Tango Foxtrot Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 Just a question that I have had to myself over the last few days. Why don't we like Robert Milton? I'm afraid I personally have no reason to dislike him, or anything that he has done. So does anybody have any comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moeman Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I feel the same way. Air Canada employees get unexpected pep talk from CEO Robert Milton 4/7/04 MONTREAL, Apr 07, 2004 (The Canadian Press via COMTEX) -- About 600 Air Canada employees who held a rally Wednesday in support of the struggling airline received a surprise pep talk from CEO Robert Milton. The noon-hour rally was almost over when Milton unexpectedly walked up to the microphone and said the ai rline needs more than short-term investments. 'What we want is someone who is interested in our long-term future,'Milton told the crowd. Air Canada (TSX:AC) is searching for a new investor to replace Hong Kong businessman Victor Li, whose Trinity Time Investments has announced plans to walk away from a $650-million investment in the airline unless significant changes are made. One Air Canada employee said the unions need to put the workers first. 'The unions are out to protect their own interests,'the employee said. 'And I think they have to start looking at the people they represent.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmibebe Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I don't think anyone of us has an answer for that, other than making him a scapegoat for our problems. This man is intelligent enough to do any job he wants yet he stays at AC. I for one think that must take a lot of courage. Although his labour relations skills could do with a bit of honing I think he is the right man for the job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmibebe Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I don't think anyone of us has an answer for that, other than making him a scapegoat for our problems. This man is intelligent enough to do any job he wants yet he stays at AC. I for one think that must take a lot of courage. Although his labour relations skills could do with a bit of honing I think he is the right man for the job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmibebe Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I don't think anyone of us has an answer for that, other than making him a scapegoat for our problems. This man is intelligent enough to do any job he wants yet he stays at AC. I for one think that must take a lot of courage. Although his labour relations skills could do with a bit of honing I think he is the right man for the job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagger Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 Now you can put this down as post-Calin spin, but a couple of people I talked about Calin's departure said he brought out the worst in Milton (Milton is glib but he is not really a born communicator) and that in time, this should help Milton come over a little better with internal audiences. The external audiences (media, polticians) are a little too fixed in their image of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Altitude Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 Can anyone expand on what he said? And what was said by other speakers? Did the union leadership dare show up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GDR Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 It is no secret to anyone who comes regularly to this forum that I have a lot of confidence in Mr. Milton and his abilities. It is no secret that his ambition from his youth has been to run an airline. He has worked towards that goal all his life. Maybe after we get through this he might be able to start having a little fun at his job. It has hardly been a barrel of laughs so far. Within 3 weeks of getting the top job at our company he was hit by a combination of AMR,Onex and the federal gov't in a hostile takeover. He was, (I think), 38 years old. Since that time it has had to put out one fire after another. He has made mistakes, but don't we all. (Maybe allowing Rovenescu to negotiate contracts was one of them.) He now has a few years of experience under his belt, and he still has, for my money, the best mind for the business in the business. His commitment to Air Canada is such, that he turned down lucrative American job offers to see this job through. To repeat, I've never met the man but I understand that he works 12 hour plus days, seven days a week. I believe that with Rovenescu gone the employees and their unions will be dealing more directly with Mr. Milton. I believe that we will see a large improvement in employee/management relations. The unions are going to be shown the restructuring plan tomorrow which will hopefully make all employees a part of the restructuring process. I really hope that employees look on this as a great time to start over, and if that is the case it is just in the nick of time. Now, if they can just convince Victor Li to come back. Greg Robinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AME Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 Tony The love affair with RM is extremely cyclic, during the Onex bid he was a God, then his popularity slipped, then once tango became a bit of a success and it appeared that ACs fortunes had improved ( I think it was the summer of 2002 when they posted a modest operating profit) he was once again the hero, now that times are tough and hard decisions need to be made it's all his fault again. Everyone has their opinion but few would be able to offer you a realistic way they would have done anything different. Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpperDeck Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 "I've never met the man..." BUT...Lord, on what basis do you decide to pledge your trust and confidence? What is the evidence upon which you rely that indicates his ability to manage this corporation at this time? Certainly he was and perhaps remains keen with a surfeit of ideas and a mind not even boggled by the various schedules BUT....the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Team managers and coaches are turfed with far better records. At this level, one produces results or moves on...period. Talk to Micheal Eisner. As an aside, RM has limited people skills to the extent that he is disinclined to the favourable reception of conflicting opinions---that is; opinions which differ from his own. One quickly learns that career expectations are more likely to be realized by adherence to accepted wisdom; ie; RM's expressed opinions. For what it's worth..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GDR Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 In his relatively short tenure as CEO he has had to face the perfect storm. A hostile takeover, a very difficult merger, a weak BOD, 9/11, war in Iraq, tripling of oil prices, new low cost competition, SARS at the major hub etc. He tried to get the employees to restructure the airline but when SARS hit CCAA became inevitable. He has come up with a restructuring plan that has a lot of people with money interested and both TTI and GECAS wanted him around to implement it. The guy works constantly. My experience, and the experience of others that I know of, is that he responds to e-mails usually within 24 hours and sometimes as in Mitch's case they get phone calls at home. As a matter of fact I once a number of years ago wrote him with a suggestion when he was VP Marketing, and I got a call at home from him. From people that seem to know, and I'd include Dagger in that, we have had a particularly weak BOD which has also hampered Milton. At one time or another I have posted most of this previously, but seeing as how you asked....... Greg Robinson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nordo Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Greg, So, can we assume that the work on the Milton shrine continues? Norbert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GDR Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Hi Norbert I've got my can of Brasso out there every day. I just calls 'em the way I sees 'em eh. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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