BusinessBecause attended the event, held in Leeds on June 29. It was a chance to hear how Williams, who became CEO of British Airways in January 2011, resolved the two-year battle with cabin crew within four months and how he is driving innovation that delivers both customer and cost advantages.
Williams' first degree was in anthropology at Liverpool University. He started a PhD in the field, but left to train as an accountant at Arthur Andersen. He joined British Airways in 1998 having worked for firms such as Apple and Boots plc. He shared some of his wisdom with attendees of the event, including current and prospective Bradfor MBAs.
Being in charge of a major international airline carries a huge burden of responsibility. British Airways flies to 145 destinations around the world with approximately 30 million passengers per year, employs around 39,000 staff, manages around 245 aircraft with a revenue of nearly £8 billion per year comes with a huge burden of responsibility.
As Williams put it, “If I have approximately 80,000 passengers each day who would like to be treated as an individual and for that to happen it takes about 100 processes in a chain, this means that there are at least eight million things per day that could go wrong”.
The underlying message to executives in similar situations is understanding that each leader as an individual can’t do everything, solve every problem or be on top of every single issue. Rather, improving the productivity of their organizations requires building and maintaining an active dialogue to engage with staff and customers and to ensure the free flow of information.
Clear business plans with measurable targets are also advised. Williams' mantra is to learn as much as one can along the way because you never know when that knowledge might come in useful.
The Bradford Executive MBA is designed to help business leaders navigate complexity and uncertainty. The teaching is heavily influenced by current industry research findings and is aimed at giving students the confidence to steps forward and make difficult decisions.
Julian Rawel, the School’s Director of Executive Education emphasized that Bradford MBA programmes are becoming more internationally focused, looking at opportunities in emerging markets and preparing managers who want to explore these territories.
Those interested in learning more about Bradford University School of Management are encouraged to get in touch with the admissions team who are happy to discuss your individual curcumstances and advise on them.
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