TASTE-MAKERS • TIMOTHY NJIHIA
1. TIMOTHY, PROFESSIONALLY, YOU ARE WELL RECOGNISED AS A KEEN MARKETER IN THE AIRLINES AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY. WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUING YOUR CAREER FIRSTLY IN MARKETING AND MORE SPECIFICALLY IN THE TRAVEL ARENA?
I was quite fascinated by travel from an early age and maybe because of my family that was, and still is widely traveled. I wanted to be like them, if not better. Eventually, and as fate would have it, I got an opportunity to study travel at of the best Travel & Hospitality Schools in Eastern and Southern Africa. From there I got into the some of the best global travel management companies (TMCs) starting with operational roles and growing into commercial and general management roles. It was at this point that I decided to go back to school, a decision that my family really backed and supported and that is how I got a chance to join the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK, a professional marketing body. As a CIM finalist, I can say without a doubt that this transitioned me to who I am today, a journey that continues. What is better than to market and, or sell a product and, or service that one knows inside out? This is what propelled me from operational to commercial roles in the travel industry, starting out as Travel & Tours Consultant (Air Travel & Leisure), Senior Manager (headed travel for Shell in Kenya covering the local, regional and hub offices), Group Sales & Marketing Manager and finally to General Management roles. As I covered these roles, I had a calling to the airlines. I wanted to experience the other side. In the travel business (agency), we sell on behalf of the airlines (principal). My curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to get a feel of both worlds so I pursued a career within the airlines and as fate would have it, I got an opportunity within RwandAir, a commercial leadership position as Country Manager UAE. At some point, I thought I had bit more than I could chew but I was committed to succeed. Deep down I knew I understood the product and having the ‘agency blood in my veins’ gave me the urge to succeed. I will always remember my first meeting here in Dubai with one of the biggest providers of travel services in the Middle Eastern market. One of the first questions was about my background and when I responded I came from the travel business, the response was very overwhelming “He is one of us so he will understand us and identify with the market very easily.” That was the beginning for me and from that day on, I have been developing, managing, and travelessencemag.com
sustaining strategic business relationships with a wide range of trade channels (Passenger & Cargo) and other strategic key customers whether B2B, B2C and, or B2e-commerce. I view every business interaction as a relationship and not a transaction.
2. WHAT LEADERSHIP TRAITS DO YOU BELIEVE AN INDIVIDUAL SHOULD POSSESS TO EXCEL IN A GLOBAL BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO YOUR INDUSTRY? The list could be long, but picking out from my current experience, I’d say one needs to have a deep sense of self-awareness as well as cultural awareness. In our line of work and as a marketer working in global operations, one must develop sensitivity to cultural diversity. A global view on strategic thinking is critical to corporate success and on a more personal level, I believe one must be patiently impatient, well-spoken and a good negotiator.
3. YOU'VE ENJOYED THE PRIVILEGE OF HEADING UP THE RWANDAIR OPERATIONS IN THE UAE AND GREATER GCC MARKETS. TALK TO US ABOUT THE TRANSITION FROM LIVING AND WORKING IN KENYA TO NOW BEING A PART OF ONE OF AFRICA'S PIONEERING BRANDS IN AIR TRAVEL AND WORKING IN DUBAI. WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MILESTONES?
My life is a story of transition, always leaving one chapter behind, while moving to the next. As I write this, I am once again in the middle of a transition. Probably I should write something about transition, change and change management, I’ve been thinking about it. Needless to say, I feel both humbled and privileged to have led the national carrier of Rwanda in the UAE; and as a professional who transitioned from travel management to a commercial aviation leader for an African carrier in the UAE – it has been a rather fulfilling journey of transitions from one country, role, and industry to the other and that can tell you why cultural awareness is key. I have learned, from an early age how to deal with change, accept change as well as transition. It is not easy, and I cannot even say that I have mastered it, but I have learnt to live through it. “It is when we are in transition that we are most completely alive.” – William Bridges Some of the milestones I’d like to highlight are being able to, during my tenure, increase RwandAir’s brand awareness in the UAE and greater GCC markets. Coming in I knew that corporate image improvement was going to be one of my key objectives as I assumed my new role. Through thought leadership and executive access in the UAE market, you will agree that RwandAir
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