Ex-Cathay Pacific Boss dies

[newswatcher]

Obituary of Peter Sutch, whose death is announced in the DT today(15/3): . .. ."PETER SUTCH, who has died aged 56, was the head of Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based airline, and taipan of its parent company, the Far Eastern trading group John Swire & Sons.. .. .In 15 years as managing director and chairman, Sutch presided over the company's growth into a major international carrier with a reputation for service and efficiency second to none in the fiercely competitive Asian airline market. . .. .Gentlemanly and gregarious, he was well respected by his peers in the industry and maintained good relations with Chinese leaders in Hong Kong and Beijing.. .. .When Hong Kong was handed over in 1997, Sutch secured Cathay's position by arranging the sale of a significant minority stake in the airline to a mainland Chinese investment institution. . .. .He was also a consistent supporter of the ambitious Chep Lap Kok airport project - replacing the cramped harbour-side airstrip of Kai Tak - which enabled Hong Kong to maintain its position as a regional hub.. .. .As a manager, Sutch was always accessible to colleagues, and tirelessly enthusiastic. In contrast to the somewhat hierarchical norms of Hong Kong expatriate society, he genuinely enjoyed mixing with staff of all levels and took pains to get to know them and their families.. .. .When he flew on his own aircraft, he would send his business card to the captain, and wait to be invited to visit the cockpit. As Cathay's historian put it, he was regarded within the company "more like a friend than a managing director".. .. .Peter Dennis Antony Sutch was born on April 8 1945. When he was two, his father was posted to Baghdad as a manager of the Ottoman Bank, and over the following decade the family lived in various Middle Eastern cities until they were forced to evacuate from Port Said at the outbreak of the 1956 Suez crisis, when young Peter was smuggled aboard a ship bound for Marseilles.. .. .He was an energetic head boy at Downside - where his younger brother Dom Antony Sutch is now headmaster - then went on to read History at Exeter College, Oxford, and train with the University Air Squadron.. .. .Sutch joined John Swire & Sons in Hong Kong in 1966. Both his experience at Oxford and his memories of flying between England and the Middle East for school holidays had already given him an appetite for aviation.. .. .His first posting - on the toss of a coin - was to Swire's shipping division, but in 1970 he moved to Cathay Pacific as manager for western Japan. He became passenger sales manager in Hong Kong two years later, and returned to Japan as general manager from 1976 to 1981.. .. .Three years later, at 39, he became managing director of the airline, and in 1988 deputy chairman of all Swire's Hong Kong interests, which extend to shipping, property, manufacturing and trading.. .. .From 1992 to 1999 he was taipan or Hong Kong-based chairman of the group (in which ultimate control resides in London) as well as chairman of Cathay Pacific. He was also a director of the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank, now HSBC.. .. .As taipan, Sutch was widely involved in Hong Hong public life: he was a council member of the university and a member of the Governor's business council and the Trade Development Commission.. .. .After the handover to China in 1997 - in a most unusual accolade for an expat who had "stayed on" - he was both a member of chief executive Tung Chee-Hwa's commission on strategic development and chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.. .. .He was also an adviser to the Hong Kong Red Cross. Having been a rugby player in his youth, he was instrumental in Cathay Pacific's long-standing sponsorship of the Hong Kong international rugby sevens tournament, the territory's annual sporting highlight.. .. .Sutch was appointed CBE in 1995, and honoured by the new Hong Kong regime with the Gold Bauhinia Star in 1999.. .. .He was stricken by cancer but seemed to recover and, after retiring to England, embarked on a new business venture buying and linking up small airline companies. The first was National Jet Italia in southern Italy; but the cancer returned, and he died in Rome.. .. .Sutch married, first, in 1968, Rosemary Langan; they had three sons and a daughter. After the marriage was dissolved in 1996, he married Gillian Stevens; that marriage was dissolved in 2001."

[BahrainLad]

I think he died about a week ago - was widely reported in the Bahrain press.. .. .Will be sadly missed by all on this island - he was instrumental in promoting Cathay services to the Middle East, from the early days of 747 tech stops which have grown to a daily 777 operation. Helped develop the airport and commerce no end.. .. .Condolences.

[ojay]

For those who joined Cathay in the 80's it was traditional to receive an invite for an informal chat with Peter Sutch at his offices in Swire House on Hong Kong island.This was by way of a 'welcome aboard' over coffee and very relaxed.Also Peter was always accesible either on Cathay aircraft or socially.Peter Sutch was a class act (statospherically so in comparison with his succesors),a gentleman with high credentials academically and as a manager.Rest in Peace.

[BSCU]

Wonder how much that farce at APW and NJI had to do with this poor mans demise?

[crundale]

We never once saw Peter Sutch in the office in Rome even though he lived there. But everyone who knew him only had good things to say. I think his role was mostly wining and dining potential investors, although I believe he was also instrumental in bringing in the team that tried to replace our glorious leader and founder. If it's all true I have to wonder what the hell such a nice successful guy was doing mixed up with APW and NJI in the first place??