Journey so far!
I joined Martinair in 2007, marking an interesting start to my career in Aviation, where I spent 5 years working and gaining exposure in both passenger and cargo departments. My last position with Martinair was Director of Operations for Americas, based in its Miami office. After the merger with Air France–KLM, I transitioned to lead the Capacity and Revenue Management and Pricing department in the APAC region and was based in Singapore before moving on to the Global Pricing role in Amsterdam.
In 2016, I joined Emirates as VP- Cargo Pricing and Interline and was based at the carrier’s headquarters in Middle East where I spent just over 4 years. Alongside this role, I also led the digital cargo transformation initiatives at Emirates SkyCargo. In September 2020, I was appointed SVP- Cargo Commercial and Network Planning with Qatar Airways Cargo. I am currently based in Doha and though the job has just begun, I am already working on implementing global strategies for the carrier’s future growth.
Biggest challenge
I think an industry-wide challenge is the cyclical nature of the cargo industry, similar to the wider macro-economic business cycles. Typically, every four years or so, we see a full cycle made up of both peaks and troughs.
It is especially important in the air cargo industry to realise that you must manage your freighter fleet and their deployment continuously to ensure that in the high periods, they are an asset that can be maximised, but during the low periods, they do not cross into the territory of becoming a liability. In order to mitigate those impacts, one must focus on managing expectations and creating a pre-emptive strategy that anticipates potential volatility
Interests and hobbies
I try to balance my office life by maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. I am an early bird so you will find me at the gym with some hip-hop music before work. It helps to clear my mind before the day really gets going.
Mantra for success
Do what you love! I consider myself to be very passionate about what I do and the people I work with. For me, that’s the key; you need to have that drive to succeed and really care about the outcome to stay focussed and excel.
Weekend vibe
I’m new to Doha, so I’m still exploring this place. I’ve embraced the Middle Eastern culture since living in the region from 2016. If it isn’t trying a new restaurant or café in the city, I will likely be shopping for Oudh, nuts and spices or maybe jewellery at the old Souk (traditional Arabic market).
Message for aspirants
Cargo is often over-looked. Somehow, we are still on the sideline whilst passenger airlines are in the limelight. But if 2020 has shown something, it is how dynamic, flexible and exciting our industry is. It has firmly cast the spotlight on air cargo and that it is vital to ensure global trade continuity.
No two days are the same within cargo. We follow the most up-to-date trends across global industries, markets, and even politics. What you see on the news can directly impact our job – sometimes in the most unusual ways.
My message to all aspiring logistics candidates is – get excited about joining cargo now, rather than just wait to get into this exciting industry by luck or chance.
