This is basically an autobiographical account of the rise and demise of the airline go, headed up and written by its charismatic chief executive, Barbara Cassani.
Go – An Airline Adventure |
The book charts the ups and downs of a start-up in a cut-throat business, from its six-month take-off to its eventual collision with EasyJet – turning a £25m proposition into a £374m player in just four years.
Cassani navigated her way through a management buy-out, flying high with a £4m profit in the first three years and managing to expand even in the wake of September 11.
Voted the best low-cost airline, Cassani then had to steer her baby and its loyal employees into the arms of arch rival EasyJet, with all the pangs of loss and longing associated.
The key to the company’s success was Cassani’s belief in her people and the desire to break the mould in the UK flights business with the kind of customer service she had experienced in her native US. Taking care of the people details and balancing the corporateness of owner BA with the entrepreneurial spirit of EasyJet, she created a cohesive, energetic and determined team.
Go is written with a Harvey Jones’ flair and an energy and enthusiasm that leaves you invigorated. Readable, down to earth and business-like, it will serve as an ever-welcome reminder to personnel professionals that their business is about business, and shows in a practical way how good leaders can mould great companies, not through a ‘black box’ of HR tools, but through energy, commitment and vision.
Ian Foster, personnel adviser, Hampshire County Council
