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Willie Walsh story

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Old 17th May 2008, 20:30
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Willie Walsh story

There is a rumour that allegedly, WW will feature in a story in a UK Sunday 'scandal sheet' tomorrow
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Old 18th May 2008, 08:24
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Wille Walsh shock

Calls for Willie Walsh to resign
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Old 18th May 2008, 08:55
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Brain,

That is possibly the most perceptive and honest post I have seen on this site.

Well done!

G
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Old 18th May 2008, 08:58
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Profits were up due to cost-cutting all over the place. ROCE is poor, and profits are almost irrelivant when ROCE is poor. T5 was a mess. He isn't paid to mess up things like that. Sure you can say "he has learned" etc, but a person in his position shouldn't screw it up in the first place!
It is fine to learn your lessons when in lower management but in his position he should be smart and wise enough NOT to make mistakes. T5 was a disaster waiting to happen and staff were telling him. Completely useless.
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Old 18th May 2008, 08:59
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Wrong thread, Bronx - this is about "There is a rumour that allegedly, WW will feature in a story in a UK Sunday 'scandal sheet' tomorrow".

Any mods around?
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Old 18th May 2008, 11:26
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Brain you are right.

He should have stayed a mortal pilot, he has clearly overstretched himself.
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Old 18th May 2008, 11:56
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Tom..........Management Consultant or PPL?
Perhaps both!
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Old 18th May 2008, 11:58
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"The Command Training brings out so-called assertiveness skills, and heigh ho, let's bang the drum about our opinions on those long sectors when here's not much to do but whinge about pay, allowances, rosters and of course, the Management!"

As eny fule will no, you really can't expect to go from a very well used terminal to a brand new and UNTRIED terminal in one big move and hope that all will run according to plan, very foolish and you don't have to be a pilot to spot that one Brain.

There are ground handling experts out there so please, would it not have been better to start off by moving, say, twenty flights a day for a few days and gradually increasing the number until you hit a log jam and then give yourself an opportunity to identify the problems? Very easy to be wise after the event but to even imagine that BA could pull off such a huge move as they tried, in one hit, without significant problems is naive in the extreme.

I wonder if the two lads that got sacked expressed reservations about the one-big-hit-move or if they really thought it could be done?
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Old 18th May 2008, 12:08
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Fair play to Willie. Say what you like, but turning down a wedge like that must be a bitter pill to swallow indeed. He still has his dignity, and his job.
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Old 18th May 2008, 13:16
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I dont think the "shock" article is referring to anything related to the company...more like he has been caught with his pants down!

But at the mo its just rumour.
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Old 18th May 2008, 13:49
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Blimey. I thought this bonus story would have set alight PPrune!

12 posts for someone that has donated £700,000 to BA.

Re the point about cost-cutting above - well he has just cut another 700k

From memory, this is the first time a FT100 directly has turned down a bonus because he didn't think he deserved it.

However, it may just be "deferred" rather than not paid ever. Does anyone know?
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Old 18th May 2008, 14:15
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But it is £700k profit - not income


Anyway - what's the point of your post?
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Old 18th May 2008, 14:28
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Rod Eddington refused a bonus during his time as CEO and he hadn't even made a Horlicks on the scale Willie Walsh has so that rather puts this 'magnanimous' act in context. I think it's far from clear that this was even an entirely voluntary act. It was reported recently that one of the largest shareholders (Standard Life I think) had made it clear to the board that payment of the bonus would be unacceptable after the T5 debacle. When the CEO and quite possibly the Chairman are in a precarious position it pays to listen to your investors.
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Old 19th May 2008, 09:17
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After tax and other stoppages, the residue of "700K" would be a mere bagatelle in the overall scheme of "fat-cat Willie's" income.

A shrewd bit of PR, that's all!
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Old 19th May 2008, 09:50
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He deserves every penny! Running a global business of the complexity of BA with the the problems of the global and national economy, the huge needs for capital expenditure plus dealing increasing competition and soaring fuel costs and staff groups snapping at your heels, is a 24/7 , 365 days a year occupation. You don't walk away at 5pm and forget about it. It is there demanding your attention every waking minute. And seemingly for little thanks or appreciation from those whose livelihoods you are trying to protect. There is cynicism all around ,- even when you give up £ 700k! There must be moments when he thinks "Sod it,- and them all". Wouldn't you?
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Old 19th May 2008, 12:46
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Willie in Hign court

The Wacky Willie story rolls on as he rolls into the Highcourt with BALPA> You have to give it to the man, single handly ripping the heart and soul out of a national icon......it won't be long now till it's all over, the flight groundings have started.
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Old 19th May 2008, 18:35
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Originally Posted by Skylion
There is cynicism all around ,- even when you give up £ 700k!
And in an almost poetic example of why there is cynicism all around, the latest hot poop from Chief Financial Officer Keith Williams today........

wait for it.........

..... Willie didn't actually give up his bonus at all as he wasn't entitled to one! It was, however, too difficult to correct the press once they'd got hold of the idea that he had voluntary foregone his bonanza.

How very convenient.
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Old 19th May 2008, 18:48
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Excellent post skylion. Hopefully this time a pro-Willie post will be allowed to stay, but don't bet on it!
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Old 19th May 2008, 20:06
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WW has imho made some serious errors as did the infamous two who left. The failure in many ways was to open T5 with minimum costs V training/preparation. Had T5 opened and all was well but the accounts showed a cost of £x million more what would have been said.

Dictatorial Management can be good in certain organisations in other a disaster. You decide what BA needs...

I think £700K is a small amount for the responsibility but the bottom line is there are share options too plus many other perks in later life...pension?

As for a story on his personal life I care not what he does so long as it doesn't interfere with the running of BA. I wish the media would stop the witch hunt on public figures. Do we want an MP or any public figure wh hasn't put a oot wrong in their life?

Let BA get on with the job in hand in the challenging times ahead.
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Old 20th May 2008, 07:26
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But did he actually trigger his bonus in the first place or is this another example of BA management spin?

Answers on a postcard!
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