Cathay Pacific Airways’ new country manager Robin Bradshaw has a deep mind. And with it, a heart that likes probing the depths of Philippine waters, swimming with the whale sharks, and hoping the animals and the seas are protected in his loving embrace.
An environmentalist Rob certainly is, but early in life he was involved mostly in things mental. This Oxford University student in philosophy and theology soon found out that there was more to learn about life outside the university when he joined Swire Group as a member of their international management program. His first job was in shipping and on company farms, in Australia. His next assignment took him to Papua New Guinea where he bonded with the natives in villages. There, he realized, "from cultural mistakes to sheer youthful hubris, that I did not have all the answers," Rob says. Papua New Guinea was memorable for another reason — it was there where he met his Filipino wife Heidi.
Rob took courses in finance, advanced management and business strategy from INSEAD, the Business School for the World.He worked in various parts of the world for diverse businesses, focusing on strategic planning and execution and organizational and leadership development. By the time he was named Cathay's head for Indonesia where he was posted for seven years, Rob, like a typical airline worker, had become a citizen of the world. But one who was particularly enamored of his wife’s country. He was more than ready to take his next assignment: Philippines.
Three months on the job, Rob has learned to cope with our traffic, crave buko pie in Tagaytay and understand more Tagalog words "to avoid nosebleed." And as country manager of Cathay Pacific,a 70-year-old airline that is actually "young" because it keeps replacing old aircraft with the latest, including the Airbus A350 which gives a superior flying experience, Rob is flying high.
PHILIPPINE STAR: Cathay Pacific Airways’ current catchphrase — or should I say hashtag — is #lifewelltraveled. You have traveled and worked in many countries for the past 30 years. Which have been the most memorable countries?
ROB BRADSHAW: Life well-traveled really feels like the right hashtag for what I seek to get from travel, and what our customers want too. I have tried to make the most out of any country I have traveled to and especially those I’ve been lucky enough to live in. what life well-traveled means for me is really learning and growing from your travel, and being enriched by it. And of course having fun on the way.
That said, some of the most memorable were also the most grueling. Backpacking through northern Pakistan and north western China in the early ’90s was challenging, but also exhilarating, as it was before China opened up and before Pakistan closed down. Other highlights might include walking the Inca trail in Peru to Machu Picchu, scaling the mountains to the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan, or walking the temples in Bagan, Myanmar. All incredible places. I’m grateful to be able to travel and to be living this #lifewelltraveled. My family feels very blessed.
My most memorable country to live would have to be Papua New Guinea. As a young man with my first real responsibilities for people and business, the country taught me a lot. The country is a fascinating mix of ancient and modern, and totally unlike most other places on earth. It was a privilege to live there, in total for six years over two stints.
What was most memorable about your Papua New Guinea stay?
I had many wonderful experiences seeing my team grow and learn, which, given the relative inexperience in the workforce still in the ’90s, meant I felt I was helping a country build its skills base. That is an incredible feeling of making a difference.
But I was even more touched when I traveled out of Port Moresby and into the villages, mountains and coastal islands of Papua New Guinea. Village life should not be idealized. It can be tough, and at times brutal, especially for women. But there is a simplicity and joyfulness among the people that I enjoyed learning from. Children with no iPads or iPhones were thrilled to chase lizards and swim in streams. You can be happy even when you have very little, if you have community, family, and friends. And even with so little they had, they shared food and shelter with me as a stranger, as a matter of hospitality and respect for their guest. It was very humbling. In our world of material pursuits, border walls and barriers, suspicion and fear, there is much the villagers of Papua New Guinea, and of the Philippines, can teach us.
What else did Papua New Guinea teach you?
I went into Papua New Guinea a graduate from Oxford University in philosophy and theology thinking I was pretty smart! Very soon I realized life had a lot to teach me, and there is no better classroom than a place like Papua New Guinea. I quickly realized, from cultural mistakes to sheer youthful hubris, that I did not have all the answers, in fact not many at all. I also saw that people in privileged positions in a country or society can make a huge difference to people’s lives, good or bad. There were some exceptional leaders, but also terribly corrupt ones.
As a manager now I try to bring these experiences and lessons to the office. I can make a difference to the working lives of my team, as can all the managers and supervisors in Cathay. My mission in the Philippines for the next few years is to try to give our team ever better bosses, my self included.
As Cathay Pacific’s new country manager for the Philippines, what have you learned about our country so far?
I’ve learned when is the best time to travel to work — early! — to avoid traffic, and that the best buko pie is on the way to Tagaytay I’m embarrassed to say I have not yet learned the language, despite being married to my lovely Filipino wife for 14 years. I am slowly rectifying this with classes and pillow talk, so as not to give my Filipino relatives too many nosebleeds. And traveling definitely helps me to learn the language.
I’ve been traveling to the Philippines for about 20 years, so I have been lucky enough to visit quite a few places already. My favorites have been mostly diving related, in the sea and lakes, in Coron, in Anilao and Puerto Gallera, swimming with the whale sharks in Donsol, and most recently, diving with Thresher sharks in Malapascua and turtles in Bohol. Bohol was also fun above the sea with my children loving the tarsiers, a lunch on the river and the Chocolate Hills area.
Wow, you have been to more places than the average Filipino domestic tourist. You can be our poster boy for promoting Philippine tourism. And you do have the passion for protecting animals and the environment.
I do have a passion for the health of the sea and the fish and coral that I enjoy seeing and sharing with my children, ages 12 and 9, who both dive. We chose to see the whale sharks at Donsol rather than elsewhere because there they do take the health of the sharks seriously: you are not allowed to touch them, and they do not feed them. Both things are important to the sharks, and other places that allow such things will sadly find the health of the sharks will deteriorate and their livelihoods will be ruined.
The sustainability of tourism and fishing in the Philippines is critical to the future. Tourism brings great rewards for local people and development for the sector should absolutely be encouraged. But to benefit future generations of Filipinos it also needs to be sustainable. Boracay and Alona beach, for example, have developed very quickly. They are both still wonderful to visit, but seeing the changes make me fear for the future of these pristine places and the people who rely on the tourists coming in. Having been to a recent Tourism Summit led by the Department of Tourism, I believe Filipinos should be pleased to know this development is in focus for the government.
What Philippine places do you feel are underrated? Which Philippine area do you envision as a place to enjoy during your retirement years?
On my first day in the office I got a huge map of the Philippines printed and framed and hung on my office wall. There are still so many places to visit and I will be trying to see as many as possible. I think Palawan is absolutely stunning and I am looking forward to visiting El Nido but also the south of the island to explore it more. I think it is a good candidate for my wife and me to spend a lot of time later in life. I am also excited for the prospects in Davao over this presidential term. The whole of Mindanao is ripe for development and, if done well, could power growth in the Philippines for years to come.
How big is the Philippine market right now for Cathay Pacific? What about your North American and European markets? And where is expansion taking place?
Philippines has always been important to Cathay, and continues to be. Our first commercial passenger flight, 70 years ago, was from HKG to MNL, and we landed at what is now the Blackbird restaurant off Ayala Avenue. With 10 to 12 daily flights from Hong Kong to Manila, Cebu and Clark it is one of most important countries. North America is still a very important market, as is Europe, but we also see growth in North Asia and Australasia. We think China will grow in importance in the coming years, and, with our extensive network through Cathay Dragon airlines throughout China, we are well placed to benefit from that.
We have recently started flying from HKG to Madrid, which we think will be a great route for Filipinos who want to try the food and see the pilgrimage sites of the Iberian Peninsula. And soon, we will fly to Tel Aviv, which I am sure will be a hit for Filipinos. No visas necessary, world class historical, cultural and religious sites, great weather and food, and lots of business links. We start Tel Aviv this coming March.
I know that your First Class and Business Class are big favorites of the Pinoy jetset. What is it about your offerings that attract such loyalty?
We’d like to be able to offer any traveler an experience on Cathay Pacific, whatever class they are in. We want to make a contribution to the government’s inspiring “AmBisyon Natin 2040” that states “Families and friends are within reach because transport is convenient and affordable, and they can take vacation together within the country and abroad.”
We do want people to get off an Economy long-haul flight and think “That was a flight well-traveled, maybe the best long-haul flight I’ve had, and I’d fly this airline again.” The movies, the food, the seat all add to that, but mostly it is our service which keeps people coming back for more. If people feel they are special, and well looked after, then we have a chance they will want to use us again.
We do invest heavily in the customer experience in all classes. We have recently introduced the Airbus A350, which gives a far superior flying experience. It is made of composite materials that are stronger, and therefore, the pressure in the cabin can be higher. This has lots of benefits: it means the air can be more humid. This means you don’t dry out so much, your eyes stay moist and you’ll be less tired, and even the food and drink (especially wine) tastes better. The other benefit is the cabin is significantly quieter. Cathay has one of the youngest fleets in the world, and with many new fuel efficient aircraft on order, we aim to continue to keep at the cutting edge of fuel efficiency.
So we invest in planes, new seats, training and all the things you expect from a quality carrier like great movies and food. But for our First and Business Class and Frequent Flyer passengers you mentioned, we also have fantastic lounges in Manila and in HKG, which makes a huge difference on a long or connecting journey.
So I think there are people who do a lot of flying who do love to use Cathay, because of all these things we invest our time and passion in. Hopefully when they get on a flight to leave the Philippines we share their sense of excitement about the journey ahead, and when they get on a plane to return, they already feel they are close to home.
Cathay Pacific is also among the top of the list of the world’s 10 safest airlines.
Safety first is an absolute must. Nothing else we do would bear any consequence if we were not a safe airline; we spend a huge amount of time and money training all our crew, cabin and cockpit, in safety drills. And the engineering teams, the unsung heroes under the wing of every Cathay Pacific aircraft, are among the best and most passionate in the world.
But we don’t really follow these rankings of “safest airline.” In Cathay Pacific, we ignore them, as they can lead to complacency and hubris. We think we should always strive to be safer, can always be making our processes more robust and improved.
Cathay also brings in a lot of OFWs to the Middle East and Europe. Is this a segment you are trying to strengthen right now, given that there are lower prices in the market?
Well, it’s probably true that there are low-cost carriers that do advertise lower cost fares. But if you book a normal amount of time before a flight, and add up all the extra charges of meals, bags, headphones, etc., then you’ll generally find the costs are not that much different. So I would urge people to check out the latest deal on CX before you buy on a low-cost carrier, just to see how the prices compare. Some of our offers are very competitive indeed.
And we do compete vigorously for the OFWs and seafarers who travel to the USA, Middle East and Europe. Cathay Pacific has been a carrier for these ambassadors of the Philippines for decades, some have traveled many times on us, and we hope they will continue to do so.
After 9/11, there was a reported drop in travel to and from the United States. And now, world travelers are reportedly looking less at Europe because of the recent terrorist attacks. Your thoughts on this? Has there been an increase in travel towards Asian countries as a result of this? Amid all the political upheavals and peace problems in the world, what is in the future scenario for tourism?
I think the risks to traveler in destinations are almost always over-hyped, as embassies and countries seek to take the most cautious approach for their citizens. My firm view is that if we let terrorism affect where we want to go on holiday, or where we chose to invest, then the terrorists have won. Of course, due caution is required wherever you travel, and in some countries that requires extra vigilance. But if you travel to a country affected by terrorism I have always found the people embrace your visit with gratitude and enthusiasm; and you see for yourself that life carries on.
What are your thoughts on Richard Branson and his planned trips to outer space?
Space has always fired the imagination and brought creative genius to the fore. I, for one, would love to see the curve of the earth’s surface from a near-orbit trip, though I doubt I’ll ever be able to afford it, even when it does become commercialized, which I am sure it will.
Branson is a special leader: he mixes extravagant self-promotion with humility — yes, really! He gets great people in to the company and lets them be creative. I like his emphasis on staff engagement and inspiration: essentially if you look after your team, they will look after the customer. We think the same way in Cathay Pacific. We place the customer at the heart of everything we do, and strive to give them an experience in line with a #lifewell-traveled, but we know that we cannot do that unless our teams also feel that being with Cathay is a life well-traveled, a life well-worked, a life well-lived.
Who are your icons? Who or what inspires you?
I am genuinely inspired by my staff, some of whom travel over 2.5 hours to get to work each day, and still manage to be bright and cheerful and motivated. I’m not sure I would be in such a good mood after such a long, crowded commute. The people of the Philippines are indomitable, and I hope I can learn something about this while I am here.
Without wanting to get political, the most impressive person in public life that I look up to is Angela Merkel. She has a strong sense of moral code and values, making sure Germany doesn’t turn its back on the migrants coming out of the Middle East in the same way other governments are doing or are threatening to do. It’s not been her most popular move, but her most compassionate and courageous, and that is something to look up to.
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