ary Chapman is Presidentof Group Services and Dnata,Emirates Group. Having beenwith the company for two decades,he has seen Dnata’s business, whichincludes ground handling, cargo, travelservices and an international division,grow exponentially. On Dnata’s 50thanniversary, Chapman talks about thecompany with pride and of the staff who have worked with dedication andenthusiasm to make it what it is today.

“Having been in the business for50 years we’ve established a reputationfor high standards and delivering onour promises,” Chapman says. “Dnatahas demonstrated consistency, but thatdoesn’t mean we haven’t got room toimprove. The quest for high standards,efficiency, better delivery and highercustomer satisfaction is somethingwe strive for on a continual basis.People and businesses warm to that andrealise, in the long term, if they wantto have a safe, secure relationship witha service provider, we’re a good bet.”“I’ve been very fortunate to inheritfrom my predecessors a well-runorganisation and to benefit from thecontinued support and guidance of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum,President of Dubai Civil AviationAuthority, Chairman of Dubai Airportsand Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; MauriceFlanagan and other senior managementof the Emirates Group.”Dnata has embraced newopportunities during Chapman’sassociation with the company. Butrefreshingly, it takes a modest approachto expansion. “We’ve never taken theview that we want to be the biggest;there are other ground handlingorganisations that can claim that fameand the problems that go with that!A lot of people believe that you needto provide global coverage but itdoesn’t work like that. Customers,either passengers or airlines, lookat the service at that particular airport,at that destination,” explains Chapman.“Fifteen years ago we ventured intolooking after ground handling at fourPakistani airports,” Chapman says.“I was involved in the establishmentof that joint venture and it’s beena wonderful success.” Dnata’sinternational ground handling businessnow operates at 17 airports globallyand has tripled its business in the pastthree years.“We’ve acquired businesses whosestandard of service is in keeping withDnata’s own or where we can makechanges to bring it into line with ourexisting businesses to ensure it meetsexpectations. There’s no point in usgoing into a business to make moneyand then [letting] the standards slip.We don’t want to simply maximiseon the return for our investmentin a short period of time, with noconsideration for the customer andthe businesses they in turn arerunning. That’s not how we do things.”

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Gary Chapman has a hands-on approach to management

Quest for excellence

Gary Chapman, President of Group Services and Dnata, believes thecompany’s efforts to provide quality service consistently, along witha motivated workforce, have been instrumental in its remarkable growth

By Ggna Wlsn-Pwll

Having been inthe business for 50years we’ve establisheda reputation for highstandards and deliveringon our promises.

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Along with keeping a watchful eye onthe people and processes that go tocreate high standards, Dnata has alsoinvested significant sums in technology,especially in its cargo businesses.“We’ve been a leader in innovationon the cargo side, especially so withthe new technology we’ve consistentlyimplemented. We’ve been a leader inintroducing low-cost operations here atDubai International Airport, which havebeen copied at other airports. We’vebeen good at recognising what is neededin the long term, especially with newtechnology.”Dnata is perhaps most recognisablein Dubai for its travel services business,headquartered in the familiar mirror-fronted building on the Sheikh ZayedRoad. Chapman believes the divisionhas about 40 per cent market sharewithin the industry.“The travel services branch of Dnatahas offices in all the GCC countries nowas well as an office in Kabul. Travelpresents a different set of challengesin a different business but we basicallyadopt the same approach. We’ve wonawards for being the Best TravelService Provider in the Middle Eastfor the past few years,” says Chapman.“It demonstrates that we’ve built thebusiness on high quality service anddelivering what we promised to deliver.”For the aviation and travel servicesindustry, Dnata’s 50th year comesat a tough time; both business modelsare changing rapidly with traditionalrevenue avenues experiencing a dip.Despite this, in 2008-09 Dnata recordedits highest-ever profit.“Customers want to see valueaddition; the old model is changingand becoming a supportive, travelmanagement business,” he explains.“You have to make sure you’ve got thebest travel arrangements, pricing,service and accessibility. It’s not just about delivering a ticket. Thecompanies, like Dnata, who can providethat end-to-end management are theones that are going to do better.”In 50 years, Dnata has seen Dubaispring up around it, rising from a smallport to an international travel hub, andalongside it, the company’s staff hasalso grown. Chapman now heads about12,000 staff across all Dnata divisionsand it’s these individuals who makethe company what it is today, a successboth at home and abroad.“Dnata’s journey has been one of steady, solid growth. It’s been a positiveexperience and we have a belief thatemployees should be well looked afterand well respected,” he says. “If you lookat our organisation the contributionof our people is phenomenal. And by andlarge they join us and stay with us. Atthe end of the day that’s testimonyto the kind of business we are and howwe take care of our staff.”

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But how does a company as big asDnata continue to have a satisfiedand motivated workforce? Chapmanexplains. “It’s important to have reallygood HR practices and policies andI think the Emirates Group and Dnataare among the leaders in that. If youhaven’t got a solid foundation theneverything else just falls down aroundyou,” he says.“A business needs rules andregulations, but there is also a needfor sensible flexibility from time totime. Most importantly, you need tomake sure that you are as consistentin the application of those as you canbe. We believe we’re good at lookingafter our staff, helping them and beingcompassionate when it really matters.Business is not always just about moneybut about people and I am passionatein that respect.”With so much experience under hisbelt, Chapman has seen Dnata growand achieve particular successes thatare close to his heart. “I am immenselyproud of the fact that we have goneglobal and still maintained highstandards and reputations so that nowwhen we look at Dnata we can feelconfident and comfortable.”“The company has faced uniquechallenges in its past, such ascomplicated regional expansion, andwill continue to do so in its future. Thenew Dubai World Central airport atJebel Ali will be coming online soon,which will bring its own set of issuesfor Dnata to work with,” he continues.“Any situation where you’re operatingdual airports can be difficult,” saysChapman. “The airport will handle bothcargo and passengers but we don’t knowyet how it will be split. It’s importantto try to grow the pie, not just movesome of it to another location. But Dnatais well embedded in the airport and inDubai and is committed to supportingDubai, so we will find a way to do whatis needed. It’s more important to usto put things in place that will be goodfor the city, rather than being drivenby that last dollar. We don’t argue aboutit, we just get on with it. It’s unusualand I don’t think you would get thatlevel of commitment in any otherenvironment. I consider that to bea major plus and it’s why the cityworks so well.”Chapman continues to be proudof the workforce that will help himachieve all this and speaks passionatelyabout them. As President of Dnata,he is dynamic, strong and confidentin his management.“There are cycles of business andI’ve been around long enough to seethis business go full cycle and it alwayscomes back to the same thing. You’ve gotto have a workforce which is motivated,a workforce that will go that extra milefor you, a workforce which is proudto be part of the business. Then yousimply have to give them guidance andsupport and mesh all that together.If you see something that is not quiteright, you’ve got to adjust things, bringin new practices and get everythingback online.”Having worked his way to the topover the past 20 years, Chapman knowshis organisation and his industry insideout and has developed a particularmanagement style for Dnata. “I’m agreat believer in the ‘feet-on-the-ground’approach. You’ve got to be preparedto roll your sleeves up and get yourhands dirty. I don’t think you should beprepared to ask anyone to do somethingif you wouldn’t do it yourself.”“As a company we are wellstructured, well organised and wellmanaged and we have great people.You need all of that to make anybusiness work. We’re in a serviceindustry, so we need to make surethat people feel good about their jobs,about themselves and about howthey’re managed. I think we’ve got thatbalance right”.As Dubai keeps growing, you canexpect Dnata to be there, but its sightsare not just set on the local market.As an international player, Dnata iscontinually looking at opportunitiesto continue expanding its businesshorizons overseas.“We are looking at opportunitieswhere we can get a reasonable return.That’s something we do have to berealistic about, because the groundhandling business is a mature andcompetitive one, which means themargins are small. Nevertheless,we will continue to have acquisitionsin the future. In fact, there are two forwhich negotiations are well advancedbut I can’t say any more than that!We’ll announce both new ventures, allbeing well, but when the time is right.”

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Never one to sit back and becomplacent, Chapman is focusing onthe future and while new acquisitionscertainly play a part in that, he believesthe true way to success lies in keepingan eye on things closer to home,where he is constantly lookingfor improvement.“When we are asked to talk aboutour strategies for the future, peoplethink you are going to reveal somethingtotally profound and hair-raising!But business isn’t like that. It’s aboutensuring you are doing the basics,doing them well and doing themconsistently. I’m involved in a widevariety of businesses but if we can’tget the basics right such as employingstaff who smile at customers, deliveringon our promises and servicing ourcustomers on time, then we don’t havea future. My challenge going forwardis to continue to work on those basics,because the moment you think you haveit sorted, you’re in trouble!”

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Dnata Travel Services has won numerous awards

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Maurice FlanaganH.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum

G u l f N e w s a r c h i v e

Dnata’s international ground handling businesses operate in 17 airports globally, including Dubai International