Mueller joining EK
 

There are rumors MH CEO Mueller joining EK as Chief Transformation Officer. I couldn't find any official announcement.

Mueller? Mueller? Anybody?
Who?

CEO at Malaysian. Leaves MH in September.

Can't see EK ever publicly hiring someone with such a title or mandate. It would amount to an admission that all is not well on the shop floor.

Very close personal friend of TA.

Their families vacation together .

How much will they pay him to transform EK into a basket case MH style??

STC on the way out??
Obvious replacement

TA is TC's replacement, and Mueller will replace TA. TC has utterly failed to be MF's successor and has turned the whole company against him. Is there any other more despised senior executive besides AAR?

What on earth is a "Chief Transformation Officer"? Sounds like they will need another table in Costa.

Don't really remember CM doing much good for the pilots in either Sabena or Aer Lingus...

Here you go
Malaysia Airlines? CEO To Work For Emirates

Dr Muller to the rescue....

I guess the 380 will have all the turns once he gets rid of the 777s. That's his thing isn't it? Bet our union reps are worried...oh wait.

Hmm, this news together with the alleged complete recruitment ban (except for pilots) might indeed indicate that EK is going to slim down it's back office staff. If that is the case, I will be all for it: no more Costa management, but a proper reduced back office structure where people actually do have responsibilities, and where you would know who to address for which problems or suggestions.
Emiratisation is a UAE thing, and for sure there's nothing CM can do about that (and I can't see why he should), as long as he can make sure that the right person is at the right place and actually DOING his/her job to their best abilities.
Don't know what his attitude is towards pilots, but worse then now is impossible. I am actually hoping he would observe and report the cancer that AAR is, and have it cut away, but that's probably some naive positive thinking...

MR8

How many times have people had the thought, "ahhhh a breath of fresh air this new person will be, they'll sort it out" and yet, as time ticks inexorably by, the same intractable mindset of reduced accountability, cultural adjustment and finally punitive measures ensures the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This guy will be do his best to make his mark until he crosses the wrong Habibi at which point he will fall into line, or leave, it's all so depressingly predictable.

Well said MM, in fact his reason for leaving MH (personal reasons) is believed to be because he was not able to put a dent into the corruption that existed. Case in point is that a B747 was purchased behind his back, under a shady deal, so they say. He finally threw his hands up in disgust and has cut short his 3 year contract by many months.

A similar fate could await him in EK. "Crud runs thicker than water."

Who the hell is TA?

Hardly likely to be anything else:ok::}

But just ask our South African colleagues - same kind of thing happening at SAA so the idea certainly isn't unique!

EVP Chief Commercial Officer?

Perhaps the queues at Costa will thin out when he joins...

True ?
 

Don t know how bad it is but EK has just put all new ground employments on hold, only jobs for "locals" are advertised.

MM, I agree with you on most guys, but would like to point out a few key differences when it comes to Muller:

1. He allegedly quit Malaysian because he couldn't cope with the corruption. In my book that means that he is sincere in his way of doing things. (I know that he is ruthless, but al least he seems to believe in what he is doing). Also, Sheik A probably knows this as well..
2. Other guys where people might have been thinking "a breath of fresh air" usually aren't coming in the company directly at this high of a position, with the task of thinning out the weeds... Muller isn't exactly on a position like TCAS, MM (training), JA or Dunnowho. He will be hired in the highes echelons of Emirates. The only 'habibi' he will have to answer to is called Maktoum, the other guy will be TC.
3. Rumor is that EK has a complete hiring stop (apart from pilots)... Seems that they do know their overhead of Costa staff is too high.

So yes, I might be naive, but I am quite curious on what's going on, and I don't think this is necessarily a negative evolution...
Then again, I'm not holding my breath...

MR8

Should be fun to watch if this is the case.

CTO is a group position, so me thinks EG CTO makes EK CEO a lame duck. I think it is a strategic move to change group's direction without changing leadership.

My hope CM brings PR spending under control. $2.7 Billion just to keep few fanboys happy. Sport sponsorships are a OK, but recent ad campaigns didn't do any good. Even top subscriptions to rating agencies not resulting in positive feedback. Most of its social media effort is dedicated to putting down negative comments and sanitizing posts.

Employee and customer satisfaction is going down while money is flowing out at a faster rate.

CM's MH experience should help him with dealing state owned enterprises(I know EK is a pure commercial organization), ie., there will be some whom he cannot touch.

With 95,000 total and very few core EK employees, it is very difficult to judge if EG is lean or bloated.

dnata is growing globally and adding rapidly to the employee count.

Hopefully he will increase FC and CC counts.

Quiet naive to think that things will get better...
EK is a lost ship and we will be shafted more...
The clear statement of not increasing the package is the direction Ek is moving...
We will have to safe more... and guys I bet you they will also start looking into the provident fund, housing allowance, schooling...
He is not to come to make us happy... he is to come to transform the airline in an even bigger cash cow...
Better brace for the things to come...

Good luck to those that are still happy and have no exit plan...

Now what would that be supposed to mean?

The Indian mafia will sort him out with their lying cheating back handing arrangements. They won't like interference.
He'll have his work cut out.

Which begs the question: who will have more pull.... Mueller or AAR? Therein lies your answer whether things will change

K

EK is a highly leveraged enterprise
Arm length entities no longer able to prop up EK
Kuwait and Saudi probably stopped no interest, no schedule loans
Dubai never had money
(and)
CM is a crisis manager.

Interesting bit of info from a source close to the finance side of things, allegedly away from the obviously premium heavy routes to the UK and certain parts in the east, the 380 is haemorrhaging money as it is flying around heavy in Y, but very light in J and F, watch this space for changes in the network makeup.
Note the word allegedly as this info is at best second hand, but plays to the narrative regarding CM having a crisis to solve.
BTW this post is about revenue, and not a tractor v bus argument!

Maybe he's just coming to sort out the tablet issues. If they let him do his job, it should be resolved by 8am the day he arrives.

Big Geordie
Chief Transformation Officer
Would be looking at everything to do with cost and efficiency. He'll probably get a team of guys to help him.
On paper Pilots should be OK as there's not much blood left to get out of the stone .....

..... what a groundbreaking discovery (sigh)
No one could possibly have seen this coming ..... :ugh:

International consultancy companies have been banging on the castle doors for years trying to get in to solve the problem(s) here and have been politely shown the door each and every time. Finally, it seems, EK has realized that they can no longer continue on the past business model to insure success in the future. It may be too late. Good luck.

It might go to penalties but I predict Germany will still win.
A friend in HQ sent me this. It gets better the longer you watch.

https://vimeo.com/109234717

It's obvious from the video Muller won't trust any numbers he gets from Finance.
Close the door. Enjoy the flight...

Very interesting. Would love to hear his thoughts on why he has decided to leave Malaysian early.

Interesting video

I especially like the part where he says that in basically all cases, change can't be accomplished with the current management. He talks the talk, let's see if he can walk the walk.

MR8

Very interesting indeed. In short, the owners/management are often incompetent, they are liars and should involve their employees through a collective labor agreements/unions in order to achieve the best turnaround result. Good luck at EK, Mueller!

There's going to be years of infighting, back stabbing and finger pointing etc. All around the most incompetent managers that can't be fired, because they "own" the airline. On top of it all I highly doubt STC will allow the reality of his total failure at executive leadership over the last years be his legacy. So more obstruction.

He failed/resigned at Malaysian and I don't think his odds at EK are much better.

Good luck indeed. I'm so happy I'm out of here.

EK still generates significant revenue so wisely spent it can be a turned around. Question is how Emiratis/Mueller take control back from Brits and Indians. Traditionally, Emairatis treat sub-continent folks badly, but at EK British/Indians are treating everyone else badly. I still cannot figure out how these relationships formed.

Timing is perfect because most of the British PR/media/fans who would be fighting this from outside are reeling from BREXIT vote.

Mueller never stood a chance at MH because Malaysia hired him just as a face saving measure and not to fix the company.

I wound't call his MH gig a failure.

I met Christoph Mueller a decade ago when he was with Hapag-Lloyd/TUI. His job was to create a pan european low cost airline out of the several independent TUI carrier. Finally he got stalled by TUI management which deemed his investment plan negative. Interestingly, they kind of do the same thing now with one aviation. Anyhow, he was well respected within the company and had a clear plan how to run the shop. Hope he is successful at EK. I think MH has some strong, financial connections that he was not to touch, therefore the resignment on own will.