Background
Name: Tan Sri Anthony
Francis Tony Fernandes
Date of Birth: 30
April 1964
Age: 49
Nationality: Malaysian
Occupations:
- Group Chief Executive Officer and Director of AirAsia Berhad
- Founder of Tune Group Sdn Bhd
- Chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd
- Found and former Team Principal of Caterham F1
Early
Life and Education
Born in Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur, Anthony Francis "Tony" Fernandes used to follow his
mother, a businesswoman to a Tupperware dealer parties and convention instead
of following his dad, an Indian physician. At the age of six, Fernandes decided
that he will start an airline however his father responded, "If you make
past the doorman of Hilton Hotel, I will be happy". He graduated from the
London School of Economics in Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance
(1987).
Early
Career
He makes past the
doorman of Hilton and then did not stop there. Upon graduation, he work as
an auditor in Virgin Atlantic, afterwards becoming a financial controller at
Richard Branson’s Virgin Recording in London.
When he is back to
Malaysia from London, Fernandas become a managing director of Warner Music
(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. Subsequently, he became the vice-president of Warner Music
Group in the Southeast Asian region.
Career
Fernandes left his
position to pursue his dream of starting a budget no-frills airline. However, the
Malaysian government first rejected his application for a license.
Tony Fernandes managed
to meet up with then Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, he advised
Fernandes to buy over AirAsia, an existing airline, instead of starting
right from scratch. Fernandes bought over Air Asia from a Malaysian
government-owned company in September 2001. He mortgaged his house and used his
personal savings to purchase the company, comprising two ageing Boeing
737-300 jets and debts worth US$11 million, for
one ringgit (about 26 US cents).
Being an entrepreneur
and the founder of Tune Air Sdn. Bhd. Tony Fernandes introduced the first
budget no-frills airline, AirAsia, to Malaysians with the tagline of "Now
everyone can fly". AirAsia, being the failed government-linked commercial
airline at the point of time when Fernandes bought over, he cleared all its
debt and breakeven. Within two years, he turned it into a profitable
airline.
“Mr Fernandes says
that he came to the industry with no preconceptions, but found it rigidly
compartmentalized and dysfunctional. He wanted AirAsia to reflect his own
unstuffy, open and cheerful personality. He is rarely seen without his baseball
cap, open-neck shirt and jeans, and he is proud that the firm’s lack of
hierarchy (very unusual in Asia) means anyone can rise to do anyone else’s job.
AirAsia employs pilots who started out as baggage handlers and stewards; for
his part, Mr Fernandes also practises what he preaches. Every month he
spends a day as a baggage-handler; every two months, a day as cabin crew; every
three months, a day as a check-in clerk. He has even established a
“culture department” to “pass the message and hold parties”. (SimpliFlying, 2009)
Honours,
Public Recognition and Milestones
- 1997: "Recording Industry Person of the Year 1997" by the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia, "Malaysia CEO of the Year 2003" by American Express,2003: "Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year – Malaysia 2003", by the Business Times
- 2004 and 2005: "Asia Pacific Aviation Executive" by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation ("CAPA")
- 2005: "Airline Business Strategy Award 2005 and Low Cost Leadership" by Airline Business
- 2006: Named as the Master Entrepreneur of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 Malaysia.
- 2007: Awarded 'The Brand Laureate' Brand Personality for his exemplary performance, dedication and contribution towards the aviation industry in Malaysia.
- 2009: CAPA Legend Award (Aviation Hall of Fame).
- 2010: Honored with the title of ‘Officier of the Legion d’ Honneur’- highest rank honour by France government for non-French citizen by the government of France for outstanding contributions to the French aviation industry.
- 2010: Prestigious Nikkei Asia Prize in Tokyo today- for contributions to the growth of Asia.
- 2010: Prestigious Forbes Asia Businessman of the Year 2010. Fernandes is the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to receive this award.
- 2011: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for promoting commercial and educational links between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
- 2011: Named one of the world’s most creative people in business for 2011 by the New York based business magazine Fast Company. He is the only Malaysian and Southeast Asian on the list. In the following month, Fast Company’s magazine, online edition, FastCompany.com recognized Tony as one of the Top 10 Most Creative People on Twitter in the magazine’s June 2011 edition.
- 2011: He was conferred the Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which carries the title Tan Sri, by His Majesty the King, the Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. The Panglima Setia Mahkota is one of Malaysia’s highest honours and is only conferred by His Majesty the King, the Yang Di Pertuan Agong. The Award is given to distinguished citizens who have given meritorious service to the country.
Our Point of View
Type
of Leader
Mixed leadership
style - People-oriented and Transnational
Leadership
Qualities
Fernandes exhibit
strong leadership traits of understanding, respectful, caring, friendly,
empathy, encouraging and motivating.
Having him to work
closely with his employees by going out of his office, he strongly possess the
traits of being understand, caring, friendly, motivating and empathy especially
in the eye of his employees. With such action, he will be highly respected, as
he is someone who is seen to be at the ground with his employee and doing the
same job as them.
His presence can
motivate his employees as the employees can feel that they are not alone when
they are working. Furthermore, Fernandes will be able to understand to his employee
as he is able to know what issues and problems are his employee facing, hence
encouraging them to strive for the better.
Application
in Hospitality Industry
It can be seen in he is
adopting a mixture in his management style in AirAsia. Fernandes is
people-oriented as he is someone who is willing to step out of his office to
the front line to be with his employees. I believe that by doing so, he can
actually know the feeling of his employees and understand what kind of problems
are they facing or what can be improved. In his employees’ eyes, his action is
being supportive to them; hence this helps in increasing job satisfaction in
his employees. In addition, Fernandes will be able to see everything clearly in
his own eyes instead of waiting for reports or even knowing through customers
complains.
By stepping out of his
office and have a chance to work with different employee directly at different positions
(e.g. baggage-handler, cabin crew and check-in clerk), it makes communication
between his employee and him easier as they are able to communicate
face-to-face and directly. This minimise the problem of miscommunication.
His way of presenting
himself and his action is something that is worth learning from as it can help
in building relationships between the hight management
and subordinate. Good relationship is important in the hospitality
industry as we deal with the human element most. With good relationship, it
leads to happy employees and hence, happy customers.
References
What can Tony Fernandes of AirAsia teach US airline executives? (2009, March 20).
Retrieved June 26, 2013, from SimpliFlying: http://simpliflying.com/2009/what-can-tony-fernandes-of-airasia-teach-us-airline-executives-servant-leadership/
The story of Tony Fernandes and AirAsia. (2013, February 21).
Retrieved June 24, 2013, from TheEconomicTimes: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/people/the-story-of-tony-fernandes-and-airasia/slideshow/18609035.cms
Tony Fernandes-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, June 23).
Retrieved June 24, 2013, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Fernandes
AskAirAsia-Who are AirAsia's founders? (n.d.). Retrieved
June 24, 2013, from AirAsia: http://www.airasia.com/ask/template.do;jsessionid=7E28F0506A646AE3FED0114CC3615ABF.tomcat3?id=396
The Turning Point-Tony Fernandes. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2013, from
EASYFIND.MY: http://www.easyfind.my/turning_point.php
External
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