New SpiceJet Promoter Ajay Singh Reshuffles Management

Wednesday, 6th May 2015 at 14:07pm

New SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh came to the company with one goal in mind �" to bring the ailing carrier back where it belongs. To do that, he has reshuffled the management in the previous few months, giving new powers to those in the middle management, bringing his own people where needed and getting rid of expensive top management.

Singh Bringing His Own People to SpiceJet

Singh added a few new names to the company. One of them is the new head of communications and corporate affairs Ajay Jasra, with whom Singh worked before.

SpiceJet's marketing department has seen the biggest change, since the now former head of marketing Solomon Wheeler left not two months ago to join the mobile-maker Lava International. He will be replaced by Debojo Maharashi. Although no formal announcement has been made yet, Maharashi is already considered as "acting chief officer" at the airline.

Another addition Singh has brought to the team is Saptarashi Bose. He will be in charge of revenue management. Unlike Maharashi and Jasra, Bose comes from SpiceJet's ranks, as he was a manager between 2005 and 2008 in the airline. He also worked for five years at IndiGo and spent 11 months at Jazeera Airways.

Several middle managers are now given more authority, although this doesn't necessarily come with new offices. GP Gupta, the chief procurement officer since 2009, will now also be in charge of handling airports, administration, cargo, insurance and contracts. Another "old hand" Kiran Koteshwar is elevated to the position of "acting" finance chief.

Finally, SpiceJet now has a new GM for all airports. That will be Sumant Rautela, who worked as a regional manager for central and north India.

Chief Operating Officer at SpiceJet Sanjiv Kapoor commented on some of the changes:

"The attrition and replacements are natural when a company gets a new owner. Some people have left to pursue other interests, and some executives who have earlier with Ajay have come in."

Asked to comment on the rumors that he also might be close to leaving the carrier, Kapoor denied , saying that he and Singh are "completely aligned on what needs to be done" in order to make a U-turn:

"We are working closely together, 18 hours a day, along with the entire management team and all 4,000 SpiceJet staff, to make it happen sooner rather than later."

By: Pete Lee.