Resilience key to overcoming crises, focusing on how businesses can adapt, pivotAt the I-Nation Global Summit 2024 held from 2-4 Dec in Kuala Lumpur, Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Capital A Bhd shared how resilience, innovation, and adopting a people-centric leadership style played critical roles in expanding a struggling airline he bought in 2001, AirAsia Sdn Bhd, into a diverse business ecosystem today.
As a digital run business where almost all its airline bookings come via the website and app, Capital A has long recognised and relied on data to help drive the business. “And we had people who couldn’t fly. So, we took all the seats off our planes and turned them into cargo planes.” In April 2023 Fernandes had gushed about the potential of ADE during the announcement of a US$100 million deal from Singapore based OCP Asia Ltd which focuses on privately negotiated Secured Direct Lending. “This is a very cash lucrative, profitable business. It was quite an eye opener for me when I started seeing the kind of margins they made.”At the heart of any conversation or talk given by Fernandes about his journey is the subject of people and nurturing their talent.
He also pointed out, “A leader is only as effective as the team behind them. I make it a point to understand every role in the company, from flying planes to changing wheels, because this builds trust and respect.”“Branding has always been at the core of my strategy,” Fernandes said, emphasizing its critical role in building lasting relationships with stakeholders. “Branding is an investment.