‘In Ireland we have lost some the human connection in business dealings. In Uganda it is deeply valued’Dubliner Declan Peppard joined British Airways from school as a reservation sales agent back in 1983 on the princely salary of IR£6,400 a year. It was a modest start to what blossomed into a fruitful 20-year career with the airline that saw Peppard appointed to senior management positions in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Brazil.
Peppard attributes his peripatetic career to the fact that, in his early 20s, he became part of BA’s overseas pool, which was a small group of employees who provided cover at BA operations around the world. “This was 1989 when BA still had many expat country managers and airport managers on the payroll and we covered when they were on leave or there was a crisis,” says Peppard.
Peppard says the sudden shutdown of international travel when Covid hit was a very worrying time for the company but it weathered the storm by getting involved in arranging repatriation flights. “One key aspect of doing business here is the importance of maintaining a respectful and human approach to both colleagues and customers. In Uganda, this personal touch is deeply valued and integral to business success. I sometimes feel that, in Ireland, with the rapid advance of technology, we might have lost a bit of that human connection in our business dealings.”
“Our current ambassador, Kevin Colgan, regularly hosts the Irish community and every one of the ambassadors who have been here in my time have been truly remarkable individuals who have enhanced Ireland’s reputation in the region,” he says.
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Source: IrishTimes - 🏆 3. / 98 Read more »