Sir rod eddington biography

Culturally, we are a very diverse society with a strong Anglo history but merging Asian sensitivities in all that we do in daily lives. What are ways for Australians to become more Asia literate? I think the single most important thing is for young Australians, who have the inclination, to try and actually work in Asia. When I was a youth, young Australians finishing school or university tended to go to Europe to travel, study or work.

During my early career, I spent eighteen or so years working in Asia. Countries such as Korea, Japan and cities like Hong Kong became very familiar places to me. The Swire Group and its subsidiary, Cathay Pacific was the launching pad for my career. Being an Asian parent company with connections in various Asian cities was a huge learning experience for me.

If they can improve upon or acquire some of the local language skills as well, that makes the experience even more worthwhile. Despite being a great brand, the airline was suffering huge losses with no obvious end in sight. You are largely credited with turning around the airline into a profit making operation.

Sir rod eddington biography: Sir Roderick Ian Eddington (born

Can you take us back to that period in your career? RE: Yes, it was a very difficult period. The competition was ferocious from all directions. New no-frill carriers such as Ryanair and Easyjet the rise of Asian and Middle Eastern carriers and various domestic and short-haul operations to name a few. The competition really galvanized us into action.

My board and I really had to take some tremendously difficult decisions. Restructuring our business was an essential part of our strategy to rejuvenate our business and make it more relevant.

Sir rod eddington biography: Educated as an engineer at

The other aspect of the changing times was how technology irrevocably changed our industry. The advent of online booking systems, self-serve kiosks for check-ins meant considerable capital investment into new systems that would change the way we do travel. A big part of the ethos I took into British Airways as its head was the need to reinforce the lessons of my eighteen years with the Swire Group and Cathay Pacific.

The importance of our core strengths, customer service, safety first and operational integrity. British Airways had great products and great people and therefore a great message to take to its customer base. In essence, he made the focus of the business the customer and to drove the customer service ethos into every facet of that business. News Corp had taken control of the airline with TNT in He reversed many of the policies of his predecessor in earlysuch as the unpopular ethnic-art tailfins.

Inhe retired the British Airways Concorde, a move viewed as controversial.

Sir rod eddington biography: Sir Roderick Ian Eddington

Eddington was replaced by Willie Walsh in October after he had followed a six-month shadow position. As ofhe still served on the boards of News Corp and 21st Century Fox. Eddington was appointed to the board of Lion in Marchand appointed chair in March He joined the parent company's board Kirin in Marchand holds these positions as of December [update].

As of December [update] Eddington was:. On 1 DecemberEddington published a UK government-sponsored report into the future of Britain's transport sir rod eddington biography. Known as the Eddington Transport Study, it spelled out a plan to improve road and rail networks, as a "crucial enabler of sustained productivity and competitiveness".

In its conclusions, the report highlighted Britain's transport networks that provide the right connections, in the right places, to support the journeys that matter to economic performance. But roads in particular were in serious danger of becoming so congested, the economy would suffer. At the launch of the report Eddington told journalists and transport industry representatives introducing road pricing to encourage drivers to drive less was an "economic no-brainer".

There was, he said "no attractive alternative". The report also called for a programme of improvements to existing road and rail networks, the expansion of key airports, and adoption of the general principle that travellers should pay for the external costs of the pollution and congestion their journeys cause. Eddington has since delivered a report to the Victorian Government of Australia, the East West Link Needs Assessment report, which was met with mixed reactions.

Economic commentators criticised the cost-benefit ratios of Eddington's proposals, which on Eddington's own analysis were marginal at best. Eddington is a Council member of the Royal Institution of Australia. Eddington received a British knighthood in for services to the aviation industry. In he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia AO "for distinguished service to business and commerce through roles with a range of national and international economic, trade, infrastructure development and transport organisations", [ 18 ] and was also elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

In he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Government for his "contribution to strengthening the economic relations between Australia and Japan". Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. Australian cricketer and businessman.

PerthWestern AustraliaAustralia. Education and career [ edit ]. Source: CricketArchive16 December British Airways CEO [ edit ]. Board memberships [ edit ]. Government reports [ edit ]. Transport Study in Britain [ edit ]. Main article: Eddington Transport Study. Transport Study in Victoria, Australia [ edit ]. Main article: Eddington Transport Report, Victoria.

Honours [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Retrieved 15 December The Conversation Media Group. Retrieved 6 February Claremont: Christ Church Grammar School. Appendix Student Register, pp — ISBN University of Western Australia. Archived from the original doc on 7 April Retrieved 19 December Archived from the original on 28 August Retrieved 30 April Vincent's Club.

Retrieved 10 June The Age.