Simply Abu Dhabi III

68 SIMPLY ABU DHABI TIM CLARK PRES IDENT OF EMIRATES AIRLINE One of the fasest-growing international airline with one of the youngest fleets in the sky and more than 400 awards for excellence worldwide, Emirates has built a successful travel and tourism empire thanks to the collective talent of a management team made up of men who are proven leaders in their individual field of expertise. Tim Clark is a man on a mission – to continue to increase the fortunes of the fastest growing airline in the world. Tim Clark has been a member of the senior management team since the year Emirates launched – 1985 – becoming President of Emirates airline in 2003 after spending 18 years helping build an aviation empire which owes much to the route networks he established soon after joining as Head of Airline Planning. Having already establishing a great reputation as a talented route planner during his four years at Bahrain’s Gulf Air, which had recruited him from the now-defunct British Caledonian Airways, his work at Emirates was to prove invaluable. He was instrumental in transforming the airline from a one-route carrier operating off a dusty runway to a world leader serving more than 100 destinations. Combining the planning expertise with the skills he developed while attaining an economics degree from London University in 1971, he scrutinised demographic data and passenger statistics to identify profitable new routes for Emirates. Mr Clark recognised potential in routes other airlines had passed over and for the first Emirates route, Pakistan was targeted – a nation which had a population of more than 150 million people but just one state carrier. Dubai’s strategic location was obvious and services to India soon followed, laying the foundations for him to build a sprawling network which now connects billions of people. It is not just in the business world that Mr Clark’s ambitious vision makes a significant contribution. With a strong social conscience, he is also the Chairman of the Emirates Airline Foundation, a non-profit charity that he helped found. The foundation provides vital humanitarian, philanthropic aid and services for children in need around the world. Until 2008, Mr Clark was the Managing Director of Sri Lankan Airlines. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. His contributions to the aviation industry and the subsequent growth of the tourism industry in the UAE are truly remarkable. His pioneering vision, meticulous planning and daring yet considered decision making has been hugely significant in giving flight to the Middle East’s largest provider of airport and travel services and the airline continues to soar. For more information please visit www.emirates.com