Fernando Conte Garcia's involvement with Iberia began after the carrier was privatised in April 2001, when he became an independent director. He also served on the board of Amadeus from 2000-3. For nearly three decades before he led Iberia, Conte worked for industrial conglomerate ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB), first serving in Latin America then rising through the ranks to become executive vice-president and chief executive of ABB's Spanish operations.
This was the same position that Xabier de Irala held at ABB before taking the helm at Iberia. De Irala was Conte's boss at ABB, so when he prepared to step down at Iberia in 2003, it was natural to propose that Conte follow in his footsteps. Their career paths may have parallels, but they have very different personalities and leadership approaches. "In leadership I rely very much on teamwork to start with," says Conte. He is also much more hands-on in the daily running of Iberia than was de Irala, who was a strategic player.
Conte is happy to stay in the background and questions the need for a visible figurehead like Virgin's Sir Richard Branson to embody the brand. "The important thing is the Iberia brand," he says, "independent of who's running the show."
Conte, 55, is married with two children. He has a degree in electromechanical engineering from Madrid's ICAI University and an MBA from the Institutu de Empresa.
Source: Airline Business
