Marketing change needed at BWee

THE EDITOR: Having watched on with great interest at a number of issues affecting BWIA over the last few months, I feel compelled to put pen to paper. I have taken note of the criticisms levelled at President and CEO Conrad Aleong. While I hold no brief for the man, it would be remiss not to be objective and say that under his leadership, the airline has enjoyed some measure of success in very difficult global times.

Like most people, I do agree that a serious management review is in order for all BWEE’s top executives. While there are some questions pertaining to how a profit was realised for three consecutive years under his tenure, we must give kudos where it is due and a profit was made until we are told otherwise from an independent audit, which no doubt the Government will demand. Like all other CEO’s, one man cannot run a company or in this case, an airline by himself, it all comes down to teamwork. So he alone is not responsible for the position that BWEE now finds itself in today. A CEO depends on his executive team, so I do agree that each member should be accountable and appraised. This brings the question of Sales and Marketing into the limelight, an important division in the success of any Corporation. Blame cannot rest on the shoulders of one person alone but also on this Department, since this is the ‘engine room’ of any Corporation in terms of revenue.

I took note of a letter sometime from a Mr Dave Edwards to the editor advocating the removal of the incumbent Head of marketing, who operates out of Barbados. It is amazing that Edwards is the only one to date, to have touched on this important aspect of the airline’s operations and its future. I agree with him that the crucial Sales and Marketing Department, like other major departments can and should be run at BWEE’s headquarters in Trinidad. In any other Corporation, the inability to generate enough revenue would have resulted in immediate dismissal but yet blame to date has been cast only on Conrad Aleong. In closing I would like the Government to properly investigate this aspect that is, if we wish the airline to succeed and benefit peoples of the Caribbean.

MICHAEL J CARTER
Maraval