The CEO of Air France, Alexandre de Juniac, has recently announced a series of actions that will transform the company. Cost cutting measures have been in place for several months, but the announcement reveals how de Juniac plans to restructure operations at the large French flag carrier.

Born in 1962, de Juniac came to Air France where he serves as director and chairman, as well as CEO. Before starting his Air France career, he built a high profile reputation in business and the aviation industry, in both the private and public sectors. The first significant position in his career was in 1988 when de Juniac followed his graduation from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration by becoming auditor of the Conseil d’Etat, where he later became master of petitions and deputy secretary. In 1993, de Juniac joined the finance department, where he became assistant director and started establishing a political side to his career by becoming responsible for communication related matters in the cabinet.

In 1995, de Juniac moved into the private sector where he built up experience in aviation-related director and sales director roles, at companies such as Thomson SA, Sextant Avionics, and the subsequent Sextant joint venture, CNS Avionics. This culminated in 1999 with his appointment by Thomson-CSF, later to become known as Thales, in the position of secretary general. This was a role that de Juniac pursued for five years when he was promoted to the position of senior vice president at Thales, with responsibility for the division dealing with aviation systems.

Four years later, in 2008, de Juniac changed roles again at Thales, taking over as general manager with responsibility for Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, thus extending his international experience. The following year he returned to the public sector in France, as private secretary to the Minister for the Economy, Industry, and Employment. This is a role that lasted for about two years, immediately prior to his appointment to the pivotal management role of CEO at Air France.

In this current position, de Juniac now has a further opportunity to demonstrate his leadership and managerial style, which is marked by initiatives to build new business and a determination to achieve and maintain a winning position. His management style is already showing in his plan for a significant overhaul of Air France operations. Although his critics have questioned the hierarchical nature of his approach to management, with some seeing his swift rise from the public sector as a promotion based on his ‘old school tie.’ Quotations attributed to de Juniac in the media point to a bullish attitude towards the job at hand. In his position at Air France, it is also possible that the political aspect to de Juniac’s history and management will surface once more.