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| Webster
O'Brien, SH&E
Vice President |
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Area of Specialization
Mr. O’Brien is an experienced practitioner of competitive strategy, analysis, and management across the major areas of commercial aviation. His primary focus is on performance enhancement through strategic alignment, matching company capabilities and strategy with the ability to reach and serve the target customer. His particular skills in aligning marketing and operating activities with overall corporate objectives have delivered success across clients, industries, and assignments. His blend of financial and commercial analysis has been successful in a number of due diligence and investment advisory engagements. He also provides considerable international expertise, with twelve years of living or working in Asia and three in the UK, as well as extensive marketing skills. |
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| Client |
Engagement |
| Hawaiian Airlines |
Bankruptcy-exit strategic positioning, fleet planning; transpacific codeshare/wetlease negotiations |
| LOT Polish |
Price/product development |
| EgyptAir |
Marketing strategy and process development |
| Air Wisconsin |
Strategic review of RJ market opportunities |
| Midwest Airlines |
Product and strategy assignments (2002-2006) |
| Flight Options |
Strategic pricing and business model review |
| US National Carrier |
Financial planning and profitability analysis |
| Cerberus Capital (Air Canada) |
Operational reviews for successful exit-financing
equity investment (2003, 2004) |
| Cerberus Capital (ATA/Midway) |
DIP financing/equity investment analysis |
| Private Equity investor (US Airways) |
Strategic review for contemplated DIP investment |
| Private Equity investor (VarigLog/VEM) |
Strategic review and enterprise valuation |
| Permira (Jet Aviation) |
Post-acquisition opportunity assessment |
| Rockwell Collins |
IT/Communications new product development |
| HSBC Bank USA |
Hub carrier MRO facility valuation |
| TBI plc |
Aviation security market-entry analysis |
| National Business Travel Association |
Online fares database and benchmarking tool |
| Luxair (Luxembourg flag carrier) |
Strategic repositioning |
| Mesa Air Group |
Contingency planning |
| Spitfire Aviation Partners |
Premium start-up: plan review, development |
| Chicago Department of Aviation |
Cargo carrier operations analysis |
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Background
Mr. O’Brien has held a range of management positions with Asian and U.S. airlines, particularly in international, marketing, and analytic roles. He was part of the private management staff for the Swire Group, working in various roles in Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways. At American Airlines he worked on Asian code-sharing alliances, sealing relationships with Singapore Airlines, China Eastern Airlines in Shanghai, and South Korea’s Asiana. He served Northwest Airlines as General Manager - Hong Kong, taking over immediately after the transition from colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty and guiding the carrier through the Asian economic crisis, overnight transfer to Hong Kong’s new airport, a pilots’ strike, and restructuring. He also brings marketing experience from agency positions and has directed a successful internet start-up, based in London. |
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Education
BA cum laude, Economics (Fine Arts), Harvard University,
1986
MBA with distinction (top ten percent of class), Harvard
Business School, 1995 |
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Languages
English, competent French, conversational Mandarin Chinese |
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