Colin Marshall, who played a central role in the transformation of a British Airways widely discredited, deficit run by a government institution in the world's most profitable companies in 1980, died July 5 in London. He was 78 years.
The cause was cancer, said Tony Cocklin, a spokesman for the family.
Before that Mr. Marshall joined British Airways, the common joke among his clients was happy that his initials meant "bloody awful". Created in 1974 in a merger of British European Airways and British Overseas Airways Corporation, the company had been deteriorating for years, and since the early 80's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was determined to straighten.
Assigned this task to John King, President, and walked up to Mr. Marshall, well-respected marketing expert, who had been CEO of Avis cars in the United States. The king appointed him CEO of the airline in 1983.
"The relationship between King and Marshall became the closest of the father and son," wrote the London Daily Mail in 2003, with Mr. King in the role of no-nonsense, cost reduction and Mr. Marshall's executive in charge of rebuilding the company's image and reshaping their customer service.
Mr. King reduced the work force, fleet modernization, eliminating unprofitable routes and made trade agreements with foreign airlines. Mr. Marshall began to try to attract customers by restoring morale in the workforce reduces the airline.
Heathrow Airport in London, the supervisors of the company was known for "balcony management" - out of his office overlooking the check-in, then slide back to your desktop, instead of dealing with passengers.
Mr. Marshall has created, among other measures, a program called "Putting People First".
"I was anxious to inculcate his principles at the forefront of mind, those who had direct contact with passengers, including jobs in customer service, check-in agents, flight attendants and pilots, reservations agents" W. Warner Burke and William Trahant mentioned it in his 2000 book, "change the business climate: profiles of change agents."
Employee uniforms have been redesigned. And new aircraft, had restored the motto "To fly to serve" printed on their tails. Services on board, including meals and seats have been improved. An advertising campaign for British Airways said "the world's favorite airline". When the company was privatized in 1987 - the year Mr. Marshall was knighted, becoming Sir Colin - 94 percent of employees have purchased shares.
In 1981, the company reported a loss of nearly $ 1 billion. During the fiscal year ending March 1994, its earnings were the highest in the industry, a $ 286 million. However, for British Airways, like most of the air transport sector, the hard times ahead.
In 1993 the company was shaken by the scandal that the British press called "dirty tricks". Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines, British Airways said it had used illegal tactics to undermine the sale of tickets to the Virgin. To solve the problem, British Airways and Virgin pay $ 945,000 to Mr. Branson in respect of damages. Mr. King has presented his resignation, and Mr. Marshall took over as president.
High fuel costs have caused havoc in society. So, does the increase of the airlines that offer discounts and efforts of the company does not merge with American Airlines and KLM Royal Dutchman.
However, the fiscal year ended March 2003 - the year before Mr. Marshall retired - British Airways profit of $ 138 million to a loss of $ 210 million last year, according to the Wall Street Journal .
Since then, Mr. Marshall was known in England as Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge, were facts of life in 1998.
Colin Marsh Marshall was born in Edgware, Middlesex, England, 16 November 1933, Leslie Marshall and Florence. At age 16 he went to work as a passenger ship sobrecàrrec company. While serving on board in 1956, he met another employee on board the ship, Janet Cracknell, who married two years later. She survives him, as his daughter, Anna Birkett.
A few days after she sailed Marshalls married in New York, where Mr. Marshall - the recommendation of his father, the manager of a limousine company in London - was working for the car rental company Hertz. He rose to the ranks of the executive of Hertz until 1971, when the main rival, Hertz, Avis, was recruited to expand its business throughout Europe. He became chief operating officer of Avis appointed the first executive director.
Towards the end of his career, Mr. Marshall has led the Confederation of British Industry and was president of the "Britain in Europe" to promote membership in the euro area.
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