Ali Sabanci: I am not the visionary as my father is
Everyone sees me as a visionary, but this was actually my father`s project He has had a file about such a project since the beginning of the 1990s. Today I am executing it two or three years ago-, I asked him, `Did you think you would own an airline company tike this He said, `No, I didn`t.` I could not buy the house I am currently living in with the money we bought Pegasus with.
Today Pegasus makes a turnover of roughly 5 7 billion. We are a family of 7,700 members. While our competitors declare losses, we make profits by a remarkable margin. Domestic flights have grown 15% during the last five years. Pegasus, meanwhile, has grown 42% each year. Today we make a profit because our costs are tow. We have given people the reflex of thinking. Everyone in our family knows how much profit we make every year. Last year we shared a profit of 7.7 million TL from our financial statement with our family members. We do not have passengers and employees; we have guests and family members. By saying this repeatedly, we have convinced everyone that it is true.
Company and establish trust
Firstly, to be the face of the company and establish trust in employees. Many players have come and gone in this market, 23 of which have left over the last 12-13 years. This creates major trust issues for employees. I have become the face of the company in order to establish this trust both internally and externally. Secondly, since I did not know about the business and was the chair of the board, I had the right to ask daft questions. In addition, some of the daft questions I asked have turned into practices that Pegasus guests see today.
We have another kind of energy in our company. Say the general manager did not go to work for two months; it would not be a problem. It wouldn`t be an issue if I didn`t go for two years. The system is very young and motivated. The colleague responsible for sales and marketing was born in 1970; he manages a business worth 51 billion. The one responsible for ground services was born in 1971; the whole operation depends on him. Our business is profitable, but more importantly, its energy is in place.
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