Girma Wake

Girma Wake (born 13 July 1943) is an airline industry executive, and was CEO of Ethiopian Airlines from 2004 to 2011. ^[1] He currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Directors of Rwandair. ^[1]

Early life and education

Girma was born in 1943 in Yeka district, Addis Ababa. He attended the Dejazmatch Wondiyirad School and then the Kotebe Teacher's College.^[2] He attended the University College of Addis Ababa, then the country's only higher education institution. ^[2] He was recruited in his second year by the airline.

Career

Girma joined Ethiopian Airlines upon his graduation in 1965. At the time, the airline was dominated by Americans, primarily from TWA, which had assisted in the airline's development. Girma was one of the first Ethiopians to rise in the airline's executive hierarchy.^[2] Girma stayed at the airline for nearly three decades, until debates in 1993 between the new Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front government and the airline leadership led to several resignations, including that of Girma.

In November 2003, Seyoum Mesfin, chairman of Ethiopian Airlines, and then-minister of foreign affairs, offered Girma, then at Gulf Air as head of cargo operations, the position of Ethiopian Airlines' CEO. Girma, then 60, was at first reluctant to take the position, but he eventually relented with the intention for only staying in the post for five years. ^[1]

When Girma became CEO in February 2004, Ethiopian Airlines had only twelve jetliners. It carried 1.2 million passengers annually to 42 international and 16 domestic destinations. Girma spent most of 2004 devising a plan with the assistance from the local branch of Ernst and Young. The plan that was formulated was, Vision 2010 that was launched in 2005. Pundits remained skeptical about the ambitious plan that aimed to grow the airline into a billion dollar company.

The plan, however, was a resounding success, and between 2005 and 2010 the airline grew at an average rate of 25% per annum. ^[1] The 1.2 million passengers the airline used to carry annually when Girma took office almost tripled and now stood at 3.2 million by the end of the plan. The twelve planes the airline had more than tripled and the airlines' fleet, one of the youngest globally, had 37 aircraft. ^[1] The airline went from having one codeshare agreement to being approved as a member of Star Alliance, which it joined in 2011.

Under Girma, Ethiopian Airlines Girma’s created 1,500 new jobs including 250 for foreigners. The profits the airline has made have significantly raised employees’ incomes, by an average of y 167 percent. Ethiopian also increased its presence in other African markets, forming a strategic partnership with the West African ASKY Airlines, in which it has a 20% stake. ^[1]

After he stepped down in 2011 and was replaced by Tewolde Gebremariam, he became chairman of the United Insurance Company. In 2012, he became chairman of Rwandair, the flag carrier of Rwanda. ^[3]

References