What can an aviation group do to tap into China's rapid e-commerce growth?
We have online sites to sell our tickets and today, nearly one-third of our worldwide tickets are sold online. Our overall goal is to sell 50 percent of tickets online, worldwide, within a couple of years.
In China we are looking into the development of Alitrip, and we are trying to develop similar partnerships in other parts of the world, in case it is relevant.
In China you have a lot of group travel to international destinations and these groups cannot yet be sold online.
To what extend has the recent political upheaval in Europe affected your business?
Of course terrorist attacks in Europe impacted the number of passengers (who) chose our airlines this year, especially from China.
We have seen quite an important decrease from group travelers … and the Schengen visa process is also having a negative impact on the number of Chinese tourists going to Europe.
But we are quite confident that we are going to see a rebound in 2017, since the situation has stabilized now.
We have made a series of efforts to convince Chinese travelers that it is interesting and safe to go to Europe. Group trips from China to Europe are down 40 percent from the beginning of this year.
What is Air France-KLM's current presence and market share in China? How important is China to your global growth strategy?
Normally we do not share our market share figures for competitive reasons, because we are a listed company.
This summer, Air France-KLM is offering a total of 90 weekly flights to nine destinations in China from its two hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol airports.
How have you modified your products to appeal to Chinese customers?
Since 1966, Air France has implemented tailor-made services for all customers travelling to and from China, before, during and after their trip.
We offer the most innovative products on our Chinese routes: new travel cabins, personalized services, and products developed exclusively for Chinese customers.
At Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, we have a special team of staff speaking Mandarin and Cantonese who are available to assist customers with arrivals, check-ins and when they have connecting flights.
What's the secret of your success?
I don't have a secret. Just a commitment to the company I have worked with. I am very proud to have this position, but I'm also quite aware of the challenges we face.
I was a board member of Air France between 1989 and 1993. This is a job you must do with efficiency and passion.
How do you define effective leadership in a multinational company?
The first is to give a vision, a strategy in order for people to work out what and why they are doing what they are doing, and in which direction the company is heading.
The second is to decide and make the decisions.
The third direction is to employ people, to engage and to motivate them, to give people a desire to follow and reach their goals.
In order to do that, you have to provide an example of management with respect and integrity.
What are your hobbies?
I like reading, visiting interesting modern architecture, running and playing tennis and swimming in my spare time. I used to be a very good wind surfer and I used to ride horses.
