Colin Marshall | Saved British Airways, 78
Colin Marshall, 78, the British-born, American-trained executive whose flair for marketing was credited for the turnaround of British Airways starting in the 1980s, died Thursday. No details were given on the cause.
Colin Marshall, 78, the British-born, American-trained executive whose flair for marketing was credited for the turnaround of British Airways starting in the 1980s, died Thursday. No details were given on the cause.
As chief executive from 1983 to 1995 and chairman from 1993 to 2004, Mr. Marshall oversaw the transformation of British Airways into a premiere aviation brand. Among other steps, he emphasized customer service with a program called "Putting People First."
He said he had firsthand knowledge of the airline's weaknesses, since he had been a frequent trans-Atlantic flier from 1971 to 1981 when he was a New York-based executive for Avis.
"I knew that passengers didn't get much service," he said. "I knew it not only from my own experience, but because I heard others talk about it, as well." - Bloomberg News