CHARM OFFENSIVE - Orient Aviation

c o v e r s t o r yJohn Leahy, has been quoted as saying he will be surprised if CAL orEVA Air does not order the A380 superjumbo by the time the first ofthe jets is delivered in 2006.Asked to comment, Ms Tsung was careful to stress that her remarksdid not represent any commitment but added: “I could have used them(A380s) at times” on high density routes such as to Hong Kong. “Atthis point I have to wait until all the infrastructure is ready, but I willconsider when the time comes.”She was also non-committal about Boeing’s proposed sonic cruiser,which she said Boeing had “casually” mentioned to her. “If it is moreefficient, why not?”While CAL has been reported in the past to be looking for a foreigninvestor, Ms Tsung said such plans, if they existed, were not on the tableat present. “We are not looking for it because we don’t need it.”She indicated that CAL was in no particular hurry to join an airlinealliance, saying that with the airline’s present high load factors, suchan alliance might mean sacrificing some of CAL’s current yields. “Wehave a lot of partial alliances right now. Eventually, when we settledown capacity and growth, we would like to join one that would becomplementary to us.”She said she already had an alliance in mind, adding with a laugh:“But I prefer not to tell you.”Charm she may have in abundance, but there is no hiding thehard-nosed businesswoman in Ms Tsung that has helped to dissipatethe scepticism that greeted her appointment last year.Of the many innovations in style and substance she hasimplemented since taking over, she highlights a tougher policy towardsmanufacturers supplying the airline’s equipment, saying CAL managershad in the past too easily swallowed sub-standard work.“I am very sweet, very considerate, very Oriental, but I have mybottom line. I am firmer than my predecessors,” she says, possibly withdelicate understatement.Looking ahead to what she saw as a bountiful future for CAL,Ms Tsung invoked the legendary hardiness of the plum blossom thathighlights the airline’s logo.“I tell people, the more severe the weather gets, the prettier theplum blossom gets. That’s China Airlines, and we’ll get prettier. Trustme, the numbers will speak for themselves.”In the swingIn her company profile Christine Tsung listsgolf among her free time pursuits. But hergolf clubs were idle for a year until thefirst anniversary in July of her accepting theappointment as president and chief executiveofficer of China Airlines (CAL).And even when she did take time offfor a game, it was not her idea. It was herfellow managers who pressed her to relaxfollowing a whirlwind year that may haveleft Ms Tsung’s colleagues feeling it was timefor a breather as well.At least some of those colleagues hadharboured doubts about the wisdom of givingher the job as boss of Taiwan’s largest airline.After all she was a newcomer to aviationwho had spent a large portion of her careeroutside the island, and a person who in herstatement in CAL’s annual report for 2000freely acknowledged her “concerns of beingup to the task”. Moreover, she is a femalein a male-dominated environment, the firstwoman to run an international Asian airline.But a year into the job, many of thoseconcerns, both on the part of Ms Tsung andher peers, seem to have been laid to rest.“The atmosphere changed from an oldair force style to a commercial style,” said oneadmiring CAL veteran.It is also a more personal style. Staff arenow encouraged to e-mail their boss directlyinstead of being obliged to pass their thoughtsonly to their immediate superior.Away from the public spotlight MsTsungcontinues to cut a stylish figure in her raremoments of relaxation“I didn’t expect anything from this job,”said Ms Tsung, whose previous post was as aconsultant for the mass rapid transport systemin the southern city of Kaohsiung and whohad spent 13 years as a city finance directorin southern California.“But it’s been one of the most excitingyears of my life, very challenging, very rewarding.”And she has no qualms about workingwith men. On the contrary. “I enjoy everyminute of it because they give me a lot ofattention. They are not macho at all.“Personally I didn’t feel anything differentfrom any job I have had. In all the jobs I havehad I have been mostly surrounded by men.Females are more sensitive, more peopleoriented,and this is a people-oriented world,“ said Ms Tsung.Describing her work style, the presidentsaid she spends most of her time on the bigissues. “But I don’t get into the nitty-gritties.I delegate, I give people responsibility andauthority, and they are happy. People enjoyworking with me because I make the jobenjoyable.”Enjoyable, but not necessarily easygoing.Ms Tsung describes herself as happy-go-lucky,but then adds: “I don’t have any personal lifeany more, but that’s fine. My friends sendme e-mails, flowers. We may not spend somuch time doing fun things, but they are veryunderstanding.”They may have to be understandingabout Ms Tsung’s lack of time for fun thingsfor some while, as she makes clear her task atCAL is by no means complete.“I feel there is more room to improveChina Airlines,” she said.30 | Orient Aviation | September 2001