R Eddington to leave BA

[ALLDAYDELI]

Not sure its me, is this old news? Beeb currently reporting RodEddington is to part company with BA...

[BOAC]

MUST be right! Its in the Sunday Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-1512492,00.html)

[Jet II]

Skippy to leave? - best news I've heard all day.:ok:

Now if we can only persuade him to take the rest of his place-men and hangers on with him??:ooh:

[brookhouse]

Skippy is/was the biggest disappointment the City ever saw at BA's helm. The man arrived with a fan fare but has done nothing but maintain the status-quo and await his departure bonus. Better the divil you know is my view - at least we're safe knowing that he's not going to pull any surprises on us...... It's also good to recall how well he looked after the departing Flight Engineers, quietly reinventing the old severance deal to keep everyone sweet.

[maxy101]

Well, it look slike I'm in the minority here. I think RE has done a pretty good job considering what he's had to deal with. Outside of Aeroflot, BA must have some of the most belligerent and most protected staff groups in the world. On top of that, he has had to deal with layers of unnecessary and inept management that other airlines seem to do without. The fact that BA is still around after 9/11, without government support/cash/backhanders a la Americans/French/Italians/everyone else speaks volumes IMHO.

[acbus1]

The fact that BA is still around after 9/11, without government support/cash/backhanders a la Americans/French/Italians/everyone else speaks volumes IMHO.
You are'nt going to mention a shed load of Heathrow slots then?

Or are you arguing that they are of no advantage whatsoever?

I'd argue that they're the advantage.

[QNH1013]

Out with the old and in with the new. Speculation on the next man (or woman) to step up to the big boss job.
The Observer (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,1431290,00.html)

[The Little Prince]

Wasn't Tony Tyler the guy who took on the Cathay pilots and fired fifty odd of them?
And got away with it.
And increased the amount of downgraded pay scales?
Should we be worried?
:uhoh:

[Nerik]

BA employees can probably make a mor einformed opinion on Eddington's time at BA. From the little I have read etc. I think that in the last 3-4yrs he has done quite well when one considers BA's financial statues BEFORE 9/11.

[alterego]

Well Austin Reid from BMI is free!

[antonovman]

I've heard M O'Leary is favourite foe the job:suspect:

[Mick Stability]

Tony Tyler:rolleyes:
Tiny Tim back from the shires:(

How much bad news can we take?:{

[Andy_S]

Skippy is/was the biggest disappointment the City ever saw at BA's helm

I see. And presumably they worship Robert Ayling as a minor deity. He of the ethnic tailfins and the second hub at Gatwick.

Please get real. The guy isn't employed as a social worker, he's got the job of running a profitable airline in a difficult and competitive environment. And from a business point of view he's done a pretty good job of it.

[acbus1]

Well Austin Reid from BMI is free!
Believe me, you don't want him, even if he's free (of charge, I mean).

Even with a shedload of Heathrow slots, he'd find ways to $%^& things up. :rolleyes:

[Fly747]

Jeez, I hope you get Tyler we could do with him outta HKG.

[Bearcat]

As pressman says a paddy running BA! Truth is WW is a one trick pony and that is chopping costs...hasnt an once of keeping morale amongst the troops. Has left a bitter taste in in his previous place of employment. Maybe BA needs the one trick kid but running AL as against BA is different planets as AL in comparision is just a small flying club.

[Captain.Q]

Rumour has it that Rod Eddington CEO of BA will be leaving the airline sometime in the summer.Eddington is to return to Australia to concentrate on his 3 non executive directorships.

[Dan Winterland]

And the hot rumour for his replacement is none other than Barbera Cassini. Perhaps she can make a 'go' of it. (Pun intended!)

[MarkD]

BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4323373.stm

[Norman Stanley Fletcher]

Rod Eddington is the best thing that has happened to BA in a generation. If he has any sense his parting gesture will be to sack all the check-in staff at Heathrow. Hopefully he can do it prior to this year's inevitable round of lightning strikes that have destroyed BA's reputation in the last couple of years. I truly hope BA succeed but there are some serious losers in there who need weeded out in very short order before they take the rest of the ship down with them.

[Buster Hyman]

Is Stelios available?:E :ouch:

[JackOffallTrades]

RE seemed to have some sound ideas about how to run BA (getting rid of those stupid tail fin designs was one of them!). It is such a shame the majority of his ideas fell down because of union agreements working against him.

Most departments with these agreements will not let go. Many departments will fight hard to hang on to their little arangements and not budge an inch because they all think that the "other" departments within the company are less efficient.

I can understand his frustration. I think this frustration has had a large part to play in his intended demise from the helm.

Rod has achieved a few good things for BA. Firstly, the company is still going.

Second, it is a leaner, more productive outfit.

Third, it has a strong corporate identity and a place in the market.

I personally had confidence in Rod running the show. I have doubts that anyone else will do such a good job at the moment.

Shame.
:(

[Jodiekeyz]

Good bye eddy...never liked your management....:yuk:

[Captain.Q]

Eddington did a good job even though dealt a bad hand.If you think he was dreadful perhaps you might like Geoff Dixon.Qantas might be lucky and end up with Eddington.Little Caesar(Borghetti)might be a little upset tho'

[maxy101]

I was lucky enough to get a couple of hours of Rods' time a few months ago, and I can tell you his knowledge of the company and its' problems were immense. He has been "kicking" ass where necessary among management. However, as I mentioned before, he did say that the employement protection laws in the UK make it very difficult to implement the radical changes necessary. He also said that the Board were very aware that "BA employs THOUSANDS of staff who would be more than happy to see BA go to the wall". And they appear to be untouchable. Before we get any comments from posters from the US/ Far East, just remember what little legal employement protection you have compared to the average European. It is extremely difficult to get rid of "bad apples". Why else do we employ some of the people we do?

[brabazon]

How about Ray Webster?

[Re-Heat]

I'd go for the heavyweight from the FTSE or elsewhere option, without limiting to aviation chief executives - there is a lot of experience of dealing with many employee groups and upholding brands across UK and world industry that is untapped by limiting options to the aviation personalities mentioned. Cassani would be high on my list as well though.

[Towerman]

A year or so ago - Charles Gurassa CEO of TUI was tipped as a one day replacement for Rod E. Not sure now though....

[Backtrack]

Charles Gurassa left TUI some time ago and, I believe, has been on a sabbatical ever since.

IMHO, he was a breath of fresh air when he replaced the old Thomson has beens. I gather he was also pretty popular at BA Cargo before he left there to save Thomson Travel Group.

[Stelios]

Buster Hyman,

Naturally, I would be most pleased, yassoooooo!!!!

[kumul1]

Word on the camel tracks say Hogan, ( Gulf Air ), is also a contender.

[flyer55]

Maybe BA should get Barbara Cassini or even Willie Walsh from Aer Lingus

[phoenix son]

Surely Billy Smart is the man for the job? :E

[jabird]

WW has now been confirmed, with Rod to leave in September

[brabazon]

Is it normal to just appoint someone to CEO or should you not advertise the post first?

[BikerMark]

By rights, it should have gone to someone on CareerLink.

[Hot Wings]

Rumour has it that Rod is leaving following his inability to get rid of Mike Street!

[Jes]

Ex-Aer Lingus head to take over at BA

Andrew Clark, transport correspondent
Wednesday March 9, 2005
The Guardian

An Irishman whose ruthless job-cutting tactics rescued Aer Lingus was named yesterday as the next head of British Airways, prompting fears of bloodletting at the carrier.
Willie Walsh, 43, who began his career as a 17-year-old pilot at Aer Lingus, is to join BA in May and will take the top job in September on the retirement of the present chief executive, Rod Eddington.

Mr Walsh will be responsible for guiding BA through the opening of Heathrow's fifth terminal in 2008. His priorities are likely to include attempting to squeeze a profit out of BA's short-haul network.

A statement from BA's chairman, Martin Broughton, said: "Willie has an outstanding reputation in the airline industry around the world for the way he transformed the fortunes of Aer Lingus from a high-cost underperforming carrier into a successful and profitable entity."

Mr Eddington, who is to return to his native Australia , won respect for maintaining stability at BA through a series of crises including September 11, the Sars epidemic and soaring oil prices. But his tenure has involved 13,000 job losses and stringent cuts to BA's fleet and route network.

Yesterday's appointment was greeted warily by unions. Mervyn Granshaw, chairman of the pilots' association, Balpa, said cockpit crew had enjoyed a "fruitful relationship" in the past with BA: "We hope to have similar access and a similar relationship with Willie Walsh as clearly that is what is good for the business and good for employees."

During three years as head of Aer Lingus, Mr Walsh cut 2,000 jobs - almost a third of the workforce - and axed business class seats on shorter routes. He also scrapped in-house catering and cut down on cleaning. However, his tenure ended prematurely in January when he resigned with two senior colleagues in a row with the Irish government about his strategy and his enthusiasm for privatising the state-owned airline.

The prime minister, Bertie Ahern, gave him an acerbic send-off by telling parliament that he "did not think three members of senior management should become wealthy overnight from a state company". BA's shares edged up 4.5p to 281p on the news.

Mr Eddington said his successor was an "excellent choice", adding: "He's clear thinking, straightforward and a good communicator."

[skiddyiom]

Ten bob says WW axes BACX and re-instates BAR.

Better dust off the CV I'm guessing.

Skiddy :(