New boss for AirServices
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Only this story from The Australian
Russell takes the reins as air chief
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
13may05
FORMER Sydney Airport executive Greg Russell is expected to take the helm at Airservices Australia after a global search for a new chief executive.
Transport Minister John Anderson is understood to have submitted Mr Russell's name to Cabinet for approval yesterday and an announcement was last night believed to be imminent.
His appointment comes as a six-month review of the air traffic control provider is due to end, possibly clearing the way for further restructuring and privatisation.
The search for a new CEO has been under way since the departure of former chief executive Bernie Smith in December at the end of a turbulent year for the air traffic control provider.
A former executive at Hazelton Airlines, Mr Russell joined Sydney Airport in 1998 and was responsible for preparing the airport for the 2000 Olympics.
He was also director of aviation during the turbulent period after the crash of Ansett and the rapid growth of Virgin Blue as well as the airport's privatisation.
More recently, Mr Russell was responsible for preparing Athens International Airport for the 2004 Olympics and helping restructure the airport's operations.
Mr Anderson ordered the review of Airservices' governance, structure and organisation after last year's National Airspace System debacle and unrest about long-term pricing.
An independent consultant was charged with investigating the NAS problems and the development of long-term pricing proposals.
Separately, Sydney Airport has appointed industry veteran Grant Woods as general manager, airport operations.
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Russell takes the reins as air chief
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
13may05
FORMER Sydney Airport executive Greg Russell is expected to take the helm at Airservices Australia after a global search for a new chief executive.
Transport Minister John Anderson is understood to have submitted Mr Russell's name to Cabinet for approval yesterday and an announcement was last night believed to be imminent.
His appointment comes as a six-month review of the air traffic control provider is due to end, possibly clearing the way for further restructuring and privatisation.
The search for a new CEO has been under way since the departure of former chief executive Bernie Smith in December at the end of a turbulent year for the air traffic control provider.
A former executive at Hazelton Airlines, Mr Russell joined Sydney Airport in 1998 and was responsible for preparing the airport for the 2000 Olympics.
He was also director of aviation during the turbulent period after the crash of Ansett and the rapid growth of Virgin Blue as well as the airport's privatisation.
More recently, Mr Russell was responsible for preparing Athens International Airport for the 2004 Olympics and helping restructure the airport's operations.
Mr Anderson ordered the review of Airservices' governance, structure and organisation after last year's National Airspace System debacle and unrest about long-term pricing.
An independent consultant was charged with investigating the NAS problems and the development of long-term pricing proposals.
Separately, Sydney Airport has appointed industry veteran Grant Woods as general manager, airport operations.
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Mmm - an interesting background for a bloke who is going to run a monopoly supplier of safety. He sounds more like a marketing manager than a safety professional. (Purposely ambiguous description.)
Regardless he will find the run down ramshackle corpse of a once proud government service provider, now ruled over by second-rate accountants. (First rate accountants don't work in GBEs)
No doubt he will breeze in ready to impress the shiftworking ATCs who never see a manager but work 24/7 to make sure their bosses have their Captains Club memberships and can swan around the world chatting to their ATCA and CANSO mates.
On second thoughts he will probably only set out to impress the six floors of bureacrats beavouring away in the Canberra Alan Woods building. This artificial facade full of contract managers (1 for every 7 workers) will be his daily dose of how wonderful everything is in his empire. An empire where most of the footsoldiers will never meet him or hear a word he has to say unless they happen to work in Ml or BN Centres and are having a break from controlling between noon and 1pm on the 3rd Monday of each month.
As for the second class citizens in the control towers ruled from a shed in Brindabella Park at CB airport. The greatest service he could do for them would be to let them back in to Airservices Australia and consign Daryl Cathro's cheapskate empire to the scrap heap.
Best of luck, Greg.
Regardless he will find the run down ramshackle corpse of a once proud government service provider, now ruled over by second-rate accountants. (First rate accountants don't work in GBEs)
No doubt he will breeze in ready to impress the shiftworking ATCs who never see a manager but work 24/7 to make sure their bosses have their Captains Club memberships and can swan around the world chatting to their ATCA and CANSO mates.
On second thoughts he will probably only set out to impress the six floors of bureacrats beavouring away in the Canberra Alan Woods building. This artificial facade full of contract managers (1 for every 7 workers) will be his daily dose of how wonderful everything is in his empire. An empire where most of the footsoldiers will never meet him or hear a word he has to say unless they happen to work in Ml or BN Centres and are having a break from controlling between noon and 1pm on the 3rd Monday of each month.
As for the second class citizens in the control towers ruled from a shed in Brindabella Park at CB airport. The greatest service he could do for them would be to let them back in to Airservices Australia and consign Daryl Cathro's cheapskate empire to the scrap heap.
Best of luck, Greg.
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Speaks volumes about our little empire; when you read here and in the Australian who got the gig about 12hours before the 'official memo' gets distributed to staff.
The managers at the major centres couldn't even say yeah or nay about the story in the paper; cause they didn't know either.
Bring a big broom Greg; start with floors 4 and 5; then think about relocating the white elephants (contract managers) to where your staff need resources to serve the industry; which by the way ain't in Canberra. Break out those headsets boys.
Don't get caught up in the waffle about how close to the bones we are; nothing like having 6 staff do a one man job; people are so busy 'coordinating' with the others involved that no one actually gets anything effective done.
Yes there are some good bodies in the AWB, but they are outnumbered ten to one.
Greg, please don't initiate another 'renovation' in the AWB or new colour scheme, we're sick of them; particularly sick of reading about them and their progress.
The managers at the major centres couldn't even say yeah or nay about the story in the paper; cause they didn't know either.
Bring a big broom Greg; start with floors 4 and 5; then think about relocating the white elephants (contract managers) to where your staff need resources to serve the industry; which by the way ain't in Canberra. Break out those headsets boys.
Don't get caught up in the waffle about how close to the bones we are; nothing like having 6 staff do a one man job; people are so busy 'coordinating' with the others involved that no one actually gets anything effective done.
Yes there are some good bodies in the AWB, but they are outnumbered ten to one.
Greg, please don't initiate another 'renovation' in the AWB or new colour scheme, we're sick of them; particularly sick of reading about them and their progress.
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Greg's an airline man and a good bloke, didn't sit well with Max the Axe Since he had a clue how things should work, which didn't fit in with Macquaries' campaign against aviation so he got the message quick smart. Hopefully he'll stir up ASA and get their s*** together.
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I hope all AsA staff fill out the staff satisfaction survey and pay particular attention to the short answer section asking how to make the joint better. I talked of brooms and oxygen theives.
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Hey boys - evidently you can't read. The Australian said he was ``expected'' to be appointed. I hear that negotiations were still continuing when the Australian story appeared.
Perhaps that's why you weren't first with the news, but what would you care anyway. According to your diatribes the CEO and everyone else in Canberra is irrelevant.
But thanks for your thoughts. They were predictably pathetic much like your attitudes. If you knew what sinecure means (crack out the dictionary lads) you'd soon discover that it's a very fitting description of your job. You're so `busy' you appear to have hours fabricating marvellous little fantasies about your miserable lot in life and the grandiose existence of the Canberra bureacracy. Perhaps if people knew a little bit more about what we did and were paid they might begin to comprehend the hyprocrisy of your comments.
Let's hope the first thing Greg Russell does is privatise your functions.
Perhaps that's why you weren't first with the news, but what would you care anyway. According to your diatribes the CEO and everyone else in Canberra is irrelevant.
But thanks for your thoughts. They were predictably pathetic much like your attitudes. If you knew what sinecure means (crack out the dictionary lads) you'd soon discover that it's a very fitting description of your job. You're so `busy' you appear to have hours fabricating marvellous little fantasies about your miserable lot in life and the grandiose existence of the Canberra bureacracy. Perhaps if people knew a little bit more about what we did and were paid they might begin to comprehend the hyprocrisy of your comments.
Let's hope the first thing Greg Russell does is privatise your functions.
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Greeny, if your thinking is privatise ATC what would you expect would become of your precious ivory tower?
My point isn't that support functions should exist; they just need to be nearer to the core business. We spend millions on travel every year when in fact we shouldn't because most of the functions performed in the AWB, just don't need to be done there.
Even you would have to admit that there is multiple duplication of tasks; especially having two different administrations ostensibly providing the same 'support roles' for different ATCs, i.e. ATM and ASG... What a waste; simply so 'true costs' can be hidden for the purposes of competition.
In relation to the announcement of G.Russell as the new CEO. These are the facts, Steve Creedy wrote about it on Thursday night, which was published in the Friday edition of the Australian; The Chairman of the Board issued a email to all staff at 4:38pm some 24 hours or so after Steve Creedy had written his copy. This is Piss poor, fact.
Who's afraid of privatisation? Is it a good idea, personally I think no, will ATCs lose jobs or money, no we are short staffed and you've heard of the concept of 'transmission of business' right, so who should be afraid, true public servants or the income generators?
Good luck to you, you jealous little individual.
My point isn't that support functions should exist; they just need to be nearer to the core business. We spend millions on travel every year when in fact we shouldn't because most of the functions performed in the AWB, just don't need to be done there.
Even you would have to admit that there is multiple duplication of tasks; especially having two different administrations ostensibly providing the same 'support roles' for different ATCs, i.e. ATM and ASG... What a waste; simply so 'true costs' can be hidden for the purposes of competition.
In relation to the announcement of G.Russell as the new CEO. These are the facts, Steve Creedy wrote about it on Thursday night, which was published in the Friday edition of the Australian; The Chairman of the Board issued a email to all staff at 4:38pm some 24 hours or so after Steve Creedy had written his copy. This is Piss poor, fact.
Who's afraid of privatisation? Is it a good idea, personally I think no, will ATCs lose jobs or money, no we are short staffed and you've heard of the concept of 'transmission of business' right, so who should be afraid, true public servants or the income generators?
Good luck to you, you jealous little individual.
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There were great expectations of the last CEO as well because “he comes from a commercial background”. At the end of the day the Minister approves and appoints so you can be sure the status quo is maintained. Expect more of the same “Yes, Minister” as we have seen in the past.
As to the issue of support staff, perhaps what the new CEO should do is send all the ATCs who have suddenly decided they don’t want to work the console anymore back to doing what they were hired to do. There must be literally hundreds across the organisation on contract, pretending to be managers or assorted “specialists” who were hired (and met a very specific psychological profile) for a particular task (ATC) and now occupy huge support space on ATC salaries.
There would appear to be a whole industry within AA of people discovering new airspace, procedures or requirements that shouldn’t and don’t need to be discovered to justify there own existence.
Problems that never existed are now speculated upon to the nth degree! Procedures are written and training forced upon the average ATC and pilot because they can. Mind you, in their own way they do contribute greatly to the industry – through the constant competition to accumulate frequent flyer/credit points while they travel the length and breadth of the country attending meetings, workshops, conferences and panels carrying out completely ineffectual and inappropriate consultation.
What I would dearly love to see as a member of the industry is a complete audit of all AA travel and travel expenses (including the money expended on NAS) for starters. Follow this up with a review of resources, qualifications and skills. Get rid of the dead wood and send others back to do the job they were hired to do.
As to the issue of support staff, perhaps what the new CEO should do is send all the ATCs who have suddenly decided they don’t want to work the console anymore back to doing what they were hired to do. There must be literally hundreds across the organisation on contract, pretending to be managers or assorted “specialists” who were hired (and met a very specific psychological profile) for a particular task (ATC) and now occupy huge support space on ATC salaries.
There would appear to be a whole industry within AA of people discovering new airspace, procedures or requirements that shouldn’t and don’t need to be discovered to justify there own existence.
Problems that never existed are now speculated upon to the nth degree! Procedures are written and training forced upon the average ATC and pilot because they can. Mind you, in their own way they do contribute greatly to the industry – through the constant competition to accumulate frequent flyer/credit points while they travel the length and breadth of the country attending meetings, workshops, conferences and panels carrying out completely ineffectual and inappropriate consultation.
What I would dearly love to see as a member of the industry is a complete audit of all AA travel and travel expenses (including the money expended on NAS) for starters. Follow this up with a review of resources, qualifications and skills. Get rid of the dead wood and send others back to do the job they were hired to do.
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Hadagutful,
That was a windup.. right?
Privatisation? Worse thing that could happen in my view - unless you think the airports are cheaper and better now they are privatised.
However, it is not the operational staff that have anything to fear from privatisation - it is the non-operational.
Don't wish too hard Greenwood - it may come true.
That was a windup.. right?
Privatisation? Worse thing that could happen in my view - unless you think the airports are cheaper and better now they are privatised.
However, it is not the operational staff that have anything to fear from privatisation - it is the non-operational.
Don't wish too hard Greenwood - it may come true.
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Unfortunately hadgutful and his buddies misidentify the enemy. It is not the ATC on the end of the radio that you should direct your hate at. It is the at least 2000 hangers on (2 to 1 admin/managers to operational staff) that make you life hard. We just play by the rules. Your messiah Smith knows this but the media grabs would be more boring when talking about some section/subsection/paragraph that actually is the issue when they can put up picture of crying brothers in the back of a plane blaming an Air Traffic Controller or some pocket full of pens type with a walking stick.
I have a work that you could look up in the dictionary Greenwood. Oxygentheif. Actually, just look in the mirror and you will see an example.
I have a work that you could look up in the dictionary Greenwood. Oxygentheif. Actually, just look in the mirror and you will see an example.
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Well tobzalp let's go through some of your invented figures. Of the 2900 odd bods at AsA, about 1200 are ATCS, flight data officers and/or airways systems data officers, about 500 are fireys and about 400 maintain the air navigation infrastructure including those whiz-bang consoles.
So you do that maths: if there are 2900 people and 2100 are in operational or critical operational support roles, where does your 2 to 1 ratio come from? I have a good idea and it's not the AsA annual report.
You/we do a great job but the interminable whinging just bemuses me. If it's so bad, jump ship.
So you do that maths: if there are 2900 people and 2100 are in operational or critical operational support roles, where does your 2 to 1 ratio come from? I have a good idea and it's not the AsA annual report.
You/we do a great job but the interminable whinging just bemuses me. If it's so bad, jump ship.