I do not like the word ‘boss’. We work together as a team without stressing hierarchies.
Interview with Stefan Molnar
General Manager Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam & the Mekong Region at Lufthansa Group
What made you fascinated with Aviation Industry, and how did you get started in this business? Can you fly an airplane yourself?
In November it`s 20 years that I am with Lufthansa Group and working in this exciting industry. Coming from the tourism industry I have joined Austrian Airlines in November 1999 from where my journey in aviation started.
It`s difficult to summarize 20 years in just few sentences but the beauty of our industry is that we are connecting people, businesses and that almost everyone you meet has a unique story to tell. Plus, you meet so many people with different cultural background enriching your life. All this (and much more) makes my job so special and that’s what makes aviation in general so special: connecting the world. This key aspect about aviation is perfectly captured by our Lufthansa claim “Say Yes to the World”. Am I still excited about aviation after all these years? You best believe it: I would not trade working in our industry – and for Lufthansa – for any other job.
For many years I was holding a so called PPL-license (private pilot license) and I was flying everything from paragliders, gliders to single engine airplanes but the highlight was to land an Airbus A320 at our Lufthansa Aviation Training center in Vienna. An unforgettable experience!
As Lufthansa Group is one of the best European Airlines in Thailand, what are the significant factors that make you and your team succeed in the aviation industry?
Lufthansa Group is the largest European group of airlines in Thailand. With our brands Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings we are offering a total of 28 flights per week, connecting Bangkok with our hubs Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich located in the heart of Europe. We are also offering seasonal flights with our second Swiss carrier, Edelweiss, connecting Phuket with Zurich twice a week. Once you arrive at our hubs you can seamlessly tap into a comprehensive European and worldwide network comprising of 287 destinations in 86 countries.
But it’s not only our network that attracts millions of passengers every year. Every Lufthansa Group airline offers its guests state-of the-art, high-quality products and services. Customers frequently rate Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines as the three best quality airlines in Europe. However, services and products alone will not do. You need people like our cabin staff, driven to offer our guests excellent travel experiences on each and every of over 1.2 Mio. flights every year. I am proud to say: our crews without a doubt rank among the best in the world.
As the majority of Flight Attendants is mostly female, could you please explain to us why mostly women are selected for this role? Is it true that women have a stronger service-mind than men?
I wouldn`t say so. At the Lufthansa Group we have both: female and male flight attendants as well as female and male pilots. Gender is no criteria whatsoever to determine if someone is doing a great job and serving our customers in a professional manner. In other words: diversity is the name of the game for every company when they select the best for the job. That is why all Lufthansa Group job postings are advertised with the highest degree of transparency. Everyone has the opportunity to apply, regardless of e.g. gender.
What is the percentage of your female staff at Lufthansa Thailand?
In my immediate area of responsibility, the percentage of female staff is above 80 percent. We strongly focus on and strive for equality and diversity – just like every other area/branch of the Lufthansa Group.
25by2025 – this is the name of a new IATA (International Air Transport Association) campaign. By 2025, the proportion of women in airline management and in areas in which women are currently underrepresented shall increase by 25 percent or reach at least 25 percent. Needless to say that the Lufthansa Group fully backs this campaign.
How many CEOs, GMs at Lufthansa are female?
For the Lufthansa Group, diversity at management and staff levels is a fundamental prerequisite for remaining at the helm of our industry. Of our 136,000 employees worldwide, 46 per cent are women. They represent 16 per cent of all managers and 7 per cent of all pilots.
Promoting equality and diversity are at the core the Lufthansa Group in order to increase these numbers. That is why gender is one of the pillars the Lufthansa Group’s HR rests upon. For example, by 2021 we intend to increase the share of women at the first management level to 18 per cent and at second management level to 24 per cent. This move follows a nation-wide initiative with numerous major German companies collaborating.
Some examples: The project “Gender Diversity” was launched in 2016 to support the company’s Business Units focusing on gender diversity and to reach their female targets by 2021. Primary task of the project is to foster female “up” talents and to support the identified talents on their way to a leadership position. Programs such as “GoAhead”, a women’s leadership program for top females on team lead level is one part of the development. We further provide support with in-house mentoring, career counselling, assessment center briefings, coachings or female networking events.
Furthermore, the Lufthansa Group instituted programs designed to improve career opportunities for men and women alike to reconcile career demands with family life. In this regard, the personnel departments are working with the equality-of-opportunity representative to continuously develop further concepts and measures.
Overall, the Lufthansa Group advertises every open management position fully transparent to ensure the highest degree of diversity – everyone can apply.
What are the dominant differences that you see between female crews in Thailand and female crews in Austria?
Tough question, because our Austrian und Thai crews share same top-notch devotion, passion and drive for service excellence. They do an outstanding job making every flight a special one for each individual customer. Numerous awards for the Lufthansa Group airlines confirm this.
On that note: Our Thai crew members, flying for Lufthansa German Airlines on the route Bangkok-Frankfurt and for SWISS on the route Bangkok-Zurich are the perfect ambassadors of this wonderful country which is held in high esteem by our customers.
What is the biggest challenge for you, being ‘The Boss’ of Thai women and international female staffs working in Thailand?
Honestly, I do not like the word ‘boss’. We work together as a team without stressing hierarchies. I truly believe this is the right approach if you want to create a working environment where everyone is contributing to a company’s success.
Working in Thailand it is all about learning, understanding and respecting Thai culture. This is fundamentally important for me working together with my – truly great – team.
In your opinion, what are the must-have characters and capabilities of the ‘Ideal Female Crew’ in the aviation industry?
The ones that our all of our crews – be it female or male – show on a daily basis: an uncompromising passion for service excellence that goes beyond what you experience at many other airlines.
Did Lufthansa participate in the event ‘Girl in Aviation Day’ which encourages girls to be more interested in Aviation, especially in a pilot role?
We actively support numerous similar initiatives and events in Germany and Europe, and strongly encourage women to apply for jobs in previously male-dominated areas such as engineering and in the cockpit. As for female pilots: women are working as Lufthansa cockpit crew for more than 30 years. Today, we have female pilots commanding an A380, the 747 Jumbo Jet and many other major commercial aircraft types.
Who would be your ‘Woman of the Month’?
There are so many women who deserve to be “Woman of the Month”. However, I would always nominate my wife Yulia. Why? Because she is an independent thinker and pursues her goals with wit, charm, confidence and stamina. In other words: she’s simply the best.
