This article is about two General Managers (CEOs) of Ethiopian airlines. Captain Mohammad was the third General Manager and Ato. Girma was the seventh. Both led Ethiopian Airlines to success multiple times in their career. Views of Addis was honored to get an opportunity to interview these two brilliant men, and to get an insight into their upbringing, their career, and their personal life. This article is written in the style of an interview.
Left: Ato.Girma, Right: Captain Mohammed
What was life like as a child?
Captain Mohammed: I was born in Harar in 1932 and when I was just an infant, my parents separated and my father took me to his mother’s house - my grandma - so she could raise me. But, I was too young for my grandmother and I was sent to my aunt’s house for three years, before returning to my grandmother at the age of four. My grandmother took care of my cousins as well, so I grew up among many other children and I was very close with them. Although I had a close relationship with my grandmother and my cousins, I wasn’t very close to my parents. My parents had families of their own; my father had eight other children, and my mother had seven.
Ato.Girma: I was born in 1943 in an area by the name of Yeka, in Addis Ababa. I was an only child however I lived with my parents, my grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, and my cousins so I was never lonely. My area was a close-knit community and everyone took care of one another. I attended school with the same kids that lived in my neighborhood so I formed lifelong bonds and connections. I would play with my friends and cousins from morning to night, laughing and screaming. I had the type of childhood that, these days, can not be seen in Addis.
What were your goals when you were a teenager/young adult?
Captain Mohammed: When I turned 20, the only thing I wanted was to join the Air Force. But, the Air Force only wanted 18-year-olds so I lied about my age and got in. While in the Air Force, US AID sent me to the United States where I attended Saint Louis university and got my degree. Then, I went to LA to get a diploma in engineering where I graduated first in my math class.
Ato.Girma: In high school, my goal was to join the army. I aspired to be a military man. I did a lot of sports and I was very active so I thought it would be natural for me to join the army. When I became a senior in highschool, the government stopped drafting seniors into the army. Instead, they made it so that whoever wanted to join, could join. Although I wanted to join, I didn’t, because my school director wanted me to continue with my education. I had good grades and he wanted me to pursue other careers. So instead, I went to Addis Ababa university. His decision, although he didn’t know it, was what indirectly led me to Ethiopian Airlines.
How did you start working in the airline and how did you end up becoming the General Manager?
Captain Mohammed: I was in the Air Force until I became a military captain at which point I was introduced to the airline. I had a degree in engineering, and in 1962, at the age of 30, I joined Ethiopian Airlines as a Senior Engineer where I worked for about four years. Afterward, I was promoted and became the Director of Quality Control. Then in 1971, I became the Assistant General Manager for Technical Services (airplane engineering). From 1972 - 1977, I worked in an Ethiopian Airlines Office in NewYork which handled its relations with Europe and North America. Later on, I was called back by Mengistu Hailemariam to lead Ethiopian Airlines, which at that time, was run by foreigners and was going bankrupt. I agreed to lead Ethiopian Airlines but on one condition; I told Mengistu Hailemariam that I would only lead the airline if the government gave me the independence to run the airline as a private company. I told him that it was important for me to hire the most capable people and fire those that were not performing well. So in 1980, up until 1991, I became the General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines. Unfortunately, one of the first things that I had to do was fire between one thousand to two thousand people. Eventually, the airline started to profit and became one of the best airlines in Africa. Although I was a strict leader, I also made sure to be kind and good to my employees, and I created a program at the airline that fed them breakfast for free. In 1991, I resigned and took the secretary-general position at the African Airline Association.
Ato.Girma: I was attending Addis Ababa University when an airline recruitment officer came to recruit potential pilots. I was not interested but my friends were, so I joined them just for fun. I ended up making it into the pilot training program but some of my friends didn’t get in. I attended pilot training school until my instructor realized that I was going to be a bad pilot and decided to put me into the Commercial Activities Business Management Sector. At this point, I was 22, and I had left university for the airline. Later on, I became a salesperson and then was promoted and became an instructor for sales personnel. Then, I became the Revenue Management Manager until I became the station manager for Addis Ababa. After a few years, I was elected as an Area Manager outside of Ethiopia, and I worked in Ghana, Tanzania, and Germany. From 2004 - 2011, I became General Manager. I retired from the airline in 2011 and I went to Rwanda where I served as the Aviation Advisor to the Rwandan government and became chairman of Rwanda air. Then, I returned to Ethiopian Airlines and became chairman of the board. I never even planned on joining the airline, it was all a coincidence.
What personal sacrifices did you make when working for the airline and what kept you going?
Captain Mohammed: When I became General Manager, my goal was to keep Ethiopian airlines from becoming bankrupt and to make it the most profitable airline in Africa. During this time, my wife and children were all in the USA. Although being apart from my wife and missing out on my children’s upbringing was tough, my goal for Ethiopian Airlines kept me going.
Ato.Girma: I am very happy that I was able to work for the airline. If I was to relive my life, I would go back to this industry. But, although I loved it, there were some hard things as well. Since I worked in different countries, I had to bring my family along with me each time I moved. This meant that my children had to get used to the new surroundings, had to make new friends, and had to become accustomed to their new schools. Although this was a hard thing to do at the time, I had to make sacrifices, and my vision and love for the airline, as well as the country, kept me working hard.
Looking back, what was the greatest lesson that life taught you?
Captain Mohammed: One personal thing I learned was that you always have to be the best version of yourself, no matter what. As a leader, I learned how to motivate and manage my employees, and how to put people in the right positions so that they could succeed.
Ato.Girma: The greatest life lesson that I learned was that if you want to get somewhere, you must work hard and prepare yourself for that position. If you have to train and read, do that. You have to put time and dedication to reach what you want to achieve. There is no other way.
Throughout your lifetime, you have seen Addis Ababa change and grow. What has improved and what has become worse?
Captain Mohammed: Nowadays, I feel that the youth aren’t leaders and that they aren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the nation. I hope that with more and more people being educated these days, more people will be able to think of new and innovative ideas and properly implement them to solve the problems that we face today.
Ato.Girma: Although the sense of community no longer exists and Addis Ababa is not as safe as it used to be, Addis Ababa has seen an overall improvement in the economy, the growth of the city, the infrastructure, and the facilities. And, I believe that our youth, through the use of new technology, will continue to help the nation grow.
When you think of Addis Ababa, what word comes to mind?
Captain Mohammed: Growth
Ato.Girma: Potential