James Hogan (CEO)

Early life and career

James Hogan grew up in Melbourne, Victoria, and attended Ivanhoe Grammar School, graduating in 1975.

James Hogan began his career in 1975 at Ansett Airlines as an ordinary employee, and subsequently held senior positions with British Midland International, Hertz Corporation, Forte Hotels, and Gulf Air.

At Hertz, his roles included directorships of the marketing, sales, and operations divisions. In 1995 he joined the London-based executive management committee as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 1997 Hogan became service director for British Midland International (BMI), leaving in 1998 to join the Granada Group as worldwide sales director, where he sat on the board of Forte Hotels. He returned to BMI in 1999 as chief operating officer, where he was responsible for flight and ground operations, sales and marketing, commercial, cargo, engineering and handling service companies; he was a member of the board of directors.

In 2001 Hogan moved back to his native Australia, where he was appointed chief executive of the Tesna consortium, which was created with the aim of acquiring Ansett Airlines from administration. In 2002, he joined Gulf Air, where he was CEO for four years.

CEO of Etihad Airways

On 10 September 2006, James Hogan was appointed President and CEO of Etihad Airways, the UAE's national airline based in Abu Dhabi. He has overseen Etihad's rapid growth—it serves 86 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, operating a fleet of 120 aircraft.

In July 2008, he signed one of the largest aircraft orders in history for 205 aircraft worth approximately US$43 billion at list prices to meet the airline’s ambitious long-term growth plans. Etihad reported its first full-year net profit in 2011, of $14 million, in line with its strategic plan goals announced in 2006. In February 2013 the airline announced a net profit of $42 million for 2012.

He has overseen Etihad's acquisitions of minority stakes in Air Berlin (29.21%), Air Seychelles (40%), Aer Lingus (2.987%), Virgin Australia (24.9%), Air Serbia (49%), Darwin Airline (33%), Jet Airways (24%) and Alitalia (49%).

On 24 January 2017, the Etihad Aviation Group Board of Directors announced that James Hogan (along with Group CFO James Rigney) would be stepping down "in the second half of 2017".[1],[2]. In May 2017 Ray Gammel became the new CEO of the airline.

Hogan is currently the Founder and Chairman of Knighthood Capital, based in Switzerland.

Affiliations and awards

Hogan is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a former non-executive director, and member of the Board’s Audit Committee, of the Gallaher Group. In 2010, he served as the chairman of the Aviation Travel and Tourism Governors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council. In June 2011 he was appointed to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors, and following the acquisition of a 29.21 percent stake Air Berlin, Europe’s sixth-largest airline; in December 2011, he was appointed Vice Chairman.

CEO Middle East Magazine named him Aviation CEO of the Year in 2008 and Visionary of the Year in 2010. He won the CAPA Airline Executive of the Year 2012 Award at the Centre for Aviation’s global awards for excellence and leadership in 2012.

In the Australian 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Hogan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).