After BAE Systems pulled out the company was taken over by a couple of Australians who knew the flying business and a Spanish accountant. The drive and personality of the two Aussies made FTE a happy place to work despite the uncertainties of the recession. Unfortunately both for the company and the staff, the two guys decided to retire after about five or six years and the accountant became CEO. Not entirely surprisingly he knew nothing about the flying business (still doesn't) and his every move is based purely on commercial grounds. OK, so that is what he is there to do, but in so doing, and the way he has done it, he has destroyed morale at all levels and ripped the heart out of what was once a great place to work.
At a time when instructors are being asked, (make that told) to take a pay cut there are several projects that have happened around the campus over the last year or so which are purely of a cosmetic nature and often not to everybody's taste. It is galling to the revenue earners to see a senior manager drive a large four wheel drive vehicle the 200 or so yards from his office to the canteen, especially when it is a company car and petrol is paid for by the company.
I wish the new HoT luck (he will need it because the CEO only wants "yes" men) and the last full time HoT resigned because he was not listened to or allowed to get on with things. As earnest1 so rightly says, the CFI is inefficient and wants to please all of the people all of the time with the result that there are some instructors who are allowed to get away with effectively working on their own terms. The Deputy CFI has quit (he resigned some while ago due to not getting any backing but was persuaded to continue in post).
All in all, a sad drop from grace for what was once one of the top FTOs. They are recruiting flying staff but this may well be a hedge for when a number of the present instructors decide to leave. If any applicants are reading this forum I would certainly suggest that they take earnest1's advice about being wary of this operation.