The Allegria Hotel near JFK International Airport in Long Beach, New York, is, above all, a party place with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean from its towering rooftop terrace.
    It’s also known as the “Honeymoon Hotel,” which should leave no doubt that it exists to celebrate love almost every day.
     Even on a rainy Tuesday earlier this week, on a night that felt more like April than June, young couples at Allegria were swaying to the music while smooching it up in the lifts. We also noted a senior couple at ground level—obviously new partners late in life—stepping softly while waiting for the love lift in the lobby as we arrived.

Left to Right—Jack Lampinski, Lucy Ntuba and Oliver Evans.

     Up in the elevator, we whooshed to the Rooftop Terrace where a party (what else?) was happening.
          “Will you miss me when the Summer is Gone?
          “Who will be with you when the Summer is Gone?”
     I was thinking about those plaintive lyrics from an old 1930s recording as we danced off the lift, landing amongst more than 100 customers and friends that joined the Swiss World Cargo customer event and farewell tour for SWISS’ Chief Cargo Officer Oliver Evans, who retires this coming September.
     As Summer 2015—which is yet to begin—ends, Oliver Evans will also exit the scene. Over the past decade he has guided the fortunes of the highly successful SWISS World Cargo, all the way up from the bankruptcy of Swissair.
     Oliver has steadied the command position at SWC, all through the lean days and on into SWISS’ recent success as part of Lufthansa Group.
     But now, like all things in existence, the time comes to move on.
     Oliver may be exiting stage left, but that does not mean out of air cargo, as we learn here.
     We elicited some thoughts from the man of the hour, Oliver Evans.
     We asked Oliver, as someone who has attended maybe 1,000 events during his airline career, if he could describe his all-time favorite, and wondered what is it about SWISS that makes it so great and successful.

OE:  “The highlight of our annual calendar is always our Cargo Forum,” Oliver said, “that is held at various locations in the Swiss mountains, but in recent years mostly in Lenzerheide, a delightful winter resort high in the Swiss Alps.
     “We invite at least one person from each of our worldwide offices, as well as representatives of each of our central services units located in Zurich, so that we number around 80 of our own people, with up to 20 guests (from other SWISS divisions, the Board or key partners like Lufthansa Cargo, suppliers or customers).
     “We have tried various formats through the years, but we seem to have settled on a favorite: we spend two nights together, in what has been described as a tribal gathering.
     “There are a few exhortatory speeches, much shaking of spears, consumption of all kinds of food (many imported from all corners of the world), and—whisper it only—copious pouring of everything liquid and enticing from caipirinha to Swiss wine, and much attendant back-slapping and hugs.
     “The normally staid community of burghers of Lenzerheide seem to have taken to this extraordinary display, and often join our celebrations with some quaint traditions of their own, like cowbell-ringing.
     “It is fun of course, but it is also the secret of SWISS WorldCargo’s success.”

FT:   Of what are you most proud?
OE:  “Life is very precious, and the only question I ask myself at times of reflection is whether what I do makes a difference.
     “I am delighted that SWISS WorldCargo does indeed make a difference, and is different. Our strategy and positioning are, and have been since the beginning, very specific, and entirely appropriate given the advantages of our home country Switzerland.
     “We have communicated them internally as well as externally very consistently.
     “SWISS has become, despite our relatively small size, a global leader in the market segments we have targeted.
     “Our brand has gone from strength to strength, and, I venture to say, is as strong as the old Swissair brand ever was.
     “Our bosses, at SWISS and at the Group level, ask us not to change anything, and so do our customers.
     “Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to hear external confirmation, voiced by so many, of what we have set out to achieve. And yet we are convinced we can go much further in our specialty field, and that is the strategy we are following.
     “Call it a nice legacy if you will, but it is the legacy of the team and not of the individual: if the mark of a good team is consistently good results, the true mark of a great team is that you can take anyone out of it, including the captain, without affecting confidence in the future.”

FT:   How do you feel about leaving the company having been through the really tough times?
OE:  “Leaving not only a company, but a group of good and loyal friends, is no easy decision. It is true that the strength of our bonds is indeed due in no small part to the fact that we lived through the first, very tough, years together. The demise of Swissair was a tragedy for all those involved, who deserve the utmost respect for what they lived through and how they reacted.
     "Yet the reality is that the team that came together out of those ashes, had and have an enhanced and enriched perspective precisely because of their experience, and one of the strengths of SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo today is a tough and practical outlook, and an attitude to the necessity of change, which were forged in those years during and after the Swissair bankruptcy.”

FT:   What is your most vivid memory of the day Swissair was finished? How did you feel? What was your job at the time? What you were doing, and how did you feel the first day SWISS opened for business?
OE:  “I had the pleasure of frequently flying Swissair in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s when I worked in New York (for a shipping company) and had responsibilities in West Africa, which in those days was best reached from the United States via Europe.
     “I never worked for Swissair. I did later work for KLM, and it is my connection to the former CEO of KLM, who later became the first chairman of the new SWISS, Pieter Bouw, which led to my appointment in Switzerland.
     “I therefore learned about the personal impact of the Swissair tragedy from my colleagues, customers, and indeed neighbors and friends of mine in Switzerland when I settled here.
     “I was astonished by the depth of feeling regarding the bankruptcy: it was truly a national shock and trauma, and those of us who formed the first Management Board of SWISS had 7.5 Million advisers (the entire population of Switzerland!) as we got going in 2002 and 2003.”

FT:   What is your legacy to SWISS Cargo?
OE:  “A great team is in place, and succession will be arranged smoothly (and announced in the not too distant future).
     “The team spirit, the creativity and energy, are astonishing.
     “The knowledge, experience, and reputation have been built together. I have a very good feeling that, despite the extreme pressure characteristic of our tough industry, the future for SWISS WorldCargo is very bright indeed.”

FT:   What needs to be done to insure SWISS World Cargo in the years ahead?
OE:  “The top management of the airline, and of the group, need to give my successor and his team the same support and confidence I have always enjoyed. They need to continue to support initiatives like the drone Proof of Concept that will be executed this summer in the Swiss Alps in cooperation with Swiss Post, Matternet, and the Swiss regulatory authorities.
     "In other words, they need to allow room for creativity, investment, and the creation of a vision for the industry.”

FT:   Taking an industry view, what needs to be done in the future that you wish you might have completed?
OE:  “Our industry is very complex, the air supply chain is a co-creation, and many things take far longer than any of us would wish.
     “The most notorious of these delayed but highly necessary developments is the elimination of paper documents in the air supply chain, or e-freight.
     “Actually the snail’s pace at which progress has occurred could aptly be re-named e-fright.
     “SWISS, like everyone else, is now making steady progress in this respect, but this is one area in which we will be at or near the target set by the industry (25 percent) but far below what I would have liked to achieve.”

FT:   Why should Lufthansa continue to allow SWISS to operate on its own?
OE:  “The Lufthansa Group should continue to operate SWISS WorldCargo as an autonomous unit because it is good for customers, staff, and shareholders.
     “I personally think that this internal debate is now finally over, and that autonomy is secure.
     “But this does not mean that we have exhausted the opportunities to learn from each other, support each other, or even co-create solutions.
     “In fact, I am investing some of my time in the months remaining to me as chief cargo officer to build bridges to Lufthansa Cargo in the hope that my successor will benefit from such ties, and that both Group companies will become even stronger through intelligent cooperation: not exhausting internal debate, but focused customer and market-oriented activities and initiatives that enhance the strengths of both brands and organizations.”

FT:   You have been involved in many industry events and groups.
Having just completed your term atop TIACA, what do think your legacy will be at that organization?
OE:  “TIACA is a very precious institution, being the only association open to all segments of the industry.
     “As such it plays a unique role in articulating the Voice of the Industry and bringing together the varied interests of each segment and their respective bodies such as FIATA, IATA, etc.
     “I think we have made enormous progress in developing mutual respect, understanding, and through that have issued numerous papers defining the position of the industry to specific issues.
     “Our various industry meetings are indeed widely attended by the top representatives of the industry, its associations, and the regulators.
     “The quality of dialogue has improved measurably.
     “The composition of the TIACA Board is more diverse and representative than ever. At the same time, it has to be recognized that leadership of an industry association is quite different to leadership of an enterprise. In private industry, you don’t have to be a dictator to be in control of the entire enterprise.
     “At an association, you are bound to seek and drive consensus-building.
     “Things take longer, and misunderstandings can occur much more easily, leading to diversion of attention and sometimes absolutely unnecessary delays. I have had the privilege to lead an outstanding group of dedicated industry leaders, who have unselfishly helped us to navigate sometimes turbulent waters.
     “The last AGM, at which our successors took over the helm, was a great, energizing display of unity and common purpose that gives me great hope TIACA will now drive forward with a clear focus on industry needs and issues.
     “I am absolutely convinced that membership will continue to grow as it has done markedly in the last 6 months, finances will be consolidated with a great ACF in Paris in 2016, and TIACA will go on to deliver ever broadening and deepening value to members in areas like industry affairs, networking, and education and development.”

FT:   Will you stay involved in industry associations?
OE:  “Leadership development has always been my passion, and there are so many exciting initiatives at TIACA, including not only the already-launched Development Program but also so many other fertile ideas that I am intending to apply myself to supporting this transformation as a member of the Education and Research Committee.”

FT:   What is next for Oliver Evans in air cargo?
OE:  “I am stepping down from my roles at TIACA and SWISS WorldCargo, and I will seek to have a little more free time than I can enjoy now.
     "But my passion for the industry is undiminished, and I am setting up during the course of the summer my own company to serve as a vehicle to support and lead initiatives in the field of change management and leadership coaching.
     “I will not employ anybody, but make myself available to engage with developments that excite me and where my experience and ideas can help us all get ready for the future.”

FT:   If you were facing an audience of youngsters today would you make the case for an air cargo career?
OE:  “I have done so all my life and will never cease to do so: we are living in a globalized world, and in an age of ever-accelerating transformation through technology. Youngsters are eager to make a difference and have far greater ambition or self-belief than previous generations ever did. They truly believe that they can make a difference on a global basis.
     “What other industry offers them opportunities to lead global trade, to be in touch with people from all over world on a daily basis, to learn what is happening in all of the industries supported by airfreight?
     “How would you do that; what would you say? Trust yourself, believe in yourself, and embrace the opportunities created by disruption and change.
     “Do not wall yourself in behind hierarchies, authority, or company boundaries like the leaders of yesterday did. Instead, open yourself up and make yourself vulnerable, because that is the path to self-knowledge and a strength that comes from within, and which is far greater than the old and now discredited claims to strength and security of the past.”

FT:   What does air cargo as we know it—both the freighter and combination business—need to insure its future?
OE:  “There will always be air cargo, because it is the mode of transport best suited to delivering the most valuable and care-intensive commodities and products invented by mankind.
     “The market will be wide enough to embrace both freighters and combination carriers, and to make their business profitable.
     "New modes of transport, including unmanned vehicles, will force their way into the market.
     “New players like Amazon or Google or those not yet known will not only arrive in our space, but will threaten to dominate it if we are not flexible, adaptable, fast, and inventive enough.”
Geoffrey

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