Quotable Quotes

[newsensation]

Geoff Dixon - Qantas
http://www.ceoforum.com.au/article-detail.cfm?cid=6292
"I know some CEOs say look after your customers, look after your employees, and the returns for shareholders will follow. I do the exact opposite."

Hmmmmm....:confused:

[YesTAM]

It works great if you are protected by a Government.....

[lowerlobe]

YesTAM.....So you are saying that other governments do not look after their interests and that includes airlines !

Name a few that don't!

[neville_nobody]

In his defence there is a legal responsibility toward his shareholders and so he has to be careful how he manages this relationship. Costco in US has come under criticism for being to generous toward their employees as a competitor to Walmart (Walmart tend to follow Dixon's line of thought). Wall street types are complaining that Costco are being to generous at the expense of profits.

It is two different ways of approaching a public company. Personally the Costco theory will produce a better company and a happier staff, at the cost of the CEO's paycheck and possibly the shareholders. Dixon's approach will mean that he will always get looked after by the shareholders even if it's at the expense of his staff.

Dixon may also want to check out how much the Costco CEO gets paid!! :E


http://http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/business/yourmoney/17costco.html?ei=5090&en=8b3103305fea6d68&ex=1279252800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1121705296-Q4tqPzmKJ9sYl9Q2a0xDYA (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/business/yourmoney/17costco.html?ei=5090&en=8b3103305fea6d68&ex=1279252800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1121705296-Q4tqPzmKJ9sYl9Q2a0xDYA)

[SkyScanner]

Taken from The Australian (4/3/5) quoting Ralph Norris back when he was CEO of Air NZ

" Chief executive Ralph Norris declares: "This is a people business and it's not about flying planes."
In a statement that would be heresy at business schools and on Wall Street, he states: "I am not primarily interested in shareholder returns. If we look after and inspire the staff, they will look after the customers and that will take care of shareholder returns." (Perhaps this should be the first lesson taken at business school.. ) "

[Ultralights]

what did you expect? dixon is know for not giving a flying f*#k about anyone except himself, ie, rewards from the shareholders...... since the beginning of Dixons reign, he has treated the Staff and customers with outright distane!



but the irony is, up until recen events, even the shareholder had nothing to smile about.....

5 yrs or record profits = 5 yrs of a steadily falling share price....

[YesTAM]

I think the shareholders have better business sense then Dixon, thats why the share price is depressed.

Mr. Dixon seems to get a great deal of emotional satisfaction out of bashing his staff (calling them "legacies"), and his customers as well on occasion (remember the letter to customers when Hamilton Island was switched to Jetstar?). This is not a healthy way to run a business.

The reason it is unhealthy is twofold.

1. It assumes there is an infinite supply of future employees willing to bend over and take it.

2. It assumes that the Customers do not have other options.

Neither of these assumptions may hold in the longer term- and thats what management is supposed to be doing - maximising long term shareholder value.

If Asian or perhaps Middle East Aviation markets really grow as expected, assumption #1 is going to be put to the test. What are you going to do for maintenance if your Asian MRO's are full Geoff? What are you going to do when they start raising their prices as well? Where are you going to get your pilots from?

What happens to assumption #2 after you have a hull loss and the Government, under intense public pressure, opens the skies like the Europeans and Americans are proposing to do?

[IMHFO]

This quote reveals more about the shareholders and not so much about Dixon or any managment ability he may have; short term profit v longer term company interest.

[lowerlobe]

Darth has always looked at employees as an necessary liability rather than an asset. This say’s more about his personality than his ability because at the end of the day what has HE really done for the company.

He has destroyed morale, failed to expand the network, restricted or depressed share price by constantly talking down the airline and failed to invest in or maintain infrastructure.

He has set up an offshoot in Asia which is about as successful as the charge of the Light Brigade and a local version that only contributes 2 or 3 % to total group profit and yet is heralded as a huge win for the company.

YesTam…Still waiting for an example of another country that does not support it’s airline/s.

As a free market advocate ,how do you explain the US aviation industry that fell apart from deregulation?

[blow.n.gasket]

What do you expect from a used car salesman from Wagga who's mother wouldn't allow Menzies name mentioned in the family home!

[LookinDown]

I have great respect for his mother then.

[Launchpad McQuack]

What a GREAT pic!! I've heard a few QF boys refer to him as Darth but didn't realise he actually looks like Emperor Palpateen!! :eek:

I'm in no way qualified to discuss high level business....but 'Shareholders first'? What happened to the Staff who actually operate the business and generate the profits that line Shareholder's pockets??

He must be aware that Norris achieved reasonable success with Air New Zealand and his 'Employees first' concept, regardless of the fact that the company was saved by taxpayer's dollars (I guess it couldn't have gotten any worse though?). Either way, it appeared to actually work, and work well...


"The problem with common sense? It's not that common" :(

[Capt Kremin]

I think he is starting to look like this man..


http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/a/ac/220px-Who_Shot_Mr_Burns.gif

He certainly has the same attitudes to his employees and the acquisition of lucre!

"It's one of your seat moisteners from sector 7G, sir"