I am sure that the announcement that easyJet’s choice of new chief executive Carolyn McCall ruffled a few feathers both within easyJet and across the industry.

A few will still argue that to take the top jobs within the industry you must have spent some time within the industry and some would even go as far as you must have spent your entire working career in aviation, however I think such approach narrows creativity and evolution of the sector.

Whilst I am willing to accept that for certain roles there can be no substitute for years of experience for example for operational and safety related roles, or for other jobs which require regulatory approval of the post holder, those with the longer-term view are increasingly seeing the value of bringing in outsiders to re-vitalise the industry.

I would however agree that for example the appointment of Dame Deirdre Hutton is inappropriate, as a quango queen has nothing to add to the regulation of the business, which does require real industry experience.

Back in the summer of 2009 I was privileged to be invited to speak at the Royal Aeronautical Societies annual training conference, giving a talk entitled “the value of outsiders?” subsequent to which I was delighted to take up full membership as I had completed my late career “apprenticeship” after my masters some four years earlier.

Going back to Carolyn McCall’s appointment it is interesting to see that easyJet have acknowledged the fact that as an airline they are in the service industry and as such media relations and public relations are key to the on-going success of an airline which served 46 million passengers across Europe last year, and has a catchment of over 286 million passengers within an hours drive of Europe.   Carolyn McCall’s background in the media I am sure will stand her and the company in good stead over the coming years.  If the fundamentals of the airline’s operations are in good hands, then it is only logical to place great importance on your passenger travelling publics perception of the airline brand.

Lets not also forget that the newspaper industry shares the same timeline driven deadlines that the air transport industry does, papers must be printed, aircraft must take-off.

If you remain sceptical at this point, look at Virgin – whilst at a day-to-day operation level Richard Branson is not critical to the operation, he is critical to the overall brand.    Southwest airlines were founded by the vision of a lawyer Herb Kelleher.

Lastly I am reminded that at the dawn of powered flight, the Wright brothers where mere humble bicycle builders.

Roy 24th April 2010