In Person
Lionel Wilton
Lionel Wilton has been a familiar face in the industry for many years, best known to most as the current ceo of Alpha Group. Onboard Hospitality spoke to him as he prepares to move on
Lionel Wilton
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ALPHA GROUP
Based in Jordan, Lionel Wilton is a veteran of the onboard hospitality industry. He recently announced he would soon be retiring from his role at Alpha Group
OBH: How does the business in the Middle East differ from elsewhere? LW: The market differs in that the average sector lengths tend to be long and thus the inflight service levels remain a significant point of differentiation to carriers in this market. This coupled with the cultural propensity for generous hospitality somewhat shields this market from the commoditisation that we have seen across many other markets.
Alpha still has echoes of the THF (Trust House Forte) days and it is that ‘consistency and family firm’ feeling that partly helps them succeed. Is today’s dnata/ Alpha going to retain this? We have entered the third year as part of dnata and we clearly retain our individuality and style – why would we change a winning formula?
What was the main driver behind the LSG/Alpha hook up? By combining our activities we sought to respond to the needs of our customers by providing greater value for money and a sustainable future for all the stakeholders.
LSG Sky Chefs and Alpha have different approaches to inflight catering. How is this synergised? The UK staff are now one team and as such they follow a common approach to reach agreed company- wide goals and objectives including
"I believe the premium product will maintain its pursuit of excellence, innovation and continuous improvement "
delivering consistently high standards of product and service.
Is it important to you that Alpha retains its brand or will absorption into dnata be the end of an era? Alpha will retain its style, professionalism, dedication and sense of fun regardless of the name over the door, that said we have no plans to change.
When you joined THF the world of flight catering was very different from today. Where do you see
it going? I believe the premium product will maintain its pursuit of excellence, innovation and continuous improvement, whilst the balance of the cabin will continue to respond to market demands driven by factors such as competitive actions, price sensitivity and flight duration, etc.
And on a personal level – what are your plans for retirement? Will you stay in Amman? I have never been either shy or retiring and see no reason to change. I have a very fulfilling and
Pictured: Lionel Wilton with his daughter and son-in-law and below the fresh tastes of the Alpha Group
extremely demanding set of responsibilities, am privileged to lead a dedicated and very professional team and have at least seven months still in harness. I will continue to maintain a foothold in Jordan as I really love the people, the culture, the four seasons and the dramatic landscapes. But, what will I do next? …..watch this space!
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