Career
Ayling, a lawyer, began his career as a solicitor in private practice before joining the Department of Trade and Industry in 1973. In 1985 he joined British Airways, initially as Legal Director, but went on to hold a series of senior management positions including that of Director of Marketing and Operations.
Ayling was Group Managing Director and then Chief Executive of British Airways from 1996 to 2000. A key policy of Ayling's time as CEO was the pursuit of a merger and establishment of a strategic alliance with American Airlines and BA’s investment in Iberia. In 1998 BA announced the establishment of its low-cost carrier, Go. Ayling was also the promoter of BA’s London Eye project for the Millennium. In 2000 he was replaced at BA by Rod Eddington.
Ayling was initially appointed a non-executive Director of Holidaybreak Plc, the specialist holiday and activity group, in February 2003, before becoming Chairman in June 2003. He retired from this role in April 2009 after serving two three-year terms.
Read more about this topic: Robert Ayling
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“I began my editorial career with the presidency of Mr. Adams, and my principal object was to render his administration all the assistance in my power. I flattered myself with the hope of accompanying him through [his] voyage, and of partaking in a trifling degree, of the glory of the enterprise; but he suddenly tacked about, and I could follow him no longer. I therefore waited for the first opportunity to haul down my sails.”
—William Cobbett (1762–1835)
“John Brown’s career for the last six weeks of his life was meteor-like, flashing through the darkness in which we live. I know of nothing so miraculous in our history.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“What exacerbates the strain in the working class is the absence of money to pay for services they need, economic insecurity, poor daycare, and lack of dignity and boredom in each partner’s job. What exacerbates it in upper-middle class is the instability of paid help and the enormous demands of the career system in which both partners become willing believers. But the tug between traditional and egalitarian models of marriage runs from top to bottom of the class ladder.”
—Arlie Hochschild (20th century)