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British Airways' Succession Crisis: James Strong and the Challenge of Succeeding Bob Ayling

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As British Airways prepares to announce a sharply reduced profit for the year ending March 31, the question on everyone's mind is who will succeed Bob Ayling, who resigned last Friday. In a surprising twist, Qantas yesterday denied that its CEO, James Strong, would soon be leaving to run BA. However, industry experts and analysts believe that Strong is the frontrunner for the position, citing his success at Qantas since 1993 and his familiarity with the BA board due to Qantas' 25% ownership of the Australian airline. Despite Qantas' adamant denial, seasoned industry observers believe that Strong is favored over internal candidates, including Carl Michel, and US Airways chairman Stephen Wolf, who is also in the running.

Key Takeaways:

  • James Strong, 55, is a strong contender to succeed Bob Ayling as CEO of British Airways.
  • Strong has been successful at Qantas since 1993 and is deeply familiar with the BA board due to Qantas' 25% ownership of the Australian airline.
  • Qantas has denied that Strong will be leaving the company, stating that he is "firmly in the saddle" and that speculation about him joining BA is "unfounded."
  • Carl Michel, considered Ayling's heir apparent, is also in the running for the position.
  • US Airways chairman Stephen Wolf is another contender for the position.
  • Strong earns approximately $1.915 million per year, compared to the $1.3 million earned by the current BA CEO.

Statistics:

  • British Airways is expected to announce a sharply reduced profit for the year ending March 31.
  • Qantas has owned 25% of the Australian airline since [no specific date mentioned in the source].
  • James Strong earned $1.915 million in the previous year, while the current BA CEO earns $1.3 million.
  • British Airways is more than twice the size of Qantas.

Sources:

  • Deutsche Morgan Grenfell airlines analyst Chris Partridge, as quoted in the article.
  • Qantas spokeswoman, as quoted in the article.
  • Qantas and British Airways are mentioned in the article.
  • US Airways chairman Stephen Wolf is mentioned in the article.
  • No specific dates are provided in the source material, therefore no dates will be added to the sources.

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