6 minute read
Inspiring the
24 / INSPIRING OUR NEXT GEN
Why I love my job…
As the industry battles to fill a mass of job vacancies, we ask four stalwarts of the industry how they got where they are and why they love the onboard hospitality sector…
THE AIRLINE
Audrey Hart
Senior Manager – Inflight Services Food, Beverage & Ancillaries, Virgin Atlantic I started my career as cabin crew but joined Virgin Atlantic’s inflight services department eight years ago, and since then have led the catering operations & delivery team, the supplier relationships commercial team, the ancillaries team and since 2020 the food, beverage and ancillaries team. Having the chance to manage a catering or beverage contract through different lenses has been invaluable for the position I hold today. My role is multi faceted so it is important to have a strong commercial mind and a laser focus on customer expectation and experience.
Collaboration, communication and supplier relations are important and challenges like the pandemic mean resilience and adaptability are essential. The ability to re-define, evolve and grow in an agile way has never been more important. You have to be authentic and have passion to make a difference. Being at the core of the inflight journey has a special grip on your soul. There is something just so special in playing a valuable part in someone’s journey whether they are visiting friends and family, celebrating a special life moment, or travelling on a business trip. They choose us with care and it is a privilege to play an influential role in making their experience memorable. Behind the scenes this is a fascinating world of processes and stakeholders working collaboratively across procurement, operations, safety, security, innovation and more. There is never a dull day.
THE TREND-WATCHER
Ariane van Mancius
Founder Now New Next My airline career nearly ended before it began as I started with Helios just before the 9-11 terror attack. Luckily I was kept on and had 11 years there mentored by industry veteran Jons Hensel. I started in procurement and ended in marketing and innovation. I loved the combination of sales, marketing, innovation and procurement – we called it MPPD (Market, Production and Production Development). Gradually I moved into proactive innovation, looking into trends, design language and translating that into product collections. The company grew dramatically until it was bought be deSter.
In 2013 I started my own company now called Now New Next. My first client was KLM with a fantastic project as they changed from KSSU to ATLAS trolleys in six weeks with a beautiful new design. Over time I have diversified into retail, petrol stations and food service and seen that many food companies need help with innovation, marketing, design packaging and now sustainability.
The skills I have needed are a combination of creativity and business sense, along with a can-do, never-giveup mentality. The onboard sector is magic, and sustainability is now the biggest challenge. I predict the sector will look very different in 10 years time and I personally want to be a part of that change. It is a fun sector based on creation, design and sustainability, not politics, and honestly it just doesn’t feel like work when you are in a small, young dedicated team.
THE CATERER
Tim Zandbergen
Manager, global sales ANA Catering Service I have been in Asia since 1982 and living in Japan since1992. I obtained an MBA in International Business from a University in Tokyo and in the late 1990s and immediately wanted to work for Japan Airlines. The only position open then was in its core catering company, JAL Group TFK Corporation. I signed up and with my mentor, Miyabe Hideo, worked
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on many interesting projects including numerous IFSA Asia Events.
TFK became part of the Singapore- based SATS Group in 2010 and in 2019 I took up my present position with ANA Catering Company (ANAC). We are a young team of very motivated, highly educated and skilled, extremely positive people, all excited by our work.
Our main business is catering for All Nippon Airways (ANA) flights from Haneda and Narita but we have a growing number of customer airlines too, to whom we offer high quality meals and services, proven culinary skills of chefs serving ANA's five-star menus for ANA, and HACCP facilities.
It’s the people that I am most passionate about in this sector. They love where they are and what they are doing, and at ANA Group we have ready access to a vast network of group companies. People are always available and enjoy helping each other. Everyday brings something interesting and new, and it is truly inspiring to be part of the brand, product, creativity and energy.
THE SUPPLIER
Nicky Beades
Owner Onboard Logistics An aviation job just seemed like a good idea for a summer job when I left school and I joined Aer Lingus. I ended up staying there 29 years before taking early retirement and setting up my own business Onboard Logistics in 2003. We developed the award winning Flex-e-bag and a range of other airline storage and refuse solutions and continue to innovate to meet the industry's needs. This has been our toughest year but we’re still standing and this year marks my fiftieth year in the industry. Demand is returning.
My career actually started in admin as a pen pusher but I went on to become head of catering for Aer Lingus, had the chance to work overseas and travel. It was a steep learning curve at first but if you listen and watch and ask questions, there are great opportunities to move into really rewarding roles within great teams and to travel the world.
To new recruits I recommend looking around the company you join, identify your dream job and gradually equip yourself with the skills and knowledge to do that job. You have to understand the fine detail of the business, push your knowledge forward all the time with training and by asking questions. Learn from others, it is the opportunities to collaborate, to argue passionately about a particular idea or solution and then see it come to fruition that keep you motivated. •
