RH Resigns?

[Cafe City]

Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg Resigns, China State TV Reports
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-16/cathay-pacific-board-accepts-ceo-hogg-s-resignation-cctv


Got too hot in the kitchen???

[YeahNahYeah]

Welcome to the Tangerdome!!

[Arfur Dent]

Bye! Good Riddance!

[N1 Vibes]

Beijing - always gets its man...:}

[Paul852]

My assumption is that he wasn't prepared to kowtow sufficiently to the Communist Party, which is a plus point for him in my book.

I'm surprised Slosar is still there since he said
“You would easily imagine that within that 27,000 we have virtually every opinion on every issue… we certainly wouldn’t dream of telling them what they have to think about something.”
Which is clearly not compatible with the Communist Party's view of how companies should work.

I wonder if Merlin also agreed to having a Party representative on the Board to keep them in line?

[cxorcist]

My assumption is that he wasn't prepared to kowtow sufficiently to the Communist Party, which is a plus point for him in my book.

I'm surprised Slosar is still there since he said
“You would easily imagine that within that 27,000 we have virtually every opinion on every issue… we certainly wouldn’t dream of telling them what they have to think about something.”
Which is clearly not compatible with the Communist Party's view of how companies should work.

I wonder if Merlin also agreed to having a Party representative on the Board to keep them in line?
I seldom agree with Paul852, but I think this post is precisely on the mark.

[Paul852]

Thanks for that! I do have a friend who is quite good mates with RH socially, and he tells me that RH took the metaphorical bullet to take the heat off Slosar, and that he (RH) will be found some suitable position elsewhere within the Swire group.

I'm sorry to see the demise of my erstwhile favourite airline (https://smogsblog.wordpress.com/) though.

[Air Profit]

Slosar, the man with no country, deserves to be the one getting the bullet. Of course, the comment about RH finding another position within Swire is correct. They look after their own, no accountability and never an admission of fault. It's an incestuous system that is now demonstrating it's fatal flaw. What CX needs is outside blood, and not another cookie-cutter Swire prince inability to see that there is a better way to run an airline. CX is doomed. Has been for the past 25 years. It will stop breathing soon.

[Paul852]

I'd forgotten that - yes - if I recall correctly Slosar is a Chinese Citizen of Hong Kong, whereas Hogg is a Brit.

[rhoshamboe]

With you Cxorcist. Rarely agree with Paul852 but RH has my respect on this one.

[Slasher1]

I seldom agree with Paul852, but I think this post is precisely on the mark.

Agree. Think it's spot on.

[CodyBlade]

Sacrifice
/ˈsakrɪfʌɪs/
1.
an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity or big boss.
"they offer sacrifices to the spirits"

[Some How I'm Tired]

Good riddance. The very people who fired large quantities of loyal employees to line their own pockets with gold have now seen the other side of their horrid actions.

[Paul852]

Good riddance. The very people who fired large quantities of loyal employees to line their own pockets with gold have now seen the other side of their horrid actions.
Could you please elaborate on the "large numbers" of people fired? I'm aware of the 49ers (nearly 2 decades ago), a few ground staff at remote stations as traffic patterns changed, and 4 in the recent difficulties. Could you fill in the gaps for me please?

[NutLoose]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49367949

[Flex88]

Could you please elaborate on the "large numbers" of people fired? I'm aware of the 49ers (nearly 2 decades ago), a few ground staff at remote stations as traffic patterns changed, and 4 in the recent difficulties. Could you fill in the gaps for me please?

#TimeToWin... (organised, developed and implemented by the current wife of a Flt Ops "leader")

800 in HK
All Cabin Attendants in YYZ

All check in/ airport staff in YYX/YVR

++++++++

[Gonuts]

Could you please elaborate on the "large numbers" of people fired? I'm aware of the 49ers (nearly 2 decades ago), a few ground staff at remote stations as traffic patterns changed, and 4 in the recent difficulties. Could you fill in the gaps for me please?

I believe Some How I'm Tired is talking about the 600 office staffs Rupert had fired last Summer.

[anxiao]

I despise the arrogance of Mr Slosar when he quotes to the press, "Recent events have called into question Cathay Pacific’s commitment to flight safety and security and put our reputation and brand under pressure". As Flight Operations is at the fore-front of flight safety, what the hell have Flt Ops done last week that has compromised Flight Safety? As far as I have observed or read the operation has continued to be processed with the usual professionalism that is still left amongst the crews.

One suspects a better sacrificial lamb would have been the head goat but as Merlin received his instructions in Beijing to fire a couple of board members "pour encourage les autres," he could hardly fire a chairman.

The whole couple of weeks has been handled appallingly at board level, seemingly without a common message.

[anxiao]

And BTW paul852, "a few ground staff at remote stations", might upset the the staff of FRA after their near total removal for starters. Hardly a "remote station" I would think? Do your homework.

[deptrai]

From what I understood, to recapitulate, as a faraway spectator, CAAC demanded CX staff to be punished for voicing their opinions...and whatever the merits of CX management, they may not have been entirely comfortable with that. Then, while at the center of this turbulence, the Captain is sacked?

"Paul and I, as the most senior members of the leadership team, have been at the forefront of this crisis and must take responsibility for the way it has been managed," RH wrote. "Now is the time for swift and decisive action to restore the trust and confidence of all our stakeholders in Cathay Pacific."

Whose trust and confidence exactly do they want to restore? Methinks the answer must be...the party (***thinking out loud while scratching my head***).

[Paul852]

I believe Some How I'm Tired is talking about the 600 office staffs Rupert had fired last Summer.If you think that any company these days is a job for life then I'm afraid you are condemned to a life of misery. All companies retrench, refocus and adjust their staffing from time to time. I get that managing a corporate entity is quite a different issue from flying a plane, so I understand that you may not comprehend this. But as someone who has had P&L responsibility for business units with hundreds of millions of US$ revenue I do get it. (And, yes, I was laid off twice in my career - that's the way capitalism works. No big deal)

[mngmt mole]

Hmmm, onto my seventh CEO of my CX career. Don't feel to bad for RH, he'll slink way with millions of shareholders money. In a proper capitalist system he wouldn't have risen too far, but in the incestuous Swire empire the curdled cream does tend to rise to the top. We still have the feckless and craven JS at the helm of Swire, so there will be no real change (of course). This airline is in disarray from one end to the other, and its day is done. Stay for chaos and misery if you wish, but you will never have a stable and rewarding career here ever again. You can bank on it.

Also, time to realise that CX never sold out to the Chicoms, the Chicoms simply have come in and effectively taken the airline. The new CEO and number 2 are basically in the back pocket of Beijing, and will do exactly what they want, no matter what the Swire board or HK regulators want. CX is now a surrogate mainland airline, and the management will now jump when Beijing barks. Sad day.

[Adambrau]

According to CNN Rupert Hogg and Richard Loo resigned.

[Paul852]

According to CNN Rupert Hogg and Richard Loo resigned.Er, yes. That is what the previous 22 posts in this thread have been about! (Albeit Paul Loo, not Richard)

[Slasher1]

Actually, with AC as the minority (but significant) shareholder the playbook now becomes obvious. The entire thing with CAAC was a set up. Bejing uses the whole shebang as an excuse to simply come in and grab the airline after it's done a bit of grabbing itself and fattened itself up a bit with some other deals.

True commie dooshbaggery at its finest. My hat's off to them.

Other biznesses should take note though. And I'm not sure Bejing knows what it's getting lol.

[hkgfooey]

The entire thing with CAAC was a set up. Bejing uses the whole shebang as an excuse to simply come in and grab the airline after it's done a bit of grabbing itself and fattened itself up a bit with some other deals.


It is amazing that the state run airports/airlines just to the north had the ability to increase capacity before all this started, somehow they had the ability to predict the increase in market demand before it was there..Follow the money, the master performer draws audience attention to one thing to distract it from another. Anyone recall how this all started again ? that just does not seem to make the news anymore, dont see her resigning given the huge impact her conduct made on the Hong Kong economy. All the attention was on the police one week, an airline next week, wonder which industry that the mainlanders want next without paying, Will it be the banks for money laundering for the "terrorists", the phone companies for facilitating "terrorists" communications, the MTR for transporting "terrorists" ?

Meanwhile no one has actually been found guilty of an offence in the Hong Kong courts.

[mngmt mole]

The reality is that the mainland is governed by a "Gangster Theocracy", and you have just witnessed it's power at first hand. If anyone thinks it will end here, they really should be out buying unicorns. Beijing has now finally taken the gloves off, and HK will NEVER be the same again. Of that you can be certain. Business in HK will now be under the malignant and unstoppable force of the mainlands heavy hand, and they will take what they want when they want. Effectively they've just taken CX. As to what this means for the younger expat employees...do you really need me to tell you what the future would hold for you here?

[cannot]

RH will be handsomely rewarded for being the fall guy . He will transfer to some other part of the swire conglomerate where he will see the light (easy when you are compensated millions ) then re invent himself and take up his new position at a much improved salary.

[smogluver]

What a relief for RH gets to make that huge mess and just walk away.

[Stuart Sutcliffe]

In your time of mourning, I would like to offer up a replacement for Cathay's loss of RH. I give you AC (https://mediacentre.britishairways.com/factsheets/details/86/Factsheets-3/26). Please take him. Just take him .....

[Gonuts]

Okay. RH sacrificed himself for Slosar I get it. But why Augustus Tang? Haven't they learned a lesson of appointing a Hongkie to be their CEO? Or perhaps this is exactly the future of CX? If so, why not pick Algernon Yau? At least he is much more credible than AT IMOP.

[justforfun]

AT is in until a new CEO can be announced from what I read somewhere...

[AllWobbly]

RH will be handsomely rewarded for being the fall guy . He will transfer to some other part of the swire conglomerate where he will see the light (easy when you are compensated millions ) then re invent himself and take up his new position at a much improved salary.

doubt it they need to protect swire cx is a side issue in terms of value

[Harbour Dweller]

The week that Cathay Pacific surrendered to ChinaCNN Business review
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/16/business/cathay-pacific-ceo-china/index.html

[Kitsune]

Or...

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/cathay-pacifics-british-owner-forced-to-kowtow-to-beijing-plqrkgcvq

[Rated De]

The Western political establishment lived in a fairy land.
Echoing around houses of Parliament for decades was the mantra that a modernised China would be a freer China.
Western consumers bought endless piles of Chinese junk, ignoring the reality of tyranny.

In the antipodes, hordes of mainland students intimidate Hong Kong supporters, University Chancellors ignore the abuse, while consular staff applaud the violence in another country.

Cathay Pacific didn't even fight.
Imagine if crew were detained in the mainland?

[mngmt mole]

This is only beginning. HK will never be the same again. CX will never be the same again. Can anyone envision a stable, prosperous career here going forward? Seriously? Anyone?

[Oasis]

This is only beginning. HK will never be the same again. CX will never be the same again. Can anyone envision a stable, prosperous career here going forward? Seriously? Anyone?


it is over, it will never be the same... bla bla bla...
its hasn't been the same for 20 years... it always changes, and never for the better, except, of course, the illy coffee.

[BusyB]

CCTV could have made this statement
" It accused the airline of having "flawed" professional ethics"
years ago if it took any notice of all the breaches of HK Labour laws.

[Air Profit]

Ok Oasis, bla bla all you like. If you don't think HK has moved into a permanent twilight zone (and certainly different from anything over the past 20 yrs), you haven't been paying attention. MM is correct, this is a game changer, and HK will certainly not be the same again. Beijing is going to make certain of that. Only the beginning.

[Flex88]

Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg Resigns, China State TV Reports
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-16/cathay-pacific-board-accepts-ceo-hogg-s-resignation-cctv


Got too hot in the kitchen???

Resign NOT. Updated info in new article. The big boys from the #ForbiddenCity have "just" changed the rules; they didn't like ones they agreed to in 1997..

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3023273/hong-kong-protests-have-caused-severe-turbulence-cathay

[quadspeed]

Ok Oasis, bla bla all you like. If you don't think HK has moved into a permanent twilight zone (and certainly different from anything over the past 20 yrs), you haven't been paying attention. MM is correct, this is a game changer, and HK will certainly not be the same again. Beijing is going to make certain of that. Only the beginning.

I'll wager a months wages that anyone on these forums who isn't behind at least two VPN's have their names on a list.

I'm being serious.

[Flex88]

I'll wager a months wages that anyone on these forums who isn't behind at least two VPN's have their names on a list.

I'm being serious.

You're 100% correct.
Maybe one of the best reasons yet for CXit !!!
That said, I'll wager 6 months wages that it WILL NOT get better, ever...

[Air Profit]

That's the beauty of only having a few months left before leaving: you don't care what thugs above or below a border think or do (been dealing with CX management thugs much longer than mainland thugs). Sadly, most of you don't have that luxury available to you, and instead have to actually consider what the reality of a "career" at CX now means, both for you AND your families.

[cannot]

I would have preferred others on the board go before RH

[Frogman1484]

Usually the "fired CEO" goes to another Swire position. Apprently this time the conditions were that he was not allowed to move to another Swire position but has to leave the group.

[frampton]

I would have preferred others on the board go before RH
Possibly a better solution, from the employees perspective, would be for the whole board to "walk the plank".

[FlexibleResponse]

Now it only remains to see whom Beijing appoint as a successor...

[Paul852]

Possibly a better solution, from the employees perspective, would be for the whole board to "walk the plank".To be replaced by Communist Party Cadres? I think not!

[Oasis]

There’s a rumour that RH was asked by big panda for a list of employees who participated in protests, and that he sent back a sheet of paper with only his name on it. (And that is the reason he had to go)

respect.

[Paul852]

I would love this to be true, and I see it spreading like wildfire online. But has anyone ever seen a single shred of evidence for it?

[Flying Clog]

That would be excellent if it was true!

[cxorcist]

Not to worry, Trump wants to meet with Xi. They’ll sort it out. Their cooperation has worked wonders on the trade war. The Chinese keep lying, cheating, and stealing while the American tech companies continue to willingly forfeit technology to a global adversary for market access. Meanwhile, everyone gets hurt by higher prices and lower economic activity. At least we all get lower interest rates and currency devaluation out of it. Awesome! Buy gold and silver...

[skyboss]

R.H. R.e.s.p.e.c.t a moment of feeling proud to work for this company , how about a list with all employee names on it

[cxorcist]

... and in place of RH, we get AT who has presided over the worst ten years in HAECO history. They are chronically short on manpower and can’t fix a darn thing. All they know how to do is defer aircraft for dispatch. CX ENG at outports, with the proper parts, are far better at fixing our aircraft than HAECO in HK. Fact!

[Betsy]

If I were RH I would've put my name on the list too. Leaving (as a hero some say) is a far smarter choice than sinking with the ship.

[frampton]

To be replaced by Communist Party Cadres? I think not!
I was being a little facetious Paul having experienced the "honourable" CX management of the mid 1980's. When R E and his bean counters made their presence felt in the early 1990's, they proceeded to obliterate the "crew goodwill" that kept the CX machine working on an antiquated roster system without providing a computerised system and sufficient flight crew to deal with the commercial task that they had created.
They were also well versed in P&L (promises and lies).

[plainpilot11]

... and in place of RH, we get AT who has presided over the worst ten years in HAECO history. They are chronically short on manpower and can’t fix a darn thing. All they know how to do is defer aircraft for dispatch. CX ENG at outports, with the proper parts, are far better at fixing our aircraft than HAECO in HK. Fact!

So you’re saying they’re getting exactly who they want!

BTW, there are entirely too many managers who have had the initials AT and RH. We need some change. Time to Move Beyond AT and RH.

[Flex88]

To be replaced by Communist Party Cadres? I think not!

Think Tung Chee-hwa. He kissed ass and look where he ended up.. Who do you think the 2 muppets already put in place answer to ??