GF Board sacks CEO...

[flybywire9]

GF Board sacks CEO Bjoern Naef
A friend in London just confirmed to me that the Chairman al Zain has asked Spencer Stuart to look out for a new CEO...finally good news ? No, as the key qualification of the new guy seems to be that he must speak arabic...nothing about turnaround experience, fleet planning etc.

So all the rumours about BN's exit seem to be true....does he know about it ? I would think so...

FBW

[Che Guevara]

Interesting but not surprising as this has been rumoured for months now.
The only problem is that we are rapidly running out of people to blame for our own inadequacies....;)

[Not Gulfair CEO]

Very Good News. How ever speculation regarding the Arabic speaker CEO is not true.I am in.:}

[Desert Diner]

The about turn on the 777 may have been a hint.

[Mike.Park]

If true this is fantastic news!

Where did I put that champaign bottle?

[Duh]

GulfAirCEO, you've got the teeth to prove it :)

[FlyingCroc]

Great news for GF. It took only a few months for Dose, and years for this tosser. Good luck guys to a better future.

[Mephistopheles]

I suppose it was a long time coming but I bet they will find another useless scapegoat & put him there then they have someone to blame for the company's lack of improvement or vision. Anyway, just another chapter in GF's long history of making people very wealthy & giving them something to write on their ridiculoulsy bare CV's. The saying "You cannot polish a turd." springs to mind.
We have had numerous useless toothless CEOs that eventually get the axe but the board always come out clean & smelling like roses. I guess the s*** doesn't stick to the guys with their teflon thobes!
By the way who is Spencer Stuart?

[brassplate]

AS IT GOES WITH BAHRAIN, SO IT GOES WITH GULF AIR!!

[Baileys]

The TV Show "Mythbusters" actually proved that you can polish a turd.

[left_to_first_class]

Spencer Stuart is an Executive headhunter/recruitment company.

Interested?:E

[sirwa69]

I was always under the impression that if a CEO left or was sacked he was removed from the building and systems ASAP.

Funnilly enough Bjorn is still in the Pink Palace today big and bold as ever

I think this story is total balderdash :=

[Duh]

sirwa69, you might be correct. It seems as if the usual dimwitted pilot that thinks he's a better manager than pilot got his facts wrong(again). It's amazing how these guys can't just do their own job without thinking that they have a better grasp on how to run the ship. Hah, they can barely do what they've been trained to do in the first place. Run along little doggieeee.

[Desert Diner]

Let's see:

flybywire9
Probationary PPRuNer


Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Dubai
Age: 46
Posts: 2 Both on the same subject in two different forums:rolleyes:

GF Board sacks CEO Bjoern Naef
A friend in London just confirmed to me that the Chairman al Zain has asked Spencer Stuart to look out for a new CEO...finally good news ? No, as the key qualification of the new guy seems to be that he must speak arabic...nothing about turnaround experience, fleet planning etc.

So all the rumours about BN's exit seem to be true....does he know about it ? I would think so...

FBW

:ugh:

[boiler]

The GDN reported that BN attended a GF ceremony for launching the 3 new "temporary" routes over the summer. It seems no one told him he was fired.

[Radar Contact]

I had a cup of tea with BN yesterday - I wondered why he didn't leave yet then I remembered it was a rumour

[in FACT is]

BN can apply to WY just like the Omani's going home to WY, :ok:
no problem at all for WY same standard and qualification:confused:

[JABAL]

Lets hope it's not the same spencer who recomanded the two morons to QR for a CPT & VPFO position:confused: one of them told to step down and the other is waiting for his verdict:{

[Chuck Y]

It will be offical today.

[Maedchen]

Changes going on in Gulf Air... what will Naf and Fitze do now? Is it true Cain is leaving as well? I almost feel sorry for the poor Swiss guys as they have huge egos and now they have nothing. :ouch: Oh well:)

[BUSHJEPPY]

Crossair, then Transafrik and now soon GF, all down the drain

[the observer]

will untel this moment (June 24 09 12:48pm) BN is still in his position:{

any news on who is the coming CEO (arabic speeking CEO) ... whome do you think.

[MAKAVELI320]

H:rolleyes::cool::} AliBaba and ....ty thieves:D

[Sultan85]

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:}


:ok:

[fractional]

I don't really know why this thread is still on. It shouldn't have started before the man being actually out:ugh:. If it was rumour then, perhaps "Is the GF CEO on his way out?".
These carriers are not public institutions where top management is voted out because of citizen pressure or a national parliament. Not here in the Gulf.
Let's sit and wait.

[Che Guevara]

so hats why iv written a song for GF


Sorry to burst your bubble, but that song was written by Katy Perry and is off the album "One of the Boys".
So to claim you wrote the song is a copyright violation.

[WELCO]

Nice post Che. Now that really brings the laughter on!

Who said that GF is out of smart people?!

[T O G A Boy]

Nice catch Che.
I was absolutely astonished. One minute the guy cant put two words together without making a spelling mistake and then all of a sudden he's blazing with poetry.
Nice try Ugly but here you are amongst people you cant fool. Try harder mate..:ugh:

[T O G A Boy]

Trying to make a point is different and trying to bull**** ur way claiming u wrote that poem is 2 totally different things. If u r 17, then i'd guess u stop mingling with grown ups here unless u act like one...
Ps we are not bored. we r just simply following up on the threads which is the whole concept of this forum
Comprende

[Capt Hair Y Balls]

As I said my boy, get yourself a sex life after that get a life too you :mad:

[UGLYRAED]

gulf air is keeping its CEO for this year(at least)otherwise if they keep on changing CEOs they will end up from where they started!

[hunter320]

hay guys RJA CEO Samer Majali just quit RJ roumer has it he's offered GF. in the news his last working day is 1st Aug.

[Jenniferr]

awwwww wheres the Katy pery song? well it was fun while you insulted each other:) i used to watch your arguement through my brothers account.He has spunk cant wait for more of his combacks.:)Whats with the RJ thing?

[the observer]

Then i gues thats it ... we r done .... RJ CEO. i heard he is a good man with rich experiance in aviation and managed to reduce the losses of RJ big time.:ok:

[Wingsofprayer]

Yep, all true, ex_RJ CEO is the new GF chief and Mr Naf is sent packing...

RJ's Majali to head Gulf Air as Bjorn Naf steps down (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/07/02/329153/rjs-majali-to-head-gulf-air-as-bjorn-naf-steps-down.html)

[Jenniferr]

RJ CEO doesnt sound great.Becouse Gulf air needs a CEO with better quality becouse RJ isnt that known.What if its another Andre Dose:{

[Krinkle]

Press release:


GULF AIR APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, 02 July 2009
Gulf Air, Bahrain’s national carrier, announced today the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the airline as it enters the next phase of its realignment strategy.
Samer Majali, former CEO of one of the Middle East’s most commercially successful carriers, Royal Jordanian, will take over at Gulf Air within the next few months from current CEO Björn Näf. Until then, Talal Al Zain, Gulf Air’s Chairman, will manage the business in the temporary position of Executive Chairman. [/font]

Talal Al Zain said, “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Björn Näf for his leadership over the last two years and we wish him well in his future endeavors. Moving forward, we have important plans for the future of Gulf Air and we believe Samer is the right leader to take the airline forward as we move into the next phase of our strategy to rebuild the business.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Samer to the team as he brings an exceptional track record of successfully managing a leading Middle Eastern carrier. His skills will help us to build towards a strong future for Gulf Air,” he concluded.

Under Samer’s leadership, Royal Jordanian has been transformed into a highly successful and profitable business. The carrier’s transformation has been driven by a comprehensive strategy to modernize the airline’s fleet and the reshaping of its network. His achievements include bringing Royal Jordanian into “Oneworld” in 2007, making it the first Middle Eastern airline to join a major global alliance. In addition, he managed the successful privatization of Royal Jordanian, a first in the region. He has also served as President of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) and served as Chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) board of governors until June 2009. Samer holds a degree in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University in the UK.

Gulf Air’s outgoing Chief Executive Officer Björn Näf, is leaving the business to pursue other interests having served the airline for two and a half years. During this time he was instrumental in implementing several key initiatives towards Gulf Air’s ambitious realignment programme

[Panama Jack]

Plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future with Majali's appointment (assuming he gets the support he requires from the Board, Parliament, and the other often feuding forces here on the island). He has a proven track record and steered a financial turnaround at Royal Jordanian, privatization, and the joining of a global airline alliance.

I wonder where Björn Näf will be heading.

An interesting article about Majali:

Going the distance: Samer Majali steers Royal Jordanian into privatisation (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/01/22/220922/going-the-distance-samer-majali-steers-royal-jordanian-into.html)

[jetjockey737]

On paper it seems like a good appointment for GF. Fingers crossed eh?

[Mike.Park]

There must be allot of buzz over in the pink palace. This is exciting news no doubt.

Anyone throwing a celebratory party? :}

[Dessert Aviator]

I would like to hear from our ex RJ crew, there was quite an exodus from RJ to the Gulf a few years ago.

[wapses]

I am sure there are many many people who are extremely pleased to see the back of Mr Naf.

He brought absolutely nothing, zero, to the airline.

[ShirleyNot]

Ill second that, Naf did f' all, not that he could have anyhow. He certainly leaves with plenty of zeros in his bank balance (one would think).

I hate to say it, but if this new guy is any good i doubt he'll hang around for long. Anyhow lets just hope that this one works out for GF. Just please no Embryo jets like RJ now have.

[Panama Jack]

Why absolutely, positively no Embraers (or Bombardiers) for GF? If it makes economic sense then why not? Of course, I would love to fly the Boeing 747-800, failing that the Airbus A380 is a satisfactory substitute . . . but I don't think these things are in the cards for GF. And from what I understand, the economics of the A318 are not attractive compared to Embraer and Bombardier products.

Does it make sense to be flying around half-full/half-empty A320's or A330's, or having to drop fares just to fill them up? Regional Jets may just be the proper ingredient for GF to open up new routes, cut losses (make profits) and create better job security.

[Che Guevara]

PJ
In one word, baggage.

[Panama Jack]

In one word, baggage.

Could you elaborate please, Che?

[Che Guevara]

PJ

The problem with the Embraers in this region apparently is the amount of baggage our passengers carry....

[Panama Jack]

I guess I am somewhat surprised to hear this, as Gulf Air provides for a 20 kilo baggage allowance for Economy Class passengers, which is not particularly generous by global airline standards.

I guess in this case, passengers are (should be) shelling out extra cash for excess baggage. The question is then, does this extra revenue justify the increased costs of operating an aircraft that is not an RJ???

Of course, I am not sure about how much cargo is carrier, which by the kilo often provides more revenue than a pax.

How does Saudia and Royal Jordanian fare with their Embraer Jets?

[Jenniferr]

Gulf air should not fly Embraers or Bombardiers as they may give the airline a low standard.Those planes are made for local flights.So where would it fly??muharaq to manama??(hilariouse) GF airplanes are mostly full when they fly in the gulf(even if its dammam..So there is not need for Ebraers.The name it self is old fashion and the airplanes are kind of old fashion.To sum up, I hope the CEO would not do something like that.I have a feeling that the board of directors wont let those Embraers ever step in to the GF fleet.Other wise i will personally meet the upper management and give them a word or two.:rolleyes:.Any way so i have a feeling he is just one of the leach whos gonna suck all the money from GFand may not do anything.OR put the airline in trouble!

[DesertHawk]

the baggage issue is not an issue if these aircraft are scheduled for proper routes. the real problem is they would be very isolated on the routes and therefore would have to have extremely good planning which would not happen. doh, dmm, mhd, auh, would be the only routes that i can see them operating on a regular basis. amm, dam, bey and mosy of india would only work at specific times of the year. in the end we probably could use a few of these aircraft but i dont believe GF has the forethought to plan this properly. lets be honest we are having problems with crew and aircraft planning on 2 types:)

[Jenniferr]

I hope you all are aware that India ,Pakistan etc.. are gulf airs golden route becouse they planes wich fly there are packed with passengers .Even if its the 330 aircraft.Flying those small planes may really be a very bad decision for GF.:bored:What i think 320 is enough for a small aircraft for GF.Those useless airplanes are good for saudi airlines (they alraedy own it).Most airlines use it becouse not all airports are qualified to handle the jet(not even 320s).So they need some small aircraft which is suitable for those airports.SO what im saying if that man(new CEO) orders those filthy aircraft i will classify him as another flop CEO.:D

[ODMEA]

Might this mean now an exodus of RJ staff to BAH to fill the positions of the infidel expats...isn't this the Arab CEO (and with it all the trappings) GF has been but dreaming about until now?;)

Hope it works out in any case. God knows GF needs every bit of optimism it can scrape.

Oddy

[Che Guevara]

the baggage issue is not an issue if these aircraft are scheduled for proper routes.

If you remember correctly, Embraer actaully brought an aircraft here a few years ago (about the same time RJ ordered them) and one of the issues (there were more than one) was the baggage/freight capacity using GF's passenger demographics etc.
However, I do agree that sending them to isolated destinations without the required support would be a big problem.
Finally, what is wrong with the 319s and 320s? Yes, certain flights are down right now, but GF certainly is not the only airline feeling the pinch at the moment.

[Desert Diner]

what is wrong with the 319s and 320s

Nothing, as air cargo is probably more lucrative for GF.

The SV requirements for RJs was to service the smaller cities.

[Panama Jack]

My though behind types like types like the EMB 170/175/190 or the Bombardier C series would be for thin routes and to open up new destinations. I often wonder whether there aren't opportunities to open up additional destinations to Saudi Arabia, Iran or Al Ain.

Naturally, I don't know whether we are limited by bilaterals on additional services. Then again, nor do I know if there is even a market in connecting Al Ahsa, Gassim or Isfahan with the Gulf Air network.

In any case, it seems like our business model is under threat/broken and it is good to reexamine all options from time to time.

[Jenniferr]

The bottum line is GF would never order those low costs cheap planes.Becouse theyr meant to be for airlines who needs to save allooooot of money.But no matter what GF would always lose money regardless of the type of airplanes

[ironbutt57]

We didn't have any "thin" routes till some "genius" decided to dump the dump truck boeings and replace them with?????..(321?? like showing up at a gunfight with a knife)..unlike this Einsteins' last carrier, we cannot just change our name from Gulf Air to "Gulf", erase the debt and keep going..so we are in recovery mode...not from the economy...from "consultants" with their orange ties.who just about destroyed the place...

[brassplate]

while others suffer from the economic crisis, gf suffers from that PLUS bad consultantancy crisis PLUS management crisis PLUS many more crises. i mean, what idiotic company wants to add to its woes? aren't things bad enough?
apart from the axing of bn, that really is just the tip of the iceberg. many, many, many more should follow both expat AND local MANAGEMENT. the biggest thing that needs to go is a certain MENTALITY that refuses to be progressive and dynamic in a very dynamic environment.

[boiler]

GF can have any new CEO's chinese, arab, european, african etc. but will never return to profitability unless there is a dramatic cut in head count

I agree, but what are you going to do when the locals are protected? The only other "quick" solution is to let the expats go and you know what will happen then and what will hit the fan soon after.

[uglyraedII]

:)peaple why are you being so negative??????? every company goes through this kind of phase!qatar airways,emirates can have fun now but in a couple of years they will havea bad time!!!!!!:ugh:well im pretty sure that this "bad phase" will come to an end very soon.Becouse the airlines gettin some new airplanes and hopefully the airline will have better management.Well im not sure that this CEO is up to the standard but who cares the fututre (2013) seems really magnificent for the airline!new planes, new livery hopefully a better CEO!trust me qatar and rest of the airlines are 100 times more currpoted than GF.The only reason theyr doin good is becouse they have money (for now).Well lets wait for the future hopefully its bright!:)

[Phantom Driver]

Interesting. Wish I had been this perceptive on aviation matters at 17....

[Jenniferr]

hmm a 17 year old .. I thought he was a pilot or something... when i was young i wanted to be a doctor!LOL.I guess hes the future GF pilot or something like that:)

[uglyraedII]

well iv been into airplane stuff as long as i could remember.well i bet every one heard about hat etihad and American airlines code share stuff ..Any way dont you guys think that James Hogan is somehow stealing ideas from GF (like secret plans)????????? see when hogan went to etihad he ordered the a320s ,the code share and the airport nannies!!!Some thing seems fishy!:eek:.I guess Bjorn naf would be hired from any rival airlineso they could get their hands on the secret files and stuff..I know i sound paranoid but it could be true!:confused:

[uglyraedII]

daed forum just like the airline!

[Landflap]

Nope, just cannot find "currpotted" in any dictionary. But, think I know what you mean Ugly.

It is, however, a dead thread. 2013 ? GF will be part of Pan Arab Airlines (PAA), jointly operated by Emirates, Qatar and Etihad. Omanair will have a minor part. Hogan will be Corporate CEO. Actually, Hogan will also be COO, Chief Pilot and Head of Cabin Crew Recruitment. RH will be Head of Grooming.

Good luck to Gf though. The RJ Head will be no better than the others. But, even if he was, his hands will be tied, like the others, by the Board. The Board will be tied by Parliament. The Parliament will be tied.oh dear, it just goes on & on. Really, no hope whatsoever.

Caine is, rightly, in the cross hairs right now & is scared of everyone above & below him. Those below him are frightened of the the car was boys !

It will all be better in 2013 as PAA. Might even be called "PanAm" with "Clipper" as the callsign.

[uglyraedII]

why cant they reunite and call them selves gulf air again like they used 2? For rich peaple theyr pretty dumb!:ok:

[Propellor]

"daed forum just like the airline!"

Then someone young and bright ought to get off it, especially if the pen name rhymes with the "daed".

[uglyraedII]

hahahah! nice 1! um ill take it as a compliment!:) so anything new in GF

[boiler]

why cant they reunite and call them selves gulf air again like they used 2? For rich peaple theyr pretty dumb

None dumber than you ugly who still doesn't know how to use a damn spellchecker.

[uglyraedII]

wow do you actually have a life! im not in school (its summer) i dont need my spelling to be checked by any one.wow a 40/50 year old man picking on a 17 year old! hahaha that must be a new level of low even for you!:ok:

[boiler]

This is just for you ugly.

Abluestar - Random internet images (65 of 251) (http://www.abluestar.com/utilities/rndimages/?go=65)

[uglyraedII]

sorry i dont think i want to look at images from sickos like you!

[Miles Gustaph]

uglyraedII (http://www.pprune.org/members/305003-uglyraedii), I think you should moderate your tone in accordance with the guidance from the forum moderator, if however you believe that your tone is acceptable I would heavily suggest that you use a spellchecker. This comment is not confined just to you; aviation requires good written and oral communication skills per the ICAO guidelines, and as you infer that you have been into aviation "stuff" for a while this would be a good opportunity for you to practice your written skills.

I would like to suggest that at 17 years old you make the most of your access to this forum which will give you exposure and insights to the aviation industry.

While some threads may get "excitable" it is by and large between people who are professionals in the industry, and in some cases hugely experienced people; do you honestly think rude comments by someone of your age and inexperience are appropriate here? Would it be tolerated by anyone else, or any ware in society?

[uglyraedII]

blah blah blah! i can use fancy languages my self but i dont ! .On the other hand posting unnecessary images which might contain offensive images should be criticized! i would recommend you to mind your own business! And analyze the situation! by the way i would highly recommend you not to check my spellings its annoying . Thats how normal people chat on msn if you havnt "doscovered"it. My advice to you is for you to go and get some fresh air. Most of you here are soo full of it:ok:

[Duh]

Great Pic Boiler. Spot on.

[gilderoy lockhart]

Dear Mr Gustaph,

You wrote:

as you infer that you have been into aviation "stuff" for a while this would be a good opertunity for you to practice your written skills.

May I suggest you use your own spell checker!

[uglyraedII]

thanks gilderoy lockhart! i didn't really bother to read the whole comment

Thank you:ok:

[Not Gulfair CEO]

May I suggest you use your own spell checker


yo ded nut gate it didge yo?

[Miles Gustaph]

Ugly, "That's how normal people chat on msn" sorry my mistake, I thought I was on PPRuNe not MSN where Professional Aviation people hang out...

You have just missed a great chance to show us old folks that a 17 year old is responsible enough to be here and not a stereo-typical teenager, shame!

Gilderoy... cheers for the prompt on the typo... correction carried out!

[WELCO]

I don't get it! Why this thread is still active at first place?!

Just leave it for the little kid to enjoy typing, posting, and replying to himself maybe!

[uglyraedII]

I didn't know people took the name of this forum so seriously!"professional" If you were that "professional" why cant you "professionally" ignore me ... wont that be easy "professionals".By the way "professional" pilots don't post unnecessary/offensive images on the forum just to make others (me) feel bad.I didn't bother to look at the image so i really dont know how "offensive" the image is.
Thank you:ok: