Former managers rush to board resurgent SpiceJet

Former managers of SpiceJet Ltd are flocking to rejoin the budget airline with its reins returning in the hands of the original promoter Ajay Singh.

Sources in the know of the development said some of them like Saptarshi Bose, ex-senior manager of revenue management at IndiGo Airlines, have already made their comeback in a bigger role than earlier. Bose is back as general manager - revenue management and network planning.

Another high profile re-entry is that of Ravi Patwal, who had quit last year from his job as GM, revenue management, due to his fallout with senior management. The source said his role has not yet been finalised.

"He will be joining the revenue department, but a space is yet to be created for him," said the source, who did not want to be named.

Another IndiGo manager, who has taken a U-turn for SpiceJet, is George Ryan Middlecote. He has returned as IT manager.

Sources said Ajay Jasra, who had exited in 2008 to join PR firm Vaishnavi, is also back as GM, corporate communications and corporate affairs.

In the inflight department, Santosh Bakshi, who had joined Kingfisher Airlines after leaving SpiceJet, is back into the airline's fold along with Neetu Suri, who had taken a sabbatical on medical grounds.

Another industry source, who confirmed these comebacks, said most of those who have returned are within the means of the airlines. He said it is not able to take back managers with high salaries.

For instance, former SpiceJet chief commercial officer (CCO), Samyukth Sridharan, who is now president and CEO of travel portal Cleartrip.com, and Anurag Jain, who left the airline as VP of revenue management and network planning, are outside the affordability limit of the budget airline.

An interesting revelation that has come forth in all this is that the North-South divide had run deep in the airline during the former promoter Kalanithi Maran's time.

A source alleged that the trio of Sudhakar Kondisetty, senior VP – information technology (IT), Fares Azeem Kilpady, head of revenue management, and Kaneswaran Avili, chief commercial officer, who had business interests in Singapore and Malaysia, had made it difficult for many existing managers to work under them.

"Many quit as they were pressurised to quit. There were hardly people from the North left," he said.

According to sources, Singh is trying to correct this situation by reaching out to people from both regions and being approachable to his management and staff.

"He is trying to motivate everyone by lifting their morale with incentives, paying salaries on time and listening to their problems," said the source.

The source also said Singh has extended responsibilities of many of the existing employees like Sumant Rautela, head of all airports, G P Gupta, chief administration officer, and Kiran Koteshwar, acting chief financial officer and head of HR.