leader observed, he "doesn't bleed teal" and for the business that's a good thing.
Its 2012-13 earnings before tax of $256 million was an increase of 172 per cent, and the first half of the current year is running 20 per cent ahead of the corresponding period 12 months ago.
I know one newspaper article does not a reputation make. Maybe others have a comment on his performance good or otherwise, rather than the almost inevitable whiney comparison?
