2 six 4
18th Mar 2004, 00:14
Richard Everett is leaving in June and being replaced by Paul Barron :confused:
March 18, 2004
Air traffic control chief ousted by board
BY RUSSELL HOTTEN
THE chief executive of Britain’s air traffic control service has received an estimated £276,000 payoff after its board decided that he was not the right man to complete its huge modernisation programme.
Richard Everitt is being replaced by Paul Barron, 53, president and managing director of the UK division of Alstom, the French engineering group. He takes up the job in June.
Mr Everitt was instrumental in the financial restructuring of National Air Traffic Services (Nats), which came close to collapse because of the aviation recession that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks in America.
However, his management style, described as “disciplined and thorough”, was not to everyone’s liking. One critic said yesterday that there was a Civil Service mentality in Nats.
Mr Everitt received a pay package of £385,000 last year, including bonuses. He is on a one-year contract that paid a basic £276,000 last year, and will receive 12 months’ money for loss of office, Nats said.
Mr Barron is thought to have been offered a basic salary of £300,000 with the potential to earn bonuses of up to another £150,000.
Chris Gibson-Smith, Nats chairman, yesterday paid tribute to Mr Everitt, but said: “We need someone with a new set of skills to take us forward.”
It is understood that the Nats board took the decision to replace Mr Everitt in January, but kept the news under wraps until a replacement was found. A senior Nats controller said that the news was a “total shock”.
Seven UK airlines, including British Airways and Virgin, own 42 per cent of Nats, with BAA, the airports operator, holding 4 per cent. The Government owns the remainder.
The controversial privatisation of Nats in 2001 was designed to make it a more commercial operation, and allow it to raise money for a £1 billion investment programme.
Nats makes most of its money from the fees charged to airlines for using Britain’s airspace. However, after the 2001 attacks in America, airline traffic declined markedly.
As part of the subsequent 18-month restructuring of Nats, which had debts of £730 million, the Government and BAA each invested £65 million.
Mr Gibson-Smith said that Nats now had to focus on modernisation of its facilities and moves towards the creation of a single air traffic service for Europe.
A source in the organisation said: “The task now is very different to the one (Mr Everitt) faced three years ago. One thing we needed was a people manager.”
Mr Everitt joined Nats in June 2001 from BAA, for which he was director for group planning and strategy. He is a lawyer who joined BAA as one of its in-house solicitors.
Mr Barron began his working life as an engineering apprentice. He joined ABB Alstom Power in 1999 and within a year was running the French company’s UK operations. He is chairman of the Motorsport Development Board, a government-backed project to support Britain’s expertise in motor racing technology.
Mr Gibson-Smith said: “Paul has a strong reputation as a hands-on people manager. I have no doubt that his abilities are appropriate for the next phase of Nats’ development.”
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1042178,00.html
March 18, 2004
Air traffic control chief ousted by board
BY RUSSELL HOTTEN
THE chief executive of Britain’s air traffic control service has received an estimated £276,000 payoff after its board decided that he was not the right man to complete its huge modernisation programme.
Richard Everitt is being replaced by Paul Barron, 53, president and managing director of the UK division of Alstom, the French engineering group. He takes up the job in June.
Mr Everitt was instrumental in the financial restructuring of National Air Traffic Services (Nats), which came close to collapse because of the aviation recession that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks in America.
However, his management style, described as “disciplined and thorough”, was not to everyone’s liking. One critic said yesterday that there was a Civil Service mentality in Nats.
Mr Everitt received a pay package of £385,000 last year, including bonuses. He is on a one-year contract that paid a basic £276,000 last year, and will receive 12 months’ money for loss of office, Nats said.
Mr Barron is thought to have been offered a basic salary of £300,000 with the potential to earn bonuses of up to another £150,000.
Chris Gibson-Smith, Nats chairman, yesterday paid tribute to Mr Everitt, but said: “We need someone with a new set of skills to take us forward.”
It is understood that the Nats board took the decision to replace Mr Everitt in January, but kept the news under wraps until a replacement was found. A senior Nats controller said that the news was a “total shock”.
Seven UK airlines, including British Airways and Virgin, own 42 per cent of Nats, with BAA, the airports operator, holding 4 per cent. The Government owns the remainder.
The controversial privatisation of Nats in 2001 was designed to make it a more commercial operation, and allow it to raise money for a £1 billion investment programme.
Nats makes most of its money from the fees charged to airlines for using Britain’s airspace. However, after the 2001 attacks in America, airline traffic declined markedly.
As part of the subsequent 18-month restructuring of Nats, which had debts of £730 million, the Government and BAA each invested £65 million.
Mr Gibson-Smith said that Nats now had to focus on modernisation of its facilities and moves towards the creation of a single air traffic service for Europe.
A source in the organisation said: “The task now is very different to the one (Mr Everitt) faced three years ago. One thing we needed was a people manager.”
Mr Everitt joined Nats in June 2001 from BAA, for which he was director for group planning and strategy. He is a lawyer who joined BAA as one of its in-house solicitors.
Mr Barron began his working life as an engineering apprentice. He joined ABB Alstom Power in 1999 and within a year was running the French company’s UK operations. He is chairman of the Motorsport Development Board, a government-backed project to support Britain’s expertise in motor racing technology.
Mr Gibson-Smith said: “Paul has a strong reputation as a hands-on people manager. I have no doubt that his abilities are appropriate for the next phase of Nats’ development.”
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1042178,00.html