On 1 May, Carsten Fich (58) assumed the position as CEO of Naviair. He replaced Morten Dambæk, who retired after serving 17 years as CEO of Naviair. We talked to Carsten Fich in our section 5 Questions to....

Naviair has been with COOPANS from the beginning, what would you say have been the most significant developments since that time?

Having only just started as CEO in Naviair, it is quite early for me to point out the most significant developments. In my view the whole idea behind the COOPANS Alliance is genial. To cooperate on developing common systems solutions and pioneering the idea of harmonization and standardization is a brilliant approach.

As new CEO, what are your plans regarding the COOPANS alliance?

First of all, I need to get familiar with the network and the key persons involved. Secondly I guess I would like to keep up the pace and add my energy and ambitions – and I have to admit also impatience - to the common effort we need to put in to further develop our great partnership and present new results in the future.

COOPANS is growing, with NAV Portugal set to join the alliance. Do you believe COOPANS should continue to grow?

At a controlled speed, yes! We started out as three – now we are soon six members in the alliance including NAV Portugal. So right now our primary focus should be on the integration of our newest partner. However, we are not a closed society, so we should be open to share our great idea with new partners in the future.

What are the main challenges COOPANS is facing in the coming years?

Before answering this question, I would like to have some more months to get to know COOPANS better. One challenge we always face though is to avoid slowing down our pace. It is important to maintain a high level of shared ambitions and execute them.

Maybe as a final question, can tell us a little about yourself? What is your professional background and what kind of management style do you believe in?

I have an MSc and PhD from the Technical University of Denmark and have previously held senior executive positions in several Danish companies – public owned as well as owned by international private equity. From 2006 – 2015 I was CEO of NORD – the biggest single sited plant for hazardous waste handling. And before that I was part of the management team at the Ørestad Development Corporation, where as a COO, I helped to develop and commission the Copenhagen Metro and established the infrastructure in Ørestad. So you can say aviation and air control services are new to me and I have a lot to learn about our business. I am looking so much forward to that.

However, I hope I can contribute with my management experience. My management buzz words are value creation, motivation, openness, agility and KPIs. It is very important for me to get opinions and observations from all levels in the organization to make sure that no good idea is lost. And I am looking so much forward to work together with my team to reach new results for Naviair. Some of these results should be reached through the COOPANS Alliance.