Panel: RM for the Future, A Leadership Perspective
Airline revenue management has been at the heart of an airline’s operations for decades. As the science evolves and airline priorities shift, what are leaders of RM looking for next? Join this panel of airline RM leaders as they discuss how RM departments are shifting due to changes in the travel landscape, new technologies and research, as well as nuances in their unique markets.
About the Moderator: Moderated by Justin Jander, Manager of Product Management, PROS. Justin is the current Manager of Product Management, where he is responsible for PROS OD. He has been at PROS for nearly 7 years, during which time he has overseen the continual improvement of PROS OD through new features and functionality. He has worked with airlines around the world to understand their revenue management practices and identify the best solutions for their business problems. Justin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master of Science degree in Statistical Science from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining PROS, Justin worked as a Financial Analysis Intern at Southwest Airlines. During this internship, he worked on projects that investigated the efficacy of various financial initiatives at the airline.
About the Panelists:
Giorgia Barbetta, Head of Airline Core Systems, Alitalia. Giorgia Barbetta is a specialist in the implementation and management of complex technological solutions for airlines, and has a consolidated experience on processes, tools and Revenue Management methodologies. Grown professionally in Alitalia and Sabre, she has collaborated with airlines from all over the world, taking the opportunity to analyze how processes and technological choices can be influenced by people’s culture and by the strategic vision of the management.
Her most exiting working experience was being part of the Alitalia team for implementing PROS O&DIII and Sabre PSS solutions in a 6 month timeframe: definitively a challenge, but such an energizing momentum sharing knowledge and emotions with amazing colleagues.
Alexey Dokuchaev, Head of R&D at Revenue Management and Pricing, S7 Airlines. In 2012, Alexey started as a Revenue Manager for S7 Airlines after graduating with a Masters in Economics and Statisics from Novosibirsk State University. After 5 years, he began to lead the R&D department inside of RM and Pricing. The department's main goals are to improve business processes and to fulfill revenue managers' workflow with rich and powerful tools and analytics. Some of the tools are developed in-house, based on big data and machine learning algorithms. In the beginning of 2018, Alexey started the S7 Dynamic Pricing project (S7 DP). And in 2019, S7 DP started a pilot on the S7 website.
Louis Ligon, Director, Yield Management, Frontier Airlines. Louie Ligon is the Director of Yield Management at Frontier Airlines. He has contributed to Frontier’s Commercial Team for over 9 years with experience in Revenue Management, Network Planning and Revenue Forecasting & Analytics. From bankruptcy to merger and acquisition to business transformation, Louie has helped navigate the complexities of a modern airline. His team is responsible for ticket revenue production and has been critical to the success of Frontier’s transition to a ULCC. Always searching for advantages in today’s highly competitive market, Louie will help lead Frontier’s upgrade to PROS RM Essentials in 2019.
James Portnoy, Manager of Operational Strategy, Aeromar. James Portnoy leads Aeromar's strategic unit, including negotiations and implementation all of new systems. During his term at Aeromar, James also formed and led the Revenue Management and Network Planning teams. He also helped Avianca restructure major operational processes during a 9 month long consulting project. Previously, James worked at Citigroup where he helped re-imagine their risk rating methodology. James graduated cum laude from NYU Stern School of Business.