Meet our speakers
Associate Director,
Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan
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VP Airlline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue,
Abu Dhabi Airports Company
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Chairman,
Abu Dhabi Airports Company
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Alessandro Borgogna is a Principal at Booz & Company, Dubai. He is part of the of the Transportation and Aerospace practice, and one of the senior experts in Airlines and Airports operations as well in Aerospace and Defense operations. He undertook multiple assignments covering governance and strategies, investment planning, operations improvement, technology management assessment across various industries: Aviation, Public Transport, Aerospace & Defense, Maritime and Transport Infrastructure.
Before joining Booz & Company, Alessandro Borgogna served as an engineer officer at the Italian Air Force Cargo base, with the following responsibilities at different stages of his 6-year service: initially as Chief Engineer, then as Chief of the Risk Assessment, Health and Safety Office, and finally as Head of Technical Operations of the Italian cargo fleet. He led many redeployments for humanitarian and peace keeping missions all over the world
Alessandro Borgogna graduated in Aerospace Engineering from the Italian Air Force Academy and from the University of Naples, Italy, and he holds also a MBA from SDA Bocconi University, Italy and from UCLA, California, USA.
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Managing Director,
Aviation Economics
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CEO and Executive Director,
MDLR Airlines
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Mr Koomaresen Eargambram, Director,
iFLY Airtime
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Managing Director,
Plane Advice
Sudeep Ghai has been working in the airline industry for 15 years and is the Managing Director of Plane Advice, an aviation consultancy made up of former airline executives from low cost and full service airlines with over 300 years of line experience between twenty consultants. He is also the former Chief Commercial Officer of Sama, Saudi Arabia – a low cost airline which has won awards for branding and distribution innovation and is one of the co-founders of Virgin Nigeria. He has therefore built several ancillary revenue businesses with partners and negotiated relationships first hand. Sudeep has also previously worked as a senior strategy executive at British Airways and was an alliance Director at Trans World Airlines (TWA).
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CEO,
Airport International Group
Curtis Grad is an airport professional with 20+ years experience in the industry, including extensive hands-on work in various international airport privatizations in Canada, Jamaica, Cyprus and, most recently, Jordan, where he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Airport International Group (AIG), the consortium awarded the 25-year concession to develop and operate the Queen Alia International Airport. Previous to joining AIG, Curtis was posted at Larnaka International Airport, Cyprus, as General Manager (2006-07), and served as Vice President of Operations at the Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica (2003-05). Prior to his expat career, Curtis worked at several airports in his native Canada, including Victoria International Airport, Abbotsford International Airport, Regina International Airport, Nanaimo Airport @ Cassidy and Pitt Meadows Airport. Educated in the United States, Curtis is a graduate of the University of North Dakota – Center for Aerospace Sciences, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (majoring in Airport Administration). He is also an Accredited Airport Executive (AAE), awarded from the International Association of Airport Executives.
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Executive Chairman,
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation
Peter Harbison is Executive Chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (often known as CAPA). He established the Centre in 1990. Today it is the world’s most prolific aviation publishing house, currently producing 14 aviation industry newsletters, market analysis and numerous country reports and maintaining several aviation websites. Peter is a well-known aviation consultant and commentator on Asia Pacific aviation issues. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the nature and function of international, domestic and regional aviation industry and market structures, the drivers of tourism growth and development, the value chain and bilateral air services negotiations, underpinned by a background in law and economic regulatory affairs and experience in international and domestic regulation. Peter’s career in aviation comprises more than 35 years, in government and the aviation industry, including two years with the Australian mission to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal and 10 years at a senior level in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva. Over the past 20 years, he has conducted more than 200 consultancy projects either as project manager or senior advisor, from the Middle East, India, China and most parts of Asia to the South Pacific.
CAPA’s subsidiary, CAPA India, is in the process of developing the world’s first comprehensive aviation training campus, CAPA AeroPark, in India.
Peter is President of the Australian Aviation Council (AUSAC), former Chairman of IATA’s World Aviation Regulation Monitoring Group, which produced a major report on the issue of Ownership and Control in the global aviation industry, immediate past President of the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand and a former IATA Travel Agency Commissioner. He is also a Board Member of the Foundation on Antivirals.
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Head of Marketing,
Abu Dhabi Airports Company
Peter Hoslin has over 20 years experience in airlines and airports from around the world, commencing his career with Laker Airways in the UK. He has worked with airlines in Canada, Nigeria, Syria and Europe, before moving to Australia, where, after many operational and commercial roles he led the marketing for Sydney Airport. Peter is currently responsible for the marketing and route development of the airports of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Peter and his marketing team at ADAC are demonstrating the globally strategic location of Abu Dhabi, and the profit potential of the Middle East, to airlines in key target markets around the world. The ADAC Marketing team is equally focused on promoting the speed and efficiency of Abu Dhabi’s airports to the traveling public in the UAE. Abu Dhabi Airports Company owns and operates the gateway Abu Dhabi International Airport and the regional cargo and low cost carrier focused international airport of Al Ain which is located just a 60 minute drive from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
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Managing Director,
Planely Spoken
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Editor,
Air Transport News
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Mr Mohammad Arshad Jalil, Vice Chairman of Operations,
Shaheen Air
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AVP – Airport Services,
Kingfisher Airlines
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Director Airline Business Group,
Hahn Air Lines
With over 30 years in the airline industry, Steve began his career with Continental Airlines in 1978. He held five Airport Manager jobs in the USA and Europe (Frankfurt, London-Gatwick), before moving on to four different Director positions ranging from Operations Europe, South-America / Canada, Sr. Country Director Germany and Scandinavia and Director Policy Procedures and Training in Houston during his career at Continental Airlines. Steve joined Hahn Air February 2007 with the main focus on Hahn Air’s e-alliance product, giving LCC’s full access through all major GDSs via the Hahn Air distribution platform. This includes ATPCO regular and special fare filing, full e-ticketing and payment handling capabilities. His responsibilities also include integrating Legacy Airlines of all sizes in the Hahn Air Interline e-ticketing platform, now the largest in the world with over 200 airlines selling in more than 140 BSP / ARC countries.
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VP Middle East and Africa,
Sabre Airline Solutions
Maher Koubaa is Regional Vice President of the Middle East and Africa region for Sabre Airline Solutions. Previously to heading the MEA region, Maher held several positions within Sabre including being Partner for the Southern European and North African region at Sabre Airline Solutions Consulting Unit. Prior to that, Maher handled the overall relationship with Sabre Airline Solutions exiting clients in the MENA and Southern Europe region and contributed to the development of Sabre in this region. Maher joined Sabre in 1997 after obtaining an Industrial Engineering Diploma and a Masters Degree in Logistics and Transportation from the Ecole Centrale de Paris, one of the most prestigious French engineering schools. Maher spent his first years at Sabre working on a major project at the French National Railways (SNCF) where he developed a new optimization approach for the commercial crew assignment. He then joined the Planning and Scheduling Group of Sabre Decision Technologies, where he implemented the Sabre AirFlite Suite at several European Airlines including Air France, Alitalia, Iberia, Scandinavian Airlines, Swissair, Aeroflot just to name a few. He speaks and writes fluently in English, French and Arabic . Maher can be contacted at maher.koubaa@sabre.com
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Founder & CEO,
SimpliFlying
Shashank Nigam is a well respected airline marketing and branding strategist referred to by branding gurus as “a future business leader to watch”. He authors an award-winning blog on airline branding at SimpliFlying.com. His seminal 6X airline branding model was First published by Interbrand’s Brandchannel.com. He is currently building the world’s First global Airline Brand Index based on this model.
Shashank has been sharing his pioneering methodologies through airline consulting assignments, global publications and speaking engagements. He is also the contributing author of two highly acclaimed books on branding published by Wiley.
Shashank currently also is the Global Lead for the Brand Strategy Practice at Airline Capital Associates in New York City. Shashank studied Information Systems Management and Business Management at Singapore Management University and Carnegie Mellon University. He currently resides in Boston and Singapore.
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In July 2007, Azran was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia X, a new airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, focused on providing long-haul low-cost services. AirAsia X is an associate of AirAsia Berhad, the leading short-haul low-lost carrier in Southeast Asia, carrying 18 million passengers annually across a network of over 80 routes. Prior to his appointment, Azran was formerly the Senior Director of Business Development of Astro All Asia Networks plc, a leading Asian digital satellite television and radio broadcaster, where he led the start-up and operational launch of Astro’s international investments and joint ventures across Southeast Asia, India and Greater China – having oversight management responsibility for a portfolio of over US$300 million invested in these businesses. Azran was formerly an Associate Partner of McKinsey & Company, an international management consultancy, where he co-led its Asia Pacific Corporate Finance & Strategy practice. He holds a Masters degree in Management Science and a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, both from Stanford University. He is a competitive Ultimate Frisbee player.
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Chief Technology Officer,
SpiceJet
An accomplished, results-driven Executive with around 12 years of demonstrated success directing business and technology operations to optimize bottom line productivity expertise includes strategic planning, infrastructure, quality assurance, and business process improvement
Have been associated with Galileo Emirates, Galileo International, Saudi Arabian Airlines AL-Tayyar, Gold Medal Travels, Thomas Cook India InterGlobe Technologies, Air Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines, Cushman & Wakefield, StayXS, and UTStarcom for different project associations.
Have managed large-scale business critical projects in different domains including Travel IT, dedicated to improving customer satisfaction; reduce costs and controlling risk, with effective vendor management.
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Stefan Pichler joined Jazeera Airways K.S.C. in June 2009 as the CEO. He will develop and drive the future growth strategy and regional expansion of the fastest growing Low Cost Airline in the Middle East. Since 2004, Stefan was part of Richard Branson’ s senior management team. He was responsible for Virgin Blue’s transformation from a low cost carrier to a “new world” network airline and served as their Chief Commercial Officer and as a Chairman of V Australia. Formerly the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Cook AG, where Stefan built the company from a national German tour operator to the world’s second largest leisure group, he has also held Senior and Executive Board roles with Lufthansa AG. Joining Lufthansa in 1989 as the Marketing & Sales Manager for France, Stefan was appointed Managing Director of Lufthansa France in 1991. Additional roles included his appointments as Managing Director for Germany in 1995 and as the Executive Vice President of worldwide sales & marketing in 1996 and a Member of Lufthansa’s Executive Board in 1997. Stefan combines both extensive airline experience with major Network, Charter and Low Cost Carriers with extensive knowledge of global markets and costumers, including working with leading global brands such as NIKE, Lufthansa, Thomas Cook and Virgin. He is formerly a non-executive director and Chairman of major corporations including Deutsche Bank, Steigenberger Hotels and Fraport in Germany, Grupo Iberostar in Spain, Havas in France and Thomas Cook in UK and India. A former internationally ranked marathon runner, Stefan started his career as the Head of Sport Promotions at NIKE International in Beaverton/Oregon. He has a Masters Degree in both Economics and Law from Augsburg University.
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Consultant to the Board,
Sky Express
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CEO,
National Air Services
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CEO,
Istithmar World Aviation
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Senior Consultant,
Felix Airways
Mohammed Salem Awad, Senior Consultant – Felix Airways, Has an Executive - MBA, from International Joint Program between MSM and Sana'a University, A Bachelors Degree in Engineering from Aden University and IATA Diploma in Airline Management. He joined Felix Airways in 2009. Prior to that, he held managerial various positions among which; Head of reliability and maintenance, projects and research manager and Acting a Corporate Planning Director. He serves many Yemeni companies as a scientific consultant in supply chain, forecasting and maintenance. Also he served as an active member of the both the Arabic Strategic Team and Arabic Planning Committee of AACO. Mohammed is an AGIFORS and ATRS member and has published many international papers in IATA, IFToM. Aviation Industry, Terrapinn, AGIFORS, and ATRS Conferences.
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Managing Director,
ECAD - European Center for Aviation Development
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Jane Wilson is a specialist in Travel and Tourism Research, with 16 years experience in the aviation sector. She now runs the Travel and Tourism division of YouGov, the global research organisation, in Dubai. Before this she spent over seven years at Emirates Airline, managing the research department. Her work with Emirates was instrumental in driving the airline’s product development, service enhancement and brand and advertising development. Prior to that she was Assistant Director, Market Research & Marketing at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in London where she developed research products for the industry including a major customer Satisfaction study for 20 airlines across 3 continents. She has worked on numerous travel projects during her career from airline re-branding and advertising development, loyalty programme development to customer satisfaction for traditional, all premium and low cost carriers. The results of which have led to some of the latest airline products, service brands and advertising developments. Jane has a BA (Hons) Business Studies from the UK and is a full member of the Market Research Society. Originally from the UK she has spent the last 9 years residing in Dubai.
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airlines that attend our Middle East aviation series include...
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