I usually only cover airline management changes at the CEO level, unless there’s an interesting angle to it. Well, here’s one where there’s definitely a unique angle. I’m going to be very careful with what I say here, but I think this is a change that many at Etihad will have strong opinions about.
Etihad executive Arik De leaves airline suddenly
Etihad Chief Revenue & Commercial Officer Arik De has left the airline, effective immediately. Someone tipped me off on this earlier. I checked Etihad’s leadership page at the time, and his profile was still there, only to be removed a short while later.
In the meantime, De has taken to LinkedIn to confirm that he’s leaving:
Today, nearly 5 years later, a wonderful chapter of my life comes to an end. Proud to have been part of the great Etihad transformation – from an airline with 3B USD in revenue to nearly 10B USD, and a sustainable profit trajectory that allows for a bright future.
As I leave behind an airline fundamentally different in every aspect than the one I joined, more diverse on each and every leadership level, of course there are innumerable things to be proud of. However, the one that makes me most proud is the team I leave behind. The team who really deserve all the credit for where Etihad is today.
Finally, a big thank you to Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Without the platform this country provides, I could not have gone beyond borders of what was deemed possible. As I look forward to my next role, I will forever remain in debt.
His announcement mentions a bunch of names, though interestingly, the CEO isn’t someone he is thanking. It sure seems likely to me that he was let go, and that this was done with little notice, as no replacement has been announced for his role. Furthermore, as I understand it from some contacts, there were no clues of this being imminent, aside from at the very top.
De was appointed to the role of Chief Revenue Officer in December 2022, and then was promoted to Chief Revenue & Commercial Officer in December 2023. De previously worked at carriers including WestJet, Air Asia, Aeromexico, and TAP Air Portugal. He came to Etihad as part of the new ex-TAP Air Portugal management team, when current CEO Antonoaldo Neves was appointed to his role.
I certainly have some strong thoughts on this
As I said above, I’m trying to be careful about how I cover this. In May 2024, I wrote about how a former airline executive took to LinkedIn to accuse another airline executive of essentially creating an alter ego, “Ivander Sebastian,” to simply flatter himself. I won’t go over that here, but check out that post, as the whole situation is just super cringe.
I’ve never met De, or interacted with him, beyond one email exchange, which I found a little odd on one level (but that’s neither here nor there). However, I have to be honest, I can’t say I’ve heard very good things about the work culture he created at the airline. There’s no denying that he’s outwardly very charming and charismatic, and he always says the right things, publicly thanks staff, and seems like a team player.
But of course broadly speaking, there’s also often a difference between how people present themselves publicly, and how they really act, especially when they’re someone who thinks they’re always the smartest person in the room.
I am curious what the reason for his sudden departure is, though. Reading between the lines, it seems highly likely he was let go by the CEO, based on him not even mentioning the CEO in his announcement. As positive of a spin as he tries to put on the LinkedIn post, it doesn’t sound like something from someone who left voluntarily.
Etihad has certainly had an interesting several years. The airline has grown a lot, and based on listening to executives at the carrier, you’d think that they’re absolutely rolling in dough in terms of profitability. Even throughout the current war, the executives seem completely unfazed, which makes you wonder. I think there’s a little more here than meets the eye…
Bottom line
Etihad Chief Revenue & Commercial Officer Arik De has suddenly left the airline. Etihad has undergone quite the transformation in recent years, and De has been in charge of the carrier’s strategy. So to see him leave at a time that’s this challenging is a little unusual.
Everyone can decide for themselves what they make of this, but I think some people in Abu Dhabi will have some strong opinions here, so feel free to sound off in the comments. There are a lot of smart people working at Etihad, so I hope someone with a little less hubris is given an opportunity here…
What do you make of this Etihad executive change?
With Arik gone, I guess Iβll have a lot more free time now that Iβm no longer spending half my day discussing conspiracy theories with him.
In the meantime, as VP of Samosa, I remain committed to Engagement & Enablement. A fresh tray of Samosa has been served to encourage strategic thinking and meaningful contributions. Please engage strategically.
if someone with power reads this - please do something for cargo - we are really suffering
Good for nothing
Arik De seems to have gotten away with quite a bit β¦ it would be interesting to hear from employees from other Airlines he worked in , as if he was behaving in similar fashion or did not deliver then hopefully he does NOT go to any other Airline. Etihad , you need to clear house β¦. Oh thatβs right , shut down the debate when the truth is exposed !!
Dear Emirati leaders, investigators. Here's the list of names mentioned in the comments section with a summary of areas of toxicity they played a role in. More than 30 names!!
- Arik De (Concerns about his leadership style, how he treated employees, and lack of accountability)
- Antonoaldo Neves (Questions about his oversight of management, company culture, and overall strategy)
- Dr. Nadia (Concerns that HR wasn't doing enough to protect employees or...
Dear Emirati leaders, investigators. Here's the list of names mentioned in the comments section with a summary of areas of toxicity they played a role in. More than 30 names!!
- Arik De (Concerns about his leadership style, how he treated employees, and lack of accountability)
- Antonoaldo Neves (Questions about his oversight of management, company culture, and overall strategy)
- Dr. Nadia (Concerns that HR wasn't doing enough to protect employees or address complaints)
- Javier / Javi (Complaints about his management style and treatment of employees)
- Danielle / Dani Ryan (Concerns about how teams were managed and restructured)
- Jyotsna (Criticism of management practices and lack of accountability)
- Jyothi (Mentioned by commenters calling for leadership changes)
- Wei , Win (Questions about revenue management decisions and leadership)
- Adria (Concerns about leadership decisions and promotions)
- Paolo Echeverri (Questions about fairness in recruitment and hiring)
- Karen Clayton (Questions about management oversight and handling employee concerns)
- Ruaraidh Smeaton (Concerns about leadership, promotions, and team restructuring)
- Kavita I (Complaints about how employees were treated)
- Jagdish (Complaints about his management style and how he spoke to employees)
- Cristina Hostench (Questions about whether promotions were fair)
- David D (Concerns about promotions and favoritism)
- Mark P (Questions about promotions and management behaviour)
- Fatima AlSahlawi (Questions about leadership and accountability)
- Amal (Concerns about HR's handling of restructuring and employee issues)
- Stanislas Brun (Complaints about leadership style, treatment of employees, and how Cargo was managed)
- Leonard Rodriguez (Concerns about restructuring decisions and treatment of staff)
- Grant Kempt (Questions about how Cargo operations and compliance were handled)
- Abdul Wasif (Concerns about oversight and compliance within Cargo)
- Elvis (Questions about recruitment decisions and ability to perform the role)
Ex EY Employees:
- Amina T (Questions about her marketing leadership and allege misuse of company funds for personal celebrations)
- Summer (Questions about her promotions after poor business performance and inappropriate workplace conduct)
I am joining Etihad next month and i was trying to find the work culture because i was moving from north america to uae ,and then someone posted this link on reddit ,kudos to him. I started reading and searching each and every person on linkedin and after reading almost a dozen of comments surely something is wrong, i wonder how the Director officials are the one is playing this nasty game. Any suggestion to...
I am joining Etihad next month and i was trying to find the work culture because i was moving from north america to uae ,and then someone posted this link on reddit ,kudos to him. I started reading and searching each and every person on linkedin and after reading almost a dozen of comments surely something is wrong, i wonder how the Director officials are the one is playing this nasty game. Any suggestion to new joinees after reading all this comments, i dont know how to take all this in head while i was looking for a good wrk culture, im in service recovery role. Do these people shout and yell at employees at floor? that so crazy.
Runaway and donβt go ! Donβt leave your life for this culture
It is deeply disappointing that Dr. Nadia, who is expected to represent Emirati interests, is perceived by many as failing to empower her own people. Emirati nationals deserve opportunities to hold key leadership positions, not to be confined to junior roles while senior positions remain out of reach. No one should be allowed to undermine the development and representation of Emiratis within their own national institutions.
Dear Chairman of Etihad,
It is time to address...
It is deeply disappointing that Dr. Nadia, who is expected to represent Emirati interests, is perceived by many as failing to empower her own people. Emirati nationals deserve opportunities to hold key leadership positions, not to be confined to junior roles while senior positions remain out of reach. No one should be allowed to undermine the development and representation of Emiratis within their own national institutions.
Dear Chairman of Etihad,
It is time to address this serious loss of confidence in Dr. Nadiaβs leadership. Many Emiratis have lost faith in her and no longer believe she represents their interests. We urge you to take decisive action and reconsider her position. Etihad must stand for empowering Emirati talent, developing national leaders, and giving UAE nationals the opportunities they deserve at every level of the organisation.
I completely agree. sheβs determined to make life difficult for UAE Nationals, pushing them to the point where they either lose hope or decide to leave
UPDATE: they blocked this website in the entire UAE so that no one can access this. It's not just the article but its this entire website
Yes good thing that literally everyone has VPN on their phones :)
Guys if they shut this website down weβre all meeting on Reddit okay? :)
I think someone needs to share the link to this post and tag Emirati leaders and high profiles or Emaratis EY staff should make sure that they share these comments with the royal family..otherwise, not much will change. I am sure the royal family will not accept a UAE national carrier to be going through this. If someone has already shared this on Linkedin, then please share the link here and whoever wants to, can...
I think someone needs to share the link to this post and tag Emirati leaders and high profiles or Emaratis EY staff should make sure that they share these comments with the royal family..otherwise, not much will change. I am sure the royal family will not accept a UAE national carrier to be going through this. If someone has already shared this on Linkedin, then please share the link here and whoever wants to, can increase the exposure by liking and commenting on the post.
I just made a post on the /etihad subreddit. Anyone feel free to comment there.
what's the link?
https://www.reddit.com/r/etihad/comments/1x23q0w/arik_ousted_what_happened/
Dani stop trying to get coffee with Wei and trying to be best friends with him. The whole world could see and hear how fake you were. Also stop pretending that you got manipulated into acting the way that you did because everyone clearly knows that you are more can capable of acting that way by your own.
Dani really really needs to go !!
After reading all the comments, two stories stood out to me the most: the cabin crew incident and the employee from the KSA team who had cancer.
As Etihad employees, we are aware of many internal issues, but these two stories are particularly shocking. I remember the KSA employee very well. She was exceptionally talented and achieved in less than a year what others had not accomplished in years. Her dedication and contributions were evident...
After reading all the comments, two stories stood out to me the most: the cabin crew incident and the employee from the KSA team who had cancer.
As Etihad employees, we are aware of many internal issues, but these two stories are particularly shocking. I remember the KSA employee very well. She was exceptionally talented and achieved in less than a year what others had not accomplished in years. Her dedication and contributions were evident to everyone.
How could HR fail to recognize her value and allow things to reach this point? Where is the humanity and accountability? How are Javier and other senior leaders allowed to get away with such behavior?
I first heard about the cancer story in KSA through this comment section. After checking with colleagues, I found out Javi had nothing to do with it. It was her former GM, now an RGM in another region. This guy is widely seen as toxic, hypocritical, and not even qualified to be called a manager
I only interacted with her a few times, but she was genuinely impressive. From what Iβve heard, several senior leaders were involved. However, it would be great to hear directly from her if she is willing to clarify the full story.
As far as I know, before she left Etihad, she tried to transfer to another department to distance herself from the issues with her manager. A few months after leaving, she went through another...
I only interacted with her a few times, but she was genuinely impressive. From what Iβve heard, several senior leaders were involved. However, it would be great to hear directly from her if she is willing to clarify the full story.
As far as I know, before she left Etihad, she tried to transfer to another department to distance herself from the issues with her manager. A few months after leaving, she went through another recruitment process for a different department, received an offer, and then had it withdrawn. This raises serious questions, especially given what Iβve heard about Javierβs involvement in the decision. I believe there is much more to this story that deserves clarification.
Regardless of who was involved, the bigger question is: where was HR throughout all of this? Is their role simply to follow managementβs instructions without questioning their decisions or ensuring accountability? Where are the professionalism, integrity, and ethical standards that HR is supposed to uphold? HR should be there to protect employees and ensure fairness, not merely approve managementβs decisions.
Just wow !
Yeah. This guy is a scumbag with zero leadership skills and no capabilities
I totally agree β¦ !!
We owe a message to our frontline champions in the outstations. You are the pride of Etihad and the true ambassadors of our airline. You represent our brand on the front lines, far from headquarters, and you deserve respect, appreciation, and leadership that stands beside you rather than humiliates you.
For far too long, we failed you, and for that, we sincerely apologize.
You endured humiliation, bullying, harassment, excessive pressure, and degrading comments. You...
We owe a message to our frontline champions in the outstations. You are the pride of Etihad and the true ambassadors of our airline. You represent our brand on the front lines, far from headquarters, and you deserve respect, appreciation, and leadership that stands beside you rather than humiliates you.
For far too long, we failed you, and for that, we sincerely apologize.
You endured humiliation, bullying, harassment, excessive pressure, and degrading comments. You were yelled at and treated in ways no professional should ever have to tolerate. You deserved a leader who empowered you, supported you, and recognized your contributions β not someone who made you feel small.
And I know many of you asked yourselves the same question: Why does Arik need to bring an entire team from headquarters just to meet one or two sales executives at an outstation? Why?
The answer is that these trips appeared to serve Arik's own interests more than the people he was supposed to support. He seemed all too happy to take advantage of the system, travelling in premium class and staying in hotels paid for by the company, all at Etihad's expense. Meanwhile, the very employees he travelled to meet were left enduring humiliation and being yelled at.
Etihad's resources should be used to support the business and its people, not to facilitate a leader's luxurious lifestyle.
But fear no more, my dear outstation colleagues. You deserve to work without intimidation, to speak without fear, and to represent Etihad with pride. With Arik gone, a new chapter must begin β one built on respect, accountability, and genuine leadership.
And Javi, the spotlight is now on you. After everything that has happened, how will you face the very people who have endured these experiences? How will you rebuild their trust and credibility?
My advice is simple: do the right thing, take responsibility, and consider whether stepping down is the most honourable decision you can make.
Our outstation colleagues deserve better. Etihad deserves better. And this time, their voices must not be ignored.
I completely agree with you , but just not Javi . Itβs also Dani , Nadia , Jyotsna that need to be shown the door .
Jyothi, too...
Jagdish is honestly no different from Arik. He literally shouts across the whole floor, talks down to people, and carries himself like heβs the smartest person in the room. Itβs genuinely irritating to be around.
If this is the kind of management style being allowed, HR should seriously look at how people are being treated and whether this is the culture the company actually wants to encourage.
I deeply feel that Dani , Javi , Win,Jyotsna and Nadia deserve to be kicked out !! Why only AD ? Why are the rest still allowed to enjoy the perks when they are the real snakes ? And Neves is the worst CEO ever . So incapable .. why is he still there ? Why take action against only 1 person ? How is that fair ?
I dont defend Neves, but the worst CEO was Hogan, at least Neves opened more new routes for etihad in 5 years than Hogan did in 13 years
Both JH and AN are equally bad. Opening routes is one thing (it is the easiest) but for them to be profitable is another thing. Opening routes and closing them after few months (due to revenue loss) is manipulation. I am not defending Hogan or his management style, it was equally toxic, but during his time, at least EY employees were envied (with the EY name and benefits that came) and EY was a prestigious...
Both JH and AN are equally bad. Opening routes is one thing (it is the easiest) but for them to be profitable is another thing. Opening routes and closing them after few months (due to revenue loss) is manipulation. I am not defending Hogan or his management style, it was equally toxic, but during his time, at least EY employees were envied (with the EY name and benefits that came) and EY was a prestigious airline back then. Antonaldo, Arik and their bootlickers made it a trashy airline and employees now feel ashamed to say that they work in EY.
There are far more capable Emirati candidates that can run the airline.
Can someone tell what will happen to the remaining managers, like Javi and Dani? I feel like this will end with AD leaving while the rest get off scot-free. Nothing will change because theyβre still being protected by HR and Compliance. Theyβre all in the same boat.
No think things are about to change. The level of exposure here is insane. And trust me, these conversations arenβt just happening on this website. People at other airlines are talking about it too.
And at least people like Dani and Javi know how people feel about them haha. Imagine going to work every day knowing that people canβt stand you, and everyone knows about your shady past.
Dani , Javi , Win,Jyotsna and Nadia deserve to be kicked out !! Why only AD ? Why are the rest still allowed to enjoy the perks when they are the real snakes ?
Javiβs management record and the way employees were treated under his leadership deserve serious and impartial scrutiny. Employeesβ concerns should not be dismissed, and no manager should be shielded from accountability because of their position or internal connections
The time has come for a real change in Global Sales. The department needs a fresh start built on professional competence, genuine sales expertise, strong market relationships, and respect for employees
Javiβs management record and the way employees were treated under his leadership deserve serious and impartial scrutiny. Employeesβ concerns should not be dismissed, and no manager should be shielded from accountability because of their position or internal connections
The time has come for a real change in Global Sales. The department needs a fresh start built on professional competence, genuine sales expertise, strong market relationships, and respect for employees
AD was an extremely toxic leader, completely unfit for an organisation with the reputation and stature of a national carrier like Etihad. Those reporting directly to him seemed to lack the courage to challenge wrongdoing or speak up when things were clearly wrong. Instead, they simply nodded along.
I have personally heard Kavita (Digital) screaming at and publicly berating her team members on the office floor early in the morning. The culture seemed to value...
AD was an extremely toxic leader, completely unfit for an organisation with the reputation and stature of a national carrier like Etihad. Those reporting directly to him seemed to lack the courage to challenge wrongdoing or speak up when things were clearly wrong. Instead, they simply nodded along.
I have personally heard Kavita (Digital) screaming at and publicly berating her team members on the office floor early in the morning. The culture seemed to value hours spent in the office over actual performance and results. Having a life outside work was practically treated as a crime. Attending to family responsibilities, medical appointments, or even essential personal errands was frowned upon. Employees who were unwell were mocked rather than treated with basic empathy.
I still remember a town hall where Arik was celebrated for attending work while his fatherβs funeral was taking place. Think about the message that sends: if a leader is expected to set aside grief and show up at work, what chance does anyone else have of being allowed to mourn? Personal sacrifice was glorified, while basic human needs and boundaries were disregarded.
HR, which should have been a safe channel for employees to raise concerns, allegedly became another source of intimidation. Employees were threatened with consequences for supposedly spreading negativity when they voiced concerns or gave honest feedback in employee surveys. Some were even terminated. How can an organisation build trust when speaking up feels like a risk to one's career?
There were also serious questions about leadership entitlement. AD reportedly expected complimentary hotel suites wherever he travelled, whether for business or personal stays. It was treated as an expectation rather than a privilege. That speaks volumes about the culture of entitlement at the top.
Dani's conduct has been particularly disappointing. She is SHAMELESS.
Seeing her continue to walk the corridors as though nothing has happened raises serious questions about accountability. Employees who experienced or witnessed this behaviour deserve to see meaningful consequences, not business as usual.
And as for Javi, enough has already been said about his capabilities and leadership.
Ultimately, a company's reputation is not protected by its name alone. It is shaped by how its people are treated, whether leaders are held accountable, and whether employees can speak up without fear. No organisation should glorify burnout, punish honesty, or expect people to sacrifice their dignity and personal lives to prove their commitment. Leadership is a responsibility, not a licence to intimidate or demand unquestioning loyalty.
Shame on you all for allowing people to go through these kinds of experiences!!
Literally, nobody wants to join EY anymore, and even those who do often leave after a few months or a year, or as soon as they find a better opportunity. They simply treat EY as a stepping stone because they know how toxic the work environment is.
I was sitting with an ambassador and shared my experience at EY. What surprised...
Shame on you all for allowing people to go through these kinds of experiences!!
Literally, nobody wants to join EY anymore, and even those who do often leave after a few months or a year, or as soon as they find a better opportunity. They simply treat EY as a stepping stone because they know how toxic the work environment is.
I was sitting with an ambassador and shared my experience at EY. What surprised me most was that nobody seemed shocked, because they were already aware of how horrible the workplace culture is.
Dear Dr. Nadia, Fatima AlSahlawi, and all the current VPs who worked under Arik: Step aside and make room for better leaders, because you do not deserve to hold these positions.
Now imagine what cabin crew are going through: pay cuts, reduced benefits, minimum crew operating flights, harsh disciplinary measures for minor issues, and intimidation when crew call in sick.
Managers in the office constantly put crew under pressure, while cabin crew fly non-stop, often for the same salary they were earning 10 years ago. The workload keeps increasing, the pressure never stops, and the appreciation and support keep disappearing. Crew are demotivated like never...
Now imagine what cabin crew are going through: pay cuts, reduced benefits, minimum crew operating flights, harsh disciplinary measures for minor issues, and intimidation when crew call in sick.
Managers in the office constantly put crew under pressure, while cabin crew fly non-stop, often for the same salary they were earning 10 years ago. The workload keeps increasing, the pressure never stops, and the appreciation and support keep disappearing. Crew are demotivated like never before.
Like many, I've watched the comments come in over the last few days from brave people sharing hard experiences, and I debated whether to add mine. I'm adding it.
I uprooted my family to move to the UAE, believing I was joining something that could be truly great. Instead, the fairy tale became one of a decision to make a swift exit, because the culture inside RevC made it beyond untenable.
Arik may have set...
Like many, I've watched the comments come in over the last few days from brave people sharing hard experiences, and I debated whether to add mine. I'm adding it.
I uprooted my family to move to the UAE, believing I was joining something that could be truly great. Instead, the fairy tale became one of a decision to make a swift exit, because the culture inside RevC made it beyond untenable.
Arik may have set the tone, but the leaders beneath him carried it out. From Javier Alija, VP of Sales to Dani Ryan, Director of Marketing, and Joystna, it just got worse and worse, and what I saw were leader who didn't back their people. Take Javier, who had RGMs and sales managers removed because they didn't support his mandate and because his boss did not like them, when the real problem was that they knew his βstrategyβ would not work (if we can call it strategy). When it didn't work, the blame went down, never up. Then, to solve the problem of Javiβs lack of experience, he brought in external consultants for a transformation project scoped at five months. More than a year later it still isn't complete and hasn't delivered anything material. Not to mention, these consultants were Brazilian with ties to Antonoaldo, and limited checks were carried in the procurement, audit and compliance processes. That is the cost of the decisions made, and the people who paid for it were the ones pushed out.
Dani Ryan was no different. I have seen her scream at team members, colleagues and peers in front of their colleagues and speak to people in a way no one should be spoken to at work. Of all the leaders who followed Arik's example, her treatment of people was the hardest to watch, and it became apparent both Javi and Dani lacked the experience and knowledge to lead the teams they were tasked to lead, and the more pressure they received and no ability to respond on their own, the pressure was consistently passed downwards and outwards.
The late nights, the yelling, the lost weekends for last minute midday meetings, the inappropriate commentary, the expectation that RevC operated under different rules from the rest of the organisation, the bizarre duty travel itineraries, the random out of cycle promotions, the pretty boys who joined the RevC department, and an HR function that witnessed it and blamed those who spoke up in exit interviews: none of this was hidden.
In my view, the pressure of these roles outweighed the experience the leaders brought to them, and instead of owning that, they passed it onto their teams. I hope the organisation reflects honestly and puts experienced, respectful leadership in place. I hope EY gets back to greatness one day, there are truly such great people there doing great work.
To those who led with grace and empathy, including Mariya, Jurriaan and Greg, and to those who left voluntarily or involuntarily: you deserved better.
Funny story that perfectly sums up how Commercial and Marketing worked: during Ramadan, an internal email announced reduced working hours, and people in other departments could leave around 4 pm. In Commercial and Marketing, nothing changed.
To make things even better, every two or three days, Arik would randomly walk around his areas at around 9 pm, taking pictures of people still sitting in the office.
Apparently, in Commercial and Marketing, performance wasn't measured by...
Funny story that perfectly sums up how Commercial and Marketing worked: during Ramadan, an internal email announced reduced working hours, and people in other departments could leave around 4 pm. In Commercial and Marketing, nothing changed.
To make things even better, every two or three days, Arik would randomly walk around his areas at around 9 pm, taking pictures of people still sitting in the office.
Apparently, in Commercial and Marketing, performance wasn't measured by what you actually achieved, but by how late you stayed at the office.
I have worked at Etihad for over a decade and therefore have seen the different styles of leadership under Hogan, Douglas and Neves. I resigned this summer as I had served my time in the Middle East and wanted to end my career in USA. I enjoyed my friends and social life with the Etihad cohort outside the office premises but inside was unfortunately a well-crafted torture chamber for the fickle minded.
There are two...
I have worked at Etihad for over a decade and therefore have seen the different styles of leadership under Hogan, Douglas and Neves. I resigned this summer as I had served my time in the Middle East and wanted to end my career in USA. I enjoyed my friends and social life with the Etihad cohort outside the office premises but inside was unfortunately a well-crafted torture chamber for the fickle minded.
There are two people over the past decade who have had the most direct complaints registered against them at HR namely Alex Featherstone and Arik De. Both would be prime candidates to graduate with a Phd in Corporate Dictatorship but Arik Deβs behavior with staff crossed all lines of human decency and ethics. Featherstoneβs wrath was limited to Network Planning plus Scheduling departments and over a dozen people resigned due to his style of management and obnoxious behavior. He moved on to work for Philippine Airlines for a year and is now based back in the Middle East at Riyadh Air. I hope with all sincerity that he has had time to reflect and improve his behavior with his subordinates at the new workplace.
On the other hand, Arik De at Etihad was a masterclass in disguise and an internally tormented individual wanting to not be associated with being an Indian but rather a White man. His middle name of Kumar is always left out quite conveniently as he is ashamed of his ethnic background (unless when he is doing media rounds in India itself). He came to Etihad in November 2022 and therefore had completed 3 years 11 months of full time service despite his farewell message saying βalmost 5 yearsβ. He is very much gay and is obvious for all to see. He did promote a boat load more men than women during his four years at Etihad and we all can understand why.
In 2023, Arik Kumar De was not as active as he was in 2025 and 2026 on social media for good reason. He did not have anything major to fall back on as leverage and was busy trying to sniff out information via his alter ego profile Ivander Sebastian. Once Etihad officially announced in January 2024 that it made a surprising net profit in 2023, his ego and power hungry mindset went into overdrive. Consistently across social media platforms, he would hail it as the βgreatest transformation in airline historyβ, βthe best airline team in the worldβ whilst a vicious purge was on going within the commercial department of any staff dissenting, speaking up or even sounding as though they properly understand the commercial airline business. When his Linkedin scandal broke in May 2024, one would logically expect the CEO and HR head to take firm action but nothing happened. Rather, the CEO protected him which further unleased the beast within.
Arik left out though the primary reasons for the surprising net profit results which continued on in 2024 and 2025. Etihad had followed the similar accounting playbook of few airlines in the post-covid era and had parked its entire historical legacy debt into another entity thus not to be shown in its own financials. In addition, expenses such as mega sponsorship deals ($$$) of sport events, high profile teams, sport stadium naming rights were also parked in another entity along with aircraft purchase costs.
When you have creative accounting ways of parking aside such high value cost items along with your debt, posting a net profit makes for very good optics and storytelling whilst the real picture is only known within finance and commercial department staff internally. Have you not noticed the much-acclaimed road shows of wanting to list Etihadβs IPO become all too silent. It makes a net profit as an overall group and not as a standalone airline but that is not what Arik De and the Neves want you to know.
The choice of new routes, frequency increases and reductions are a joke within the airline. Many departments laugh at the complete lack of care and accountability attributed to those who are in charge of it and the buck stops with Arik De. Case in point is the announcement of Charlotte in Q2 2025. Before even a business case was officially prepared and signed off, the announcement was made before even contacting the new destination airport that we intended to fly there which Charlotte officials confirmed being the case. Other examples were Medan and the Asian cities of Krabi, Osaka and Chiang Mai which ended up being converted into seasonal operations only.
The airline industry is a small world of well-connected folks. Some of us have colleagues in airlines that Arik has worked at in the past such as Air Asia X. Arik made the business case for them opening flights to Tehran and Muscat from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Within few months of his departure from Air Asia X, these new services were suspended due to poor financial performance.
In meetings, Arik portrays himself to be the βbe all end allβ with an understanding of worldwide markets to the tee yet we are extremely weak across all fronts in China, Bangladesh, Australia, Africa and non-existent in South America. Very capable and respected senior personnel at Etihad were shown the door due to them knowing their job and their work which was seen as a clear threat to Arik.
A former senior fellow who came from Westjet to lead network planning at Etihad resigned within a few months of Arik taking over that department as he could not tolerate being interrupted late night constantly for something which could easily have waited till the next morning. All the stories of Arik having late night meetings, interfering in peopleβs personal lives, demanding office work dedication 24/7, bothering people with work requests late night or on their legal time off are true.
The stories written below of Ms Dan in Marketing and Mr Javier in Sales of their conduct at the office are very true and quite disgusting to see. CEO Neves and the HR director are well aware of all these antics yet they always have chosen to look the other way and turn a blind eye to the constant mental torture that good Etihad commercial staff members have to go through since 2023. Danβs attitude and conduct with their marketing staff is downright insulting. She has not an ounce of professionalism or ladylike manners within herself.
Much to my absolute astonishment, in meetings both inside and outside Etihadβs premises, Arik De even had the nerve to talk over the CEO and squabble with him in front of the meeting audience showing a complete lack of respect and decorum. In meetings within the Commercial Departments, he would not tolerate anyone speaking up or even offering their point of view backed up with facts and statistics if it went against his chain of thought or forecast. He does not let others speak in meetings unless they are given permission by him to do so.
The recent purchase of Airbus A330Neos was another episode in itself. A business case presentation called βJourney 2030β was prepared in 2025 as Neves, Arik and few others were over excited with the supposedly high net profits of 2023 and 2024 that they felt invincible. The idea was to double the fleet size between 2026 and 2030 from 100 to 200 planes. A business case was presented and approved but no thorough financial audit and quality checks were done on it as the commercial forecast numbers were way too optimistic.
Granted, the purchase of two dozen Airbus A321-LRs was the right strategic move for the long-term sustainability and growth of Etihadβs network where a wide body would not work. But there needed to be an airplane that fitted the gap between the A321LR and the B789 which the A339Neo did not suffice as it seats the number of passengers as the B789 would. This airplane is too big for many European, African and selective Asian routes on a year round basis whilst the smaller B788 would have perfectly filled that gap at a cheaper operating cost. But for optical and story-telling purposes, the chance to show off a new plane order that too wide body was too good of an opportunity to pass on for both Arik and Neves.
CEO Neves has played a big part in all of the above as he is well aware of all the office antics played by Arik but the inner circle executive management of Etihad are only concerned with their high paying salaries plus year end bonuses at any cost whilst the staff below the pecking order suffer.
This is one of the most insightful and spot-on summaries Iβve read. Every single point youβve made deserves far more scrutiny than itβs getting. The distinction between headline profits and the actual financial picture is a particularly important point that shouldnβt be overlooked. This comment should be printed out and hung right at the entrance of Etihadβs headquarters for everyone to read.
Management, while youβre at it, take a look at Jyoti - Head of Cabin Crew. Rude, arrogant, disrespectful and not a figure to have as the head of your cabin crew. Go back to Indigo. Why do we need to have these horrible people join and ruin the airline instead of lifting it up. Get rid of her before she goes further damage. People are the heart of the airline - time to start acting like it
Can't agree more! Rude, unprofessional, arrogant, and openly disrespectful towards crew, treating them as if they were slaves and using an intimidating, threatening attitude during flights. Constantly trying to please Arik at any cost, regardless of basic standards of respect and professionalism.
Had the situation been reversed, the crew would most likely have been accused of racism (Indian style) Apparently, respect and equality are only expected from one side.
Where does the company keep...
Can't agree more! Rude, unprofessional, arrogant, and openly disrespectful towards crew, treating them as if they were slaves and using an intimidating, threatening attitude during flights. Constantly trying to please Arik at any cost, regardless of basic standards of respect and professionalism.
Had the situation been reversed, the crew would most likely have been accused of racism (Indian style) Apparently, respect and equality are only expected from one side.
Where does the company keep finding and promoting such rotten people? Unfortunately, given the apparent culture of favouritism and the mentality surrounding Arikβs inner circle, perhaps this behaviour should come as no surprise.
Punching walls, intimidation, screaming, verbal abuse, just some of the outrageous behaviors this idiot had in his repertoire.
Unfortunately, he set an example, and some of his most devoted disciples are still there, desperately clinging to positions of power- because thatβs the only thing of value they have in their lives -using their authority to take out their frustrations and inner demons on their employees.
One of his most dedicated and proud disciples...
Punching walls, intimidation, screaming, verbal abuse, just some of the outrageous behaviors this idiot had in his repertoire.
Unfortunately, he set an example, and some of his most devoted disciples are still there, desperately clinging to positions of power- because thatβs the only thing of value they have in their lives -using their authority to take out their frustrations and inner demons on their employees.
One of his most dedicated and proud disciples is still there: the unbearable Jagdish.
Arrogant, conceited, rude, incompetent, he poisons everything he touches. A truly toxic presence, a weed that contaminates everything around him.
May the day of his reckoning come sooner rather than later.
Hopefully all of the acolytes get their comeuppance. They all contributed to the terrible work culture that exists in Etihad.
Ugh that guy. Jagdish is the second worst person Iβve ever encountered in my life. Watching him suck up to Arik Kumar was painful. The way heβd kiss his back, try to act exactly like him, talk to his team the same way Arik Kumar talked to people, his lame jokesβ¦ I wish he could see himself through our eyes for once and see just how pathetic he looked. All that bootlicking just to climb the ladder in a rotten system.
Heβs not the second worst heβs right up there with the worst. The constant shouting, the massive ego, the crap jokes nobody laughs at, and the way he puts people downβ¦ honestly, its exhausting.
He is a proper bully, probably one of the worst in there. Being confident is one thing, but throwing your weight around and intimidating people is a whole different ball game
I totally agree with you. These people brought with them other people and initimidation culture from their previous companies. So sad.
Those who mistreated their own team members and spoke to people in an unacceptable manner are still walking around the office pretending nothing ever happened. You canβt distance yourself from Arik Kumar now.. itβs too late. Ms. D.R. we know youβre refreshing this page and reading every single comment the second it appears.
I hope readers realise how their words can influence and shape others, causing damage and hurt especially to those in managerial positions.
Iβve noticed a lack of good leaders and managers at Revc where I work. A leader from another division might give recognition to a staff member but not the manager. Some managers simply donβt offer recognition or acknowledgement. Arik may have left but the problems persist.
The worst investment EY has is the HR. Then need to be replaced asap. Anyone remember how these HR ladies behave like puppets in the town halls and all hands when surrounded by these toxic leaders. Shame.. A Big Shame⦠The RM team never liked Indians to be considered for most of the positions and the CEO himself threatened to senior staffs in one of the townhalls to leave if you cant find anything better....
The worst investment EY has is the HR. Then need to be replaced asap. Anyone remember how these HR ladies behave like puppets in the town halls and all hands when surrounded by these toxic leaders. Shame.. A Big Shameβ¦ The RM team never liked Indians to be considered for most of the positions and the CEO himself threatened to senior staffs in one of the townhalls to leave if you cant find anything better. Dear CEO, before u are throwb out, make sure you review salaries of everyone whom you have hired from outside for the same role that an existing senior staffs does. The difference in numbers is huge. I agree and support that Emiratiβs staff should be paid well but for what is this culture that you Guys hire an 02 or 01 from outside( non emirati) and ask the existing lower grade collegue to teach them and eventually both end up doing same job but with different salary slabs . Such a shame.. Internal promotions also you guys paid less to existing experienced staff and being an outside for same role on higher salary. Such a Shameβ¦ Respected Government and Respected board members, please review the entire leadership and you will find more toxic people in the company yet.
Etihadβs Biggest Failure is, beside the horrible management and HR, how It Treats Its Existing Employees.
HR seems completely disconnected from reality. O1 and O2 employees, especially at outstations, have almost no career prospects, no meaningful salary increases, and no clear path for progression. Employees with families and children are left struggling while their loyalty and experience go unrewarded and CEO publicly and repeatedly encourage people to look for a new job.
External...
Etihadβs Biggest Failure is, beside the horrible management and HR, how It Treats Its Existing Employees.
HR seems completely disconnected from reality. O1 and O2 employees, especially at outstations, have almost no career prospects, no meaningful salary increases, and no clear path for progression. Employees with families and children are left struggling while their loyalty and experience go unrewarded and CEO publicly and repeatedly encourage people to look for a new job.
External hires are often offered significantly higher salaries than existing employees doing the same job, sometimes even expecting experienced staff to train them. Itβs a fact, that internal promotions and management appointments raise serious questions about fairness, transparency, and meritocracy.
Developing Emirati talent is of course very important, but competence, humanity and leadership ability should always matter. Experience and loyalty should count for something, too.
Dear Antonaldo, dear Dr. Nadia and Board Members: If Etihad truly wants to be recognized as one of the worldβs best employers, as repeatedly claimed by its leadership (CEO and Dr. Nadia), then look beyond the corporate speeches. Review the salary structures, promotion policies, HR effectiveness, and treatment of existing employees, particularly at outstations.
A company cannot claim to value its people while making its most experienced employees feel undervalued, underpaid, and without a future. Actions speak louder than words!!!!! Make Etihad Great Again!!!!
Ruaraidh Smeatonβs handling of this situation has been nothing short of disgraceful and raises serious questions about his integrity, leadership, and fitness to hold a position of responsibility.
He informed the team, but when it came to addressing the Arik issue, where was the accountability? Where was the honesty? Where was the basic recognition of the damage caused? Instead of demonstrating genuine leadership, he appeared to hide behind a prepared script. Not once did he...
Ruaraidh Smeatonβs handling of this situation has been nothing short of disgraceful and raises serious questions about his integrity, leadership, and fitness to hold a position of responsibility.
He informed the team, but when it came to addressing the Arik issue, where was the accountability? Where was the honesty? Where was the basic recognition of the damage caused? Instead of demonstrating genuine leadership, he appeared to hide behind a prepared script. Not once did he offer a direct, meaningful apology for his own actions or acknowledge the impact of the decisions made under his leadership. Reading from a script is not accountability, and managing a difficult conversation is not the same as taking responsibility.
Even more concerning was his apparent determination to defend Cristina Hostench and dismiss concerns about nepotism. The reported circumstances surrounding her promotion demand serious scrutiny. How does someone with less than a year in the company, and whose relevant experience has been questioned, end up being fast-tracked to an SM1 position through an out-of-cycle promotion? If the reported connection to the Man City CEO through a family friendship played any role in that decision, it raises fundamental questions about fairness, transparency, and whether the same standards apply to everyone. Simply declaring that there was no nepotism does not resolve those questions. It makes an independent investigation even more necessary.
Ethics and Compliance must investigate this promotion independently and all others the REVc dept. The process, selection criteria, qualifications, approvals, and potential conflicts of interest must all be examined. Employees deserve to know that progression is based on merit, capability, and performance, not personal connections or privileged access.
There are also serious questions about the value delivered to the Etihad brand. Claims about Ruaraidhβs contribution to the brand and the work attributed to him deserve to be assessed against the actual record. Beyond Borders was established before he joined, and any claims of ownership or credit for that work should be examined objectively rather than accepted at face value.
What is most damaging is the wider leadership culture this situation appears to represent: leaders who fail to confront unacceptable behaviour, protect one another when difficult questions arise, and leave their teams to absorb the consequences. Employees are pushed to their limits while their wellbeing appears to become an afterthought. That is not high performance. It is a failure of leadership.
A senior leader's responsibility is not to protect their own reputation, shield colleagues from scrutiny, or deliver carefully rehearsed explanations. It is to act with integrity, accept responsibility, ensure fair treatment, and protect the people entrusted to their leadership.
When leaders fail those basic obligations, confidence in the organisation suffers. The reputation of Etihad Airways, the UAEβs national airline, should never be put at risk by questionable decisions, a lack of transparency, or a culture in which accountability appears to stop when senior leadership is involved.
It is time for independent scrutiny, genuine accountability, and meaningful consequences. Every leader who enabled or overlooked Arikβs behaviour, if substantiated, must be held accountable. Those responsible for decisions that compromised fairness, damaged trust, or disregarded employee wellbeing should not be allowed to evade scrutiny simply because of their seniority or connections.
Etihad deserves leaders who earn respect through their conduct, not their titles. Its employees deserve fairness, dignity, and the confidence that the rules apply equally to everyone. Anything less is an unacceptable failure of leadership.
Cargo STOP
Please, Cargo team, this space is dedicated to the Commercial Division and the concerns surrounding it. Kindly take your issues elsewhere rather than diverting the discussion. Letβs not lose sight of the main subject: Arik Kumar and the concerns raised about his leadership. Donβt allow the audience to lose focus on what this discussion is really about.
This is a fair comment, Commercial and Despot De is the focus.
However there is a common thread here and it is a reflection on the person choosing his direct reports. The CEO encourages his reports to create the toxic culture, makes many inappropriate remarks himself and doesn't hold people accountable for unacceptable behaviour - in fact the opposite.
Thus the organisation is rotten from the very top.
A Message to Arik Kumar
You underestimated the power of many, and now you are facing the consequences.
For years, many of us endured what we experienced as bullying, harassment, intimidation, and deeply unacceptable behaviour under your leadership. We raised our concerns through EYβs internal channels, trusting that someone would listen and take action. Instead, we felt ignored, while complaints appeared to be contained within HR and Legal, with little meaningful accountability.
But you made...
A Message to Arik Kumar
You underestimated the power of many, and now you are facing the consequences.
For years, many of us endured what we experienced as bullying, harassment, intimidation, and deeply unacceptable behaviour under your leadership. We raised our concerns through EYβs internal channels, trusting that someone would listen and take action. Instead, we felt ignored, while complaints appeared to be contained within HR and Legal, with little meaningful accountability.
But you made one fundamental mistake: you assumed we would remain silent forever. We didn't.
While you travelled the world enjoying first-class flights, luxury hotels, and VIP treatment, many of us were quietly documenting our experiences, gathering evidence, and building a case. You continued enjoying the privileges of your position while employees were left dealing with the consequences of a leadership culture that, in our view, too often lacked respect, empathy, and accountability.
Perhaps one of the most telling examples of your leadership was the way you travelled across our network, bringing what seemed like an entire army of senior leaders with you, only to confront our poor O1 and O2 outstation employees. Imagine mobilising such a large leadership entourage and travelling all that way just to stand in front of junior employees and yell at them. Is this what leadership is supposed to look like? Is this how you believe people should be managed? An entire army of leaders travelling across the network to intimidate employees who have far less power than you is not a demonstration of strength; it raises serious questions about leadership priorities and the culture you created.
And now, you have been fired.
After years of occupying a position of authority, you have discovered that no title makes anyone untouchable. No leadership position gives anyone the right to mistreat employees without consequences. And no amount of corporate influence can guarantee protection when serious concerns finally receive the attention they deserve.
Let this be a lesson to every leader who mistakes fear for respect, silence for loyalty, and an employee's patience for weakness.
Your close-knit group of loyalists also needs to take a hard look at itself. Those who witnessed concerning behaviour, enabled it, or dismissed employees' complaints should ask themselves whether they upheld the standards expected of leadership. Those who spent their time protecting your position rather than listening to employees must reflect on the consequences of their choices. Accountability should never stop with the person at the top, and loyalty should never come at the expense of basic human decency.
You may have lost your position, but for many employees, this goes far beyond one person's departure. It is about years of frustration, the feeling of being unheard, and the belief that internal reporting channels failed to deliver the accountability people expected. It is about employees who felt they had nowhere left to turn and who refused to accept that nothing would ever change.
As for your future career, that is now yours to navigate. The airline industry is a connected world, and those considering you for future leadership positions will form their own judgments based on credible information and the experiences of people who have worked with you. We will continue to speak up, share our experiences through appropriate channels, and ensure that legitimate concerns are not quietly buried again.
This was never simply about one individual having a personal dispute with you. It was about a collective experience, a demand to be heard, and the belief that employees deserve to work without fear of humiliation, intimidation, or retaliation.
We did not give up. We did not forget. And we refused to accept that nothing could ever change.
You underestimated the collective strength of the people you once had power over. You mistook our patience for weakness and our silence for surrender. That was your mistake.
Your dismissal marks the end of your time in this position, but it should also mark the beginning of a serious conversation about workplace culture, leadership accountability, and the responsibility every leader has towards the people they manage.
You had the title. You had the authority. You had every opportunity to lead. What you underestimated was the people.
Imagine being Dr Nadia or Karen reading all this. Your jobs are literally to protect the people of the business and uphold the culture but instead the absolute deranged duo of the dodgy Brazilian Anton and the Chief of Grooming Kumar tell you to bark and you both get on all fours and start howling at the moon. Incredibly embarrassing to your professions and enabling these two horrible people to do whatever they want whilst...
Imagine being Dr Nadia or Karen reading all this. Your jobs are literally to protect the people of the business and uphold the culture but instead the absolute deranged duo of the dodgy Brazilian Anton and the Chief of Grooming Kumar tell you to bark and you both get on all fours and start howling at the moon. Incredibly embarrassing to your professions and enabling these two horrible people to do whatever they want whilst you earn more money in a day than a teaboy does in a year. If they had any decency (which they donβt) CEO, Nadia and Karen would all resign immediately. Youβve all caused enough damage.
If you dig a little deeper thereβs a lot more to Arik Kumar Deβs track record, long before his time at Etihad. Concerns about his conduct date back to the very beginning of his career, including complaints that reached diplomatic channels in Canada. Ethical standards and integrity have never been his thing.
before EY, in his last job/company before that (just research which one, no naming but it's easy to find)... many many complaints, many people fired, harrassed, bullied, etc etc... but it was Covid and Lockdown and things were weird and different... but lots of these stories were similar... leaving a trace of destruction...
Working in RM was like being trapped in an isolated, hostile regime. You werenβt allowed to care about the actual company or its overarching goals, your only mandate was worshipping whatever whims Kumar had that day. And God forbid you showed basic decency to anyone on his hit list; the moment you treated an βenemyβ like a human being, you immediately caught a target on your back.
Deleting Kumarβs name isn't enough when his...
Working in RM was like being trapped in an isolated, hostile regime. You werenβt allowed to care about the actual company or its overarching goals, your only mandate was worshipping whatever whims Kumar had that day. And God forbid you showed basic decency to anyone on his hit list; the moment you treated an βenemyβ like a human being, you immediately caught a target on your back.
Deleting Kumarβs name isn't enough when his legacy of micro-tyrants is still walking the halls. We need to shine a massive, unforgiving spotlight on the people who actually built and maintained this nightmare:
Wei Jin (SVP RM): A man who carries himself with absolute, zero respect for anyone around him, wearing a permanent, unearned smug grin that only vanishes to make room for drooling whenever his puppet master enters the room. The absolute joke of the century? He was actually appointed to replace Arik Kumar. You couldn't write a worse punchline.
Kavita Iyer (E-Commerce Director): Hands down one of the most obnoxious, insufferable characters you could ever have the misfortune of dealing with.
Marianna Di Pietro (SM "Customer Engagement"): Rude, painfully clueless, and permanently perched on a high horse nobody built for her. Nobody has the faintest clue what she actually does, yet she sits on a Senior Manager title for no discernible reason.
Ruaraidh (Brand Director): A total narcissistic clown who actually stood up in front of the entire company during a town-hall and spun a self-absorbed fairytale about how "Beyond Borders" was inspired by his own childhood and airline career. You genuinely cannot make this level of delusion up.
Dani: The absolute chief amplifier of this entire toxic wasteland and without a doubt the single biggest, most shameless suck-up Arik Kumar ever had.
Getting rid of the head of the snake means nothing if you leave the fangs intact. These individuals made the work environment as suffocating and hostile as humanly possible, forcing a total company divide where cross-departmental communication was treated like treason. Good riddance to the top, but the job isn't finished until the rest of these enablers are held accountable.
Also Mark P who was double promoted as well. So many who worked in his team left because of his aggression towards them. The guy has got no knowledge or competence yet has been given the senior position like others mentioned here. Wonder what Internal Audit and its chief has been doing whilst these promotions were happening
I literally cannot keep my mouth shut anymore.
Has anyone else noticed how the comments have shifted from the main character of this story, Mr. De, an absolutely horrible human being β to a full-blown vendetta against everyone still at Etihad?
Arik, dear, you couldnβt make it more obvious that youβre behind all of this.
We all know you want Etihad to collapse now, just so you can feed your fragile little ego with the...
I literally cannot keep my mouth shut anymore.
Has anyone else noticed how the comments have shifted from the main character of this story, Mr. De, an absolutely horrible human being β to a full-blown vendetta against everyone still at Etihad?
Arik, dear, you couldnβt make it more obvious that youβre behind all of this.
We all know you want Etihad to collapse now, just so you can feed your fragile little ego with the delusion that you were the one holding everything together.
But hey, itβs time for a little self-awareness, dear!
Youβre toxic, and this organization will thrive without you and your stupid little games!
Can a HR person comment here what can be done? I guess everyone who posted here would love to know that.
From top to bottom, the leadership culture seemed to reflect the same pattern of fearmongering, intimidation, and bullying. The message often felt clear: either accept the behavior and fall in line, or leave. Over time, this approach appeared to become normalized across the organization.
As someone local who witnessed these events, I feel a responsibility to speak up. I specifically remember an all-hands meeting where Danielle Ryan was explaining the restructuring. During the meeting, she...
From top to bottom, the leadership culture seemed to reflect the same pattern of fearmongering, intimidation, and bullying. The message often felt clear: either accept the behavior and fall in line, or leave. Over time, this approach appeared to become normalized across the organization.
As someone local who witnessed these events, I feel a responsibility to speak up. I specifically remember an all-hands meeting where Danielle Ryan was explaining the restructuring. During the meeting, she used the phrase, βEvery dog needs a master,β referring to managers overseeing their teams. She explicitly attributed this language to Arik. What was particularly concerning was that this kind of language was being used openly in a company-wide setting, as though it were an acceptable way to describe leadership and employee management.
Equally troubling was the presence of HR, including Amal, in that meeting. Rather than providing reassurance that employees would be treated fairly and respectfully, HR appeared to be part of a culture in which fear and intimidation were used to maintain control.
The restructuring process also raised serious concerns about favoritism and the criteria used for promotions and leadership appointments. There were instances where individuals appeared to be moved into senior roles outside their areas of expertise, without the relevant domain knowledge or experience. For example, someone from revenue management was reportedly promoted to lead marketing.
While the wider organization continues to reel from a toxic work environment and a glaring lack of accountability at the top, nowhere is this systemic degradation more dangerously evident right now than in the Cargo Division: another elephant on the room of a rotten culture which wiped out all good progress made by the former CEO, Tony Douglas.
The Cargo Division is currently enduring the single most toxic and mismanaged period in its history under...
While the wider organization continues to reel from a toxic work environment and a glaring lack of accountability at the top, nowhere is this systemic degradation more dangerously evident right now than in the Cargo Division: another elephant on the room of a rotten culture which wiped out all good progress made by the former CEO, Tony Douglas.
The Cargo Division is currently enduring the single most toxic and mismanaged period in its history under the leadership of Stanislas Brun. Operating straight from the Arik De playbook, Brun has instituted a regime driven by relentless intimidation and a total disregard for basic professional respect. Rather than fostering talent or rewarding performance, he has systematically constructed an inner circle composed entirely of unquestioning loyalists whose sole qualification is their willingness to enforce his aggressive tactics and execute his destructive agenda. Anyone who dares to question his directives or present alternative views is immediately sidelined, leaving the entire department paralyzed under a climate of fear and self-preservation.
What makes this operational decay even more alarming is how someone with Stanislas Brunβs heavily documented history was ever cleared by CEO Antonoaldo Neves and HR leadership to hold such executive authority in the first place. Prior to joining Etihad, Brunβs tenure as Managing Director for Air France Cargo in India was marred by severe allegations of sexual harassment and subsequent High Court litigation (Ruchika Singh Chhabra v. Air France India & Anr.). In that landmark case, the Delhi High Court explicitly set aside the internal inquiry that had previously exonerated him, issuing scathing judicial rebukes against procedural irregularities, institutional bias, and the systemic victimization and coercion of the complainant. This is not an isolated oversightβit establishes a clear, documented pattern of executive misconduct, procedural manipulation, and administrative retaliation when facing governance or HR challenges. That Etihadβs executive committee knowingly entrusted a critical division to an individual with such a track record speaks volumes about the complete collapse of due diligence and ethical standards at the highest levels of our airline.
From the moment Stanislas Brun took over as VP Commercial, he immediately deployed the classic Arik De tactic: systematically purging seasoned, long-tenured talent across the Commercial Cargo team under the thin guise of "restructuring." These removals were never about operational performance or business necessity; they were driven entirely by personal vendettas and past friction involving his chief accomplice in this rotten ecosystem, Leonard Rodriguez, another french national like him. Rather than facing any scrutiny, Rodriguez was fast-tracked and promoted straight into a VP role. What leadership fails to acknowledgeβor willfully ignoresβis that Rodriguez joined Etihad only after being terminated from Qatar Airways for exhibiting the exact same toxic behavior and management style. These are facts easily verified by anyone in the industry, yet Etihad continues to reward individuals who bring nothing but hostility and disruption to the organization.
In order to secure his promotion to C-level as Chief Cargo Officer, Stanislas Brun orchestrated the reintegration of Cargo Operations back into the Cargo Divisionβa structural move that, while theoretically logical after its split during the COVID period, was actually executed with a far more calculated motive. The moment Brun was handed the top role, the French duo immediately turned their sights on settling another long-standing personal vendetta, this time targeting Thomas SchΓΌrmann, Head of Cargo Operations. Virtually overnight, the operational structure was dismantled, creating total internal chaos and throwing critical processes into disarray. In doing so, crucial safety checks and balances were completely swept aside, with industry-validated procedures and vital governance protocols recklessly dismissed as "archaic." True to form, the so-called People Division offered zero oversight or independent scrutiny, while the puppet HR Business Partner simply turned a blind eye to the clear retaliation and operational risk. Yet as devastating as this move was for the team, it was only the beginning of their broader campaign.
Lacking any legitimate behavioral, performance, or disciplinary grounds to fire respected leaders, they once again resorted to the Arik De strategy of "restructuring"βa maneuver executed with the full, silent complicity of an HRBP who refused to perform even the most basic scrutiny. To legitimize this farce, Etihad spent hundreds of thousands of dirhams over the course of an entire year on an external consultant, whose only tangible deliverable was a single, HR-approved organization chart. This costly charade was brought in solely to act as a rubber stamp, providing the cover necessary for the French duo to purge the remaining independent voices who dared to act as a necessary check and balance. No new industry trends were adopted; no modern operational procedures were establishedβjust an exorbitant, year-long consultancy tasked with producing an org chart that any junior analyst could have drawn up in an afternoon. Where was Internal Audit during this flagrant waste of company resources, and why has no one dug beneath the surface to uncover the truth?... Meanwhile, over in Leonardβs domain, fast-tracked promotions were handed out left and right with the exact same HR rubber-stampβpromotions that, regardless of merit, expose a glaring, total lack of consistency and governance across the division.
The open display of narcissism and racial bias has become impossible to ignore. A simple examination of the managerial hires made over the last 12 monthsβparticularly those in high-profile commercial rolesβreveals a stark, systemic racial preference, with South Asian and non-Western professionals almost entirely excluded from consideration. Even more alarming is the near-total marginalization of Emirati talent; national employees have been progressively sidelined, with not a single local professional permitted near Stanislasβs inner circle. A quick scroll through internal communications and public social media posts makes his exclusionary preferences glaringly obvious.
Adding insult to injury, Brun continues to burn through hundreds of thousands of dirhams funding a lavish "Etihad Cargo Worldwide Golf Tournament"βan event paid for in full using Etihad funds all across the continents. He spends weeks on end jet-setting around the globe on duty travel along with his favoured circleβa group that shockingly includes a almost a year hired manager, a "golfer" by background, whose sole "job" over the past several months has been organizing and playing in this golf tournament on the company dime. Once again, all of this unfolds with the full endorsement of the HRBP and zero oversight from Internal Audit to review these exorbitant, recurring travel expenses.
Morale across the division has hit rock bottom as employees watch this blatant misuse of resources play out daily. Another prominent figure in Stanislasβs frequent-flying entourage is Lubna Alharam, whose relentless duty travel pattern desperately warrants an immediate Internal Audit review. Instead of focusing on genuine, baseline improvements, this marketing manager has spent company funds consistently arranging and paying for sponsored awards to artificially puff up Etihad Cargo's imageβa PR charade that insults the intelligence of the entire industry. These self-congratulatory trophies and self-promoting Brun"s figure in journals and social media, ignore the reality that well-reputed regional competitors continue to deliver solid, dependable customer service. Meanwhile, for over a year, Stanislas has actively dismantled Etihad Cargoβs customer service infrastructure, leaving key clients in complete chaos with a total lack of clear points of contact or reliable support.
When it comes to fundamental checks and balances, the degradation within the Cargo Division transitions from an internal culture crisis to an alarming regulatory liability. The air transportation of Munitions of War is a strictly governed domain regulated by international bodies and the United Nationsβa sensitive area that has drawn continuous scrutiny from the EU toward the UAE. Etihad had historically maintained strict, full alignment with these international regulations until internal checks and balances were systematically dismantled. In mid-2025, Stanislas manipulated an executive approval to bypass adherence to UN regulations, directly placing Etihad in severe breach of international law, all with the active complicity of another key figure in his inner circle: Grant L. Kempt, a South African national. Internal Audit must immediately investigate the origin country of these shipments; it is no coincidence that the first and constant streams of illegal Munitions of War shipments began flying out directly from South Africa immediately after the regulation was breached.
What makes this situation even more dangerous is the existence of explicit written evidence. Email threads reveal Grant Kemptβwith Stanislas Brun deliberately copied as a show of force and intimidationβsystematically demanding that these dangerous shipments bypass mandatory security clearances, recklessly asserting that "the customer assures it is only general cargo." This is not merely a violation of safety protocols; it is a direct breach of international customs regulations put in writing without shame or hesitation. Where are the compliance oversight mechanisms?... The individual tasked with enforcing governance and protecting Etihadβs operational reputation, another fast-tracked inner-circle loyalist, Abdul Wasif, has consistently turned a blind eye to these flagrant regulatory breaches and hazardous practices orchestrated by Brun and Kempt.
With the complete, willing blindness of the HRBP once again on full display, Stanislas has effectively turned the corporate assistants into personal servantsβtreating these dedicated individuals with a level of disrespect reminiscent of Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada", leaving them subject to workplace intimidation and verbal mistreatment even by Stanislas's wife.
The Cargo Division has ceased to function as a corporate enterprise; it has been transformed into his personal kingdom, running completely without oversight or restraint. Circling back to the Arik De scandal, this toxic empire continues to flourish because CEO Antonoaldo Neves turns a blind eye, and Dr. Nadiaβas the executive ultimately accountable for the most incompetent HRBP scheme in the corporate worldβrefuses to intervene.
Mrs. Karen Clayton, here is your explicit Speak Up alert. Every single employee reading this unfold stands ready as a witness to whether real, corrective actions will finally be taken, or if leadership will continue to let this airline burn from within.
No post detailing the mismanagement of the ETIHAD Cargo Division would be complete without addressing **SmartTrack**βa prime example of unchecked executive whimsy, governance bypass, and commercial failure under Stanislas Brun.
Conceived and forced through as a personal pet project, SmartTrack was launched with fanfare but zero proof-of-concept, market validation, or rigorous testing. One year after its official rollout, the initiative stands as an utter commercial disaster: zero sales generated, zero customer adoption, and a complete...
No post detailing the mismanagement of the ETIHAD Cargo Division would be complete without addressing **SmartTrack**βa prime example of unchecked executive whimsy, governance bypass, and commercial failure under Stanislas Brun.
Conceived and forced through as a personal pet project, SmartTrack was launched with fanfare but zero proof-of-concept, market validation, or rigorous testing. One year after its official rollout, the initiative stands as an utter commercial disaster: zero sales generated, zero customer adoption, and a complete waste of departmental resources.
What makes this project far more alarming than a mere commercial misfire is the blatant disregard for corporate procurement governance. Bypassing established procurement protocols and competitive bidding policies, a massive procurement contract for tracking hardware tags was arranged directly between Stanislas and the vendor outside of standard compliance channels.
Internal Audit must immediately step in to investigate how such a large-scale hardware acquisition was negotiated and executed without going through competitive sourcing or proper authorization. Furthermore, Audit must examine whether a formal, verified business case was ever submitted prior to committing company resources, and hold leadership accountable for the complete lack of ROI after a full year of total commercial non-performance. SmartTrack is not an isolated mistake; it is a textbook case of how personal vanity projects are allowed to override basic financial controls, procurement regulations, and risk management when executive oversight is completely absent.
I had the misfortune of working with this man several years ago, and while Iβm not surprised he was fired, what does surprise me is that it took more than five years. He had already worked for two other airlines, and apparently, even after multiple warnings and having been let go by other companies for the very same reasons, nothing changed.
In my own professional experience, I was directly harassed by him. At first, I...
I had the misfortune of working with this man several years ago, and while Iβm not surprised he was fired, what does surprise me is that it took more than five years. He had already worked for two other airlines, and apparently, even after multiple warnings and having been let go by other companies for the very same reasons, nothing changed.
In my own professional experience, I was directly harassed by him. At first, I thought I was overreacting. But as time went on, things got progressively worse. If I refused to do something for him on a personal level, there would be repercussions at work. That was the pattern.
He constantly asked me to come over to his house on weekends, to make time for him whenever he wanted, and if I went on a business trip and didnβt bring him something back, it became a whole drama. I still have the conversations saved on my phone. He wanted me to sit next to him on flights, stay at the same hotel as him (back then, it had to be a Starwood property, now Marriott Bonvoy), go out drinking with him, buy him coffee, and even put him ahead of my own family. He would publicly badmouth me in open forums, right in front of me.
On one occasion, he asked a colleague to pick up his dry cleaning or pack his suitcase for him. There were also several documented cases of him requesting Business Class tickets, at the very least, to destinations such as Kolkata or Ethiopia, often insisting on bizarre, convoluted routings that made absolutely no sense. People in interline were told that if he couldnβt get a Business Class ticket, he would issue as many as six or seven tickets with different routings. If the ticket was in Economy, Interline could kiss that relationship goodbye.
He was a complete showman. During department-wide meetings, he would always announce the promotions of his favourites. If you were a pretty-faced young guy, there was a good chance he would move your desk so he could keep an eye on you from his office.
He was insufferable when it came to talking about himself. He claimed to have visited every country in the world, insisting that a country only counted if it had an Olympic committee, as though he were the ultimate authority on the subject. He would go on about having multiple passports and how everyone wanted his opinion on everything.
I even remember him asking me to comment on his LinkedIn posts, naturally, to shower him with praise. Hahaha. Just look at the entourage of people still commenting on his posts. Wei Jin is a perfect example. Just look at his LinkedIn: right up until he joined Etihad, he was enthusiastically reposting everything his leader did. It honestly looks like a cult.
And his Instagram? Full of relationships that didnβt last very long, but the evidence is all there.
Even after this entire scandal, he posted a story saying, βBelieve nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.β Hahahaha. Does this man have absolutely no self-awareness? My God, what on earth is going through his head?
I remember that as soon as he landed the job at Etihad, we were already wondering whether they had actually done any background checks before hiring him.
And the rumours? That man thrived on them. He loved spreading gossip. If someone got on his wrong side, he would do everything he could to destroy their reputation. He was manipulative, had HR in his back pocket, and seemed to love staging meetings with them just to make sure everyone saw him talking to HR. It was workplace terrorism.
If you were on his side, things would go well for you. And if you happened to be a pretty-faced young guy, well, good luck. Before you knew it, he might be asking you to bring a presentation to his hotel room at ten oβclock at night.
I never played along with any of it. And eventually, he was fired.
I canβt deny feeling a certain amount of *schadenfreude*, because, in my experience, he is a genuinely nasty person. Someone seemingly consumed by bitterness and resentment.
Have you seen that video where he hands a trophy to a player? Watching him struggle with the fact that, for once, someone else is getting the attention and it isnβt him is quite something. Even in that moment, his own pettiness seems to get the better of him.
I genuinely donβt understand how there arenβt more stories about him on Reddit.
What a piece of work. What an absolute scumbag.
**To whoever hires him next: BACKGROUND CHECKS.**
Sorry you experienced that, not surprised though. I donβt think his preferences were ever much of a secret, it was pretty apparent from his social media alone. The issue is the abuse of power and apparent favouritism towards certain male employees, particularly younger attractive men and the way that seemed to play out in the workplace. There are multiple examples at Etihad of younger good looking men getting promoted in ways that raised eyebrows, sometimes...
Sorry you experienced that, not surprised though. I donβt think his preferences were ever much of a secret, it was pretty apparent from his social media alone. The issue is the abuse of power and apparent favouritism towards certain male employees, particularly younger attractive men and the way that seemed to play out in the workplace. There are multiple examples at Etihad of younger good looking men getting promoted in ways that raised eyebrows, sometimes without even completing a year. Itβs a question of fairness and professionalism. The whole thing with Javi, it was widely talked about that he had a crush on him, even the managers were talking about it.
A huge embarrassment for the airline. When a rotten CEO allegedly tells employees - βIf you donβt like it, go somewhere better,β it speaks volumes about the attitude towards the very people who keep the company running.
Mental torture, poor leadership, and an apparent lack of professionalism are serious concerns.
Concerns about HR and Dr. Nadia are equally serious. Organising staff gatherings and promoting the idea that *βwe are one familyβ* means very...
A huge embarrassment for the airline. When a rotten CEO allegedly tells employees - βIf you donβt like it, go somewhere better,β it speaks volumes about the attitude towards the very people who keep the company running.
Mental torture, poor leadership, and an apparent lack of professionalism are serious concerns.
Concerns about HR and Dr. Nadia are equally serious. Organising staff gatherings and promoting the idea that *βwe are one familyβ* means very little if employees do not feel respected, supported, or protected in the workplace. One of her main concerns were how coffee shop in the Academy goona looks like... Head of HR making decisions about a coffee shop, ridiculous!
And letβs not forget how crew were treated during Covid-19 from her side. Many still remember being locked down and restricted, allegedly beyond what government regulations required. While management talks about being βone family,β the way crew were treated during one of the most difficult periods in aviation tells a very different story. Those who experienced it have not forgotten, and no amount of HR gatherings or empty speeches about family can erase that experience.
Additionally, we have to mention Jyothi, rotten expiry product of QR, with no basic respect and maners towards coworkers and crew, specially, hopefully she will be gone, soon, together with her friend Arik!
Abu Kumar De Arik can NO LONGER hurt our employees, yell at them, or discriminate against them at Etihad. Heβs OUT! Fired! Gone! Like a dog. A beautiful dog! And believe me, nobody has ever seen anything like it!
There was a mountain of evidence. Tremendous evidence. People saw it, people knew it, and the truth finally came out. And Iβm not taking the credit for this. Not me. The evidence speaks for itself. The...
Abu Kumar De Arik can NO LONGER hurt our employees, yell at them, or discriminate against them at Etihad. Heβs OUT! Fired! Gone! Like a dog. A beautiful dog! And believe me, nobody has ever seen anything like it!
There was a mountain of evidence. Tremendous evidence. People saw it, people knew it, and the truth finally came out. And Iβm not taking the credit for this. Not me. The evidence speaks for itself. The employees deserve better, and today, they have one less bully to worry about. A tremendous day for the people of Etihad!
Arik brought with him a guy called Tiago Phillimore. He brought him to be jn charge of digital. He fired many great people from design teams and ecommerce and product. Most of them went to Air Riyadh eventually.
Due to his shity treatment, and weakness in front of Arik, and him trying to follow Arik's style, many people left in IT even as well.
He would be shouting on everyone and threatening them with...
Arik brought with him a guy called Tiago Phillimore. He brought him to be jn charge of digital. He fired many great people from design teams and ecommerce and product. Most of them went to Air Riyadh eventually.
Due to his shity treatment, and weakness in front of Arik, and him trying to follow Arik's style, many people left in IT even as well.
He would be shouting on everyone and threatening them with Arik and with being fired.
I think all people who were fired by Arik and Tiago and their direct circle should be contacted and apologised for.
Etihad, for many people including me, was a place we were genuinely proud to work for. What a shame to read all of these comments and what everyone's been through, but also so proud of everyone speaking up. It shows two things - 1) if the people of Etihad would've genuinely been given a platform to speak 'anonymously' - they would've spoken up a long time back. 2) Arik's departure is proof of the fear...
Etihad, for many people including me, was a place we were genuinely proud to work for. What a shame to read all of these comments and what everyone's been through, but also so proud of everyone speaking up. It shows two things - 1) if the people of Etihad would've genuinely been given a platform to speak 'anonymously' - they would've spoken up a long time back. 2) Arik's departure is proof of the fear he instilled in everyone during his time there.
Etihad had many ups and downs, but the real decline started when respected leaders like Tony and Bulooki left. People respected them. They led with class.
When Antonoaldo took over, followed by Arik absorbing almost all HQ teams, it stopped feeling like it was about Etihad. People directly under, and even several levels below, were working for Arik and not for Etihad. Arikβs leadership is unclassy, juvenile and, honestly, laughable. But who could even say anything when everyoneβs trying to keep a job in this economy, and when HR at Etihad is a joke? Itβs all absolutely rubbish β the employee grievance line, the employee health surveys β nothing is anonymous, and theyβre just always out there to get you. They actually don't even care to listen to your feedback during exit interviews.
Arik treated Akhil poorly, Akhil treated his team poorly, and the pressure continued down the chain. It makes me really sad that the people least involved or even aware to a degree about the politics were often the ones most affected by it.
Ethics and Compliance are helpful to an extent, but who knows how much authority they really had over HR. Work environments like this are damaging on a much bigger level too, especially for a global airline like Etihad where people move countries to come and work for you. It can harm the reputation of the UAE and create the impression that this is simply how companies operate here, when that is not true.
At an employee level, itβs disastrous for learning and development. Instead of using a company like Etihad to grow professionally, you end up developing one skill above all else: managing big egos and navigating politics. That should never be what people walk away with from a company of this scale...What they should walk away from is photos of a cultural day to show LinkedIn how cultured we are to the outside world, right?
A lot of the news coming out now is not just embarrassing for the brand, the airline and its customers, but also for the country and its values.
This is my petition - MAKE ETIHAD GREAT AGAIN. I hope they (whoever is just, fair and right for this case) have an intervention with each and every person whose names have been dropped.
More so, I hope Etihad doesnβt tip these people off to delete this thread. One Mile at a Time - please don't accept it. You're on to something great.
As someone who recently left Etihad, I cannot begin to describe how validating it has been to read this comment section. It has made me realise that so many of the things I experienced and witnessed during my time there were neither normal nor acceptable.
There were countless incidents throughout my tenure that left me questioning the culture and leadership of the organisation. But I think the final straw for me was Arikβs so-called...
As someone who recently left Etihad, I cannot begin to describe how validating it has been to read this comment section. It has made me realise that so many of the things I experienced and witnessed during my time there were neither normal nor acceptable.
There were countless incidents throughout my tenure that left me questioning the culture and leadership of the organisation. But I think the final straw for me was Arikβs so-called βmotivationalβ speech when the crisis broke out.
Many of us were genuinely frightened, including those who had lived in the UAE for years and considered it home. We were witnessing missile interceptions above our homes and offices. The fear was real, and entirely justified.
Yet, during his speech, Arik referred to the missiles as βpresents from the skyβ and proceeded to berate employees for being afraid.
As we were pushed to return to the office, despite ongoing missile alerts and official warnings advising people to remain indoors, those who expressed concerns for their safety were described as psychologically weak. Those who chose to leave the country with their families, whether temporarily or permanently, were branded cowards who apparently didnβt love Etihad enough.
Meanwhile, a group of approximately 20 employees were, from my perspective, pressured into effectively living at the office despite the security situation, only to be publicly celebrated as brave heroes.
That was the moment I lost whatever respect I still had for the organisation.
And this was on top of a long list of other experiences that had already taken their toll:
* Being sarcastically asked whether we were βonly working half a dayβ when leaving the office at 6 PM.
* Having little confidence in the anonymity of employee engagement surveys, making honest feedback feel like a potential career risk.
* Knowing that company initiatives supposedly designed to improve work-life balance, such as half-day Fridays, would never realistically apply to Commercial.
* Living with a constant sense of job insecurity, where it felt as though any day could be your last.
The saddest part is that Etihad has enormous potential to be an incredible place to work. There are genuinely talented, dedicated and wonderful people within the organisation, even if my experience of that environment was overshadowed by everything else.
But the relentless messaging around being βEtihad Proudβ increasingly felt performative, almost cult-like. Itβs difficult to feel pride in an organisation when your everyday experience leaves you feeling undervalued, intimidated and disposable.
I still remember swiping out of HQ for the very last time. The overwhelming feeling was relief, but it was accompanied by sadness and profound disappointment.
Not because I regretted leaving, but because I knew how different things could have been.
Etihad could be an extraordinary place to work. And perhaps thatβs what makes the experience so disappointing: it really didnβt have to be this way.
Many of us have come from even worse toxic places. it is good to see action being taken and people speaking out. Hope EY listens and makes it a world class airline unlike the LCC direction it was heading to. Treat the employees well.and they will give their best.
I genuinely wonder what will happen to Arik now that he can no longer post his LinkedIn updates. The guy seems so obsessed with LinkedIn that being unable to post might actually send him into a depression.
The fact that he announces new destinations on LinkedIn before Etihad officially announces them tells you everything about his desperate need for attention, recognition, and validation. And the irony? A few months later, some of those very destinations...
I genuinely wonder what will happen to Arik now that he can no longer post his LinkedIn updates. The guy seems so obsessed with LinkedIn that being unable to post might actually send him into a depression.
The fact that he announces new destinations on LinkedIn before Etihad officially announces them tells you everything about his desperate need for attention, recognition, and validation. And the irony? A few months later, some of those very destinations end up being shut down by Etihad.
Look at his LinkedIn posts beyond the destination announcements. Itβs always the same story: βour leaders,β βwe at Etihad,β βthanks to my leadership,β and endless name-dropping of senior executives. Everything revolves around leaders and leadership, as if heβs desperately trying to convince everyone how influential and important he is.
The truth is, if you read between the lines, the whole thing looks less like leadership and more like someone desperately seeking approval from the people above him. At this point, the only thing missing is a LinkedIn post thanking the leadership of the plumbersβ association.
The Commercial Remembers.
With the collective power of employees, we will no longer tolerate arrogant leadership like Arik Kumarβs. At least half of EYβs executive leadership should step down, starting with Dr. Nadia and Karen, with immediate effect.
This scandal is only going to grow bigger and uglier, and those responsible should not underestimate the determination of employees to demand accountability.
And letβs not forget Arik Kumarβs inner circle, including Javi, Dani, and Joystna. Those who enabled, supported,...
With the collective power of employees, we will no longer tolerate arrogant leadership like Arik Kumarβs. At least half of EYβs executive leadership should step down, starting with Dr. Nadia and Karen, with immediate effect.
This scandal is only going to grow bigger and uglier, and those responsible should not underestimate the determination of employees to demand accountability.
And letβs not forget Arik Kumarβs inner circle, including Javi, Dani, and Joystna. Those who enabled, supported, or turned a blind eye to this toxic leadership culture must also be held accountable. The time for excuses is over. Accountability must start now, and no one should be above it.
@Jyotsna before you leave this week, bring back the salt&peper on the flights.. canβt believe Arik Kumar celebrated this point.
Back to Air India
Is Jyotsna leaving too ?
Complaints were raised with Ethics Compliance, Leadership and HR with substantial leads to misconduct and conflict of interest about certain people including HR not following due deligence when hiring groups of people violating policies but no action is ever taken. They pushed the task to the person raising complaint to provide more evidence which was provided and clearly visible even to the blind. David De brought three people from the same company for Offer Order...
Complaints were raised with Ethics Compliance, Leadership and HR with substantial leads to misconduct and conflict of interest about certain people including HR not following due deligence when hiring groups of people violating policies but no action is ever taken. They pushed the task to the person raising complaint to provide more evidence which was provided and clearly visible even to the blind. David De brought three people from the same company for Offer Order which is not going to start in atleast next couple of years and is not in Antonoaldo's cards. That group is closed to a particular vendor and aim is to favor a particular vendor by staging full process RFP drama. Paying huge salaries for the work likely never going to happen is a tremendous loss to companys revenue.
Talking about so called annonymous ELE surveys, employees are forced to give good ratings. With slicing and dicing of data, they try to find the employee giving low scores and then start harassing that person. The mess is at a bigger level.
David De is another version of Arik De. For a person who has got no knowledge, skills or competence, a double promotion to the rank of VP in a matter of few months speaks volumes about his relationship with A De. How he got hired in to the organization itself as a Head of is questionable. A scrutiny of every recruitment decision and promotions he has given out in the last two years is enough...
David De is another version of Arik De. For a person who has got no knowledge, skills or competence, a double promotion to the rank of VP in a matter of few months speaks volumes about his relationship with A De. How he got hired in to the organization itself as a Head of is questionable. A scrutiny of every recruitment decision and promotions he has given out in the last two years is enough evidence against him. Why his manager who is a Chief chose to be blind towards his tyranny needs to be investigated as well. These people are treating EY as though it is their family business and exploiting Abu Dhabi governmentβs funds for their own personal interests. Ariks tyranny was evident throughout the organization, what is happening in other divisions where his culture or lack of culture is not known outside the department. All complaints to Ethics and Compliance are redirected back to the department chief where it is closed and brushed under the carpet. Alongside Karen and Nadia, other Chiefs need to be held accountable too for misconduct and misappropriation of Abu Dhabi assets. A broader investigation should be conducted and culprits brought to justice.
While all the focus has been on the insufferable Arik De, the utter failure of Etihadβs ethics, compliance, HR, and legal departments should not escape scrutiny. At Etihad, these departments are little more than enablers. They organise silly events and team days, take lots of silly pictures of these silly events, and then pat themselves on the back for having such a wonderfully inclusive workplace. The reality is these departments donβt do anything meaningful. They...
While all the focus has been on the insufferable Arik De, the utter failure of Etihadβs ethics, compliance, HR, and legal departments should not escape scrutiny. At Etihad, these departments are little more than enablers. They organise silly events and team days, take lots of silly pictures of these silly events, and then pat themselves on the back for having such a wonderfully inclusive workplace. The reality is these departments donβt do anything meaningful. They allow abusive and unethical behaviour. They do superficial investigations that go nowhere and accomplish nothing. They have weak leadership who specialise in self-congratulatory LinkedIn postings and internal emails. They are exactly what the CEO wants. A truly useless lot
Antonoaldo Neves is the worst CEO in Etihadβs history. He has shown disrespect toward the cabin crew community in various ways, starting with cuts to staff travel benefits, the introduction of an unfair and subjective crew NPS system that does not investigate passengersβ scores, the implementation of new premium services that impose a more demanding and exhausting workload, and the abuse of power when travelling as a passenger.
There was a great era under...
Antonoaldo Neves is the worst CEO in Etihadβs history. He has shown disrespect toward the cabin crew community in various ways, starting with cuts to staff travel benefits, the introduction of an unfair and subjective crew NPS system that does not investigate passengersβ scores, the implementation of new premium services that impose a more demanding and exhausting workload, and the abuse of power when travelling as a passenger.
There was a great era under James Hogan and Tony Douglas, who were intelligent, humble, and consistently demonstrated respect and appreciation for the cabin crew. They were true leaders who understood exactly what flight attendants go through during flights.
Hopefully, the Abu Dhabi Government will take a closer look at the concerns that have been raised.
Special Thank you to the author who wrote the article.
Iβve seen plenty of posts on here rightly calling our Dr Nadia and Karen Clayton about their role on this. Personally theyβve enabled an absolute psychopath mess with people to the point of depression on a daily basis. But what have they done to help in all seriousness. dr nadia has done literally nothing apart from focus on meaningless and useless things like an e, a ridiculous diversity day where we all eat cold curry...
Iβve seen plenty of posts on here rightly calling our Dr Nadia and Karen Clayton about their role on this. Personally theyβve enabled an absolute psychopath mess with people to the point of depression on a daily basis. But what have they done to help in all seriousness. dr nadia has done literally nothing apart from focus on meaningless and useless things like an e, a ridiculous diversity day where we all eat cold curry for likes on Instagram that no one cares about, pointless well-being days and being horribke herself. Iβve witnessed her make colleagues dance for her amusement whilst everyone else grimaced. None of this was more true than when a friend of mine in Hr told me that a girl was forced to dance at a town hall to the point of no return. Absolutely awful. And Karen - she runs the speak up line at Etihad but when colleagues speak up who decides on their fate. Probably Kumar and Nadia. She comes across well Karen but when you ignore massive red flags you are just another bully yourself. Absolutely awful. Iβll stay in etihad in all likelihood for more years to come as my family are settled here but I surely hope Kumar the King of Lying leaving proves time for change. Like everyone else Iβm sick of it, am so happy Kumar has gone and hopefully CEO and his rotten leadership team are all out next. Abu Dhabi royalty take note of your shambolic company!!!!
Clearly, simply firing Arik and treating the situation as merely an internal matter will change nothing. In this company, HR is essentially a department dedicated to fighting against the staff. This directive comes from the top, ostensibly driven by a profit-maximization strategy: employees are viewed as high-cost assets, and expenses must be cut. Consequently, the policy is designed to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of truly professional and effective employeesβburdening them with multiple...
Clearly, simply firing Arik and treating the situation as merely an internal matter will change nothing. In this company, HR is essentially a department dedicated to fighting against the staff. This directive comes from the top, ostensibly driven by a profit-maximization strategy: employees are viewed as high-cost assets, and expenses must be cut. Consequently, the policy is designed to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of truly professional and effective employeesβburdening them with multiple projects or responsibility for numerous marketsβwithout any pay raises or even formal updates to their employment contracts. Serious legal violations are taking place, yet employees lack the power to fight the systemβs arbitrary actions on their own; thus, they either quit or are fired for being "inconvenient." HR focuses on crafting a polished, deceptive image and spending money on large-scale, supposedly motivational events, while in reality treating people like trashβignoring and looking down on them. There is ample evidence of this; one need only take the issue outside the company and present the facts to an independent external investigator. It is disheartening that HR is led by a UAE national whose departmentβs actions fundamentally undermine the countryβs image as a place open to talent. A culture of window-dressing prevails in the commercial and sales divisions. Ultimately, everything boils down to writing reports in a meticulously calibrated format, with precise font sizes and chart designs. Some KPIs are simply meaningless and bear no relation to actual work; senior management has no understanding of how markets operate and shows no interest in the grueling daily labor that yields long-term results. They demand immediate outcomesβspecifically in the format they have dreamed up in their own rosy fantasies, seemingly while living on the moon. The company, which once attracted top talent from around the globe and was a truly desirable employer, needs to be saved. It is destroying itself from within. The issue must be brought to the attention not only of the board of directors but also of the UAEβs senior leadership.
ΠΡΠΏΡΠ°Π²ΠΈΡΡ ΠΎΡΠ·ΡΠ²
Etihad Airways: Leadership, Legacy, and the Importance of Protecting a World-Class Brand
I have been following the recent developments surrounding Etihad Airways and its senior leadership over the past few days. Having spent many years with Etihad, I feel compelled to share my personal perspective on the airlineβs journey, its leadership decisions, and what I believe is required to protect the future of this prestigious Abu Dhabi brand.
The James Hogan Era β Building a...
Etihad Airways: Leadership, Legacy, and the Importance of Protecting a World-Class Brand
I have been following the recent developments surrounding Etihad Airways and its senior leadership over the past few days. Having spent many years with Etihad, I feel compelled to share my personal perspective on the airlineβs journey, its leadership decisions, and what I believe is required to protect the future of this prestigious Abu Dhabi brand.
The James Hogan Era β Building a Global Brand
Mr. James Hogan deserves significant credit for transforming Etihad into a globally recognised premium airline. Under his leadership, Etihad developed an exceptional brand, a world-class product, and a strong international reputation.
However, in my opinion, the airlineβs investments in other carriers were strategically flawed and ultimately created substantial financial challenges.
The Tony Douglas Era β A Turnaround Supported by Strong Emirati Leadership
Mr. Tony Douglas inherited a challenging situation and successfully steered the airline towards financial recovery.
However, I firmly believe this turnaround would not have been possible without the contributions of two outstanding Emirati leaders:
Mr. Mohammed Al Bulooki β As Chief Operating Officer, with both Commercial and Operations departments reporting to him, Mohammed effectively served as the airlineβs de facto Deputy CEO for almost six years. His strong commercial acumen, operational discipline, and strategic leadership played a pivotal role in Etihadβs turnaround and operational excellence.
Above all, he was a leader of exceptional humility and integrity, treating everyone fairly and respectfully, regardless of religion, nationality, or position. His people-first leadership earned him widespread respect and trust across the organisation.
Mr. Ibrahim Nasser β An exceptional HR leader who understood how to balance manpower cost optimisation with employee welfare, motivation, and organisational stability. He demonstrated that financial discipline and taking care of employees can, and should, go hand in hand.
In my view, these two leaders were fundamental to Etihadβs recovery. Their contributions should never be underestimated when evaluating the success of that period.
I strongly believe that without the leadership and contributions of these two senior Emirati executives, Tony Douglas would have faced significantly greater challenges in successfully turning around the airline.
The Antonoaldo Neves and Arik De Era β Growth at What Cost?
Mr. Arik De initially joined Etihad as Vice President of Revenue Management and, within approximately one year, was promoted to Chief Commercial and Revenue Officer following the appointment of Mr. Antonoaldo Neves as CEO. Both executives had previously worked together at TAP Air Portugal.
My understanding is that this rapid promotion was accompanied by a substantial salary increase and significant bonus payouts. In my personal opinion, the scale and speed of these rewards were not justified by demonstrated performance and sustainable value creation for the airline.
Executive remuneration should be linked to measurable commercial results, profitability, operational effectiveness, and long-term shareholder value rather than headline revenue growth or individual relationships.
While the current leadership has emphasised revenue growth, network expansion, and increased capacity, I believe there are important questions that deserve serious consideration.
1. Revenue Growth Must Be Measured Against the Right Baseline
Claims of significant revenue growth need to be assessed in their proper context.
Comparing revenue immediately following COVID-19 with revenue generated after the recovery of global aviation does not necessarily demonstrate exceptional management performance.
For example, comparing a revenue base of approximately USD 3 billion during the post-pandemic recovery period with a much higher revenue figure several years later, without considering capacity restoration and market recovery, can create a misleading impression of management performance.
The real questions should be:
* How much of the growth came from post-pandemic market recovery and increased capacity?
* How much translated into sustainable profitability and return on invested capital?
* How did Etihad perform relative to Emirates and Qatar Airways over the same period?
* Was revenue growth achieved while protecting the premium product and customer experience?
Revenue per seat is another critical KPI that deserves attention.
Simply increasing the number of aircraft, destinations, and available seats will naturally increase total revenue. However, the real measure of commercial effectiveness is how efficiently the airline generates revenue from the capacity deployed.
In my assessment, even a comparison with flydubai raises important questions about Etihadβs revenue productivity per seat. I believe flydubai demonstrates stronger performance on this measure, although a meaningful comparison must account for differences in network structure, aircraft configuration, and business models.
This is why management performance should be assessed using a combination of revenue per available seat, revenue per available seat kilometre (RASK), yields, load factors, unit costs, and profitability rather than headline revenue growth alone.
Revenue growth without corresponding improvements in productivity and profitability is not necessarily a sign of successful leadership.
2. Network Expansion and Fleet Complexity
In my opinion, some recent decisions relating to new routes, aircraft leasing, fleet diversification, and network expansion warrant closer scrutiny.
Opening routes is relatively easy. Ensuring that those routes generate sustainable economic returns is the real challenge.
Similarly, introducing different aircraft types can create additional operational complexity, higher costs, and inconsistencies in the customer experience.
The airline should be transparent about the commercial rationale behind these decisions and demonstrate how they contribute to sustainable profitability.
Growth should never come at the expense of operational reliability, financial discipline, or customer satisfaction.
3. Protecting Etihadβs Premium Brand
One of my greatest concerns is what I perceive as the gradual dilution of Etihadβs premium product on certain routes.
Etihad was built to represent Abu Dhabi on the global stage through exceptional service, hospitality, innovation, and quality.
In my personal assessment, some product decisions have weakened that differentiation.
Emirates and Qatar Airways have continued investing in their premium positioning, and Etihad must ensure that its growth strategy does not compromise the brand value that took years and billions of dollars to establish.
An airline cannot claim to be a premium global brand while progressively reducing the quality and consistency of its customer experience.
A strong airline brand takes decades to build, but poor strategic decisions can weaken it in a relatively short period.
4. Leadership Culture and Accountability
Leadership is not simply about increasing revenue, expanding a network, or delivering impressive presentations.
It is about building strong teams, encouraging constructive challenge, recognising talent fairly, and creating an environment where employees can speak openly without fear of negative consequences.
Based on my own experience and observations, I have serious concerns about whether Etihadβs recent leadership culture has consistently encouraged these principles.
Any organisation that prioritises personal loyalty over professional competence risks losing talented people, weakening governance, and creating poor decision-making practices.
A strong leader welcomes constructive disagreement and surrounds themselves with capable professionals who are prepared to challenge decisions in the best interests of the organisation.
A weak leadership culture, by contrast, can develop when individuals are rewarded primarily for agreeing with senior management rather than for delivering results.
Leadership should be built on merit, integrity, humility, accountability, and respect for people β not personal loyalty or internal politics.
The CEO must ultimately take responsibility for the leadership culture, strategic decisions, and governance standards established under his management.
5. The Need to Restore Strong Emirati Leadership
Etihad is not just another commercial airline. It is a national asset, a symbol of Abu Dhabiβs ambition, and an important contributor to the UAEβs global reputation.
The success of Emirates and flydubai demonstrates the value of strong, empowered Emirati leadership supported by experienced international professionals.
I firmly believe Etihad should adopt a similar approach.
Over the years, Etihad has developed and groomed many talented young Emirati aviation professionals. Several of these individuals spent significant portions of their careers with the airline, gained valuable international aviation experience, and subsequently moved on to other organisations.
These professionals understand Etihadβs DNA, its operational challenges, its people, and the expectations of Abu Dhabi.
Regardless of how many talented expatriate executives are recruited, we should not overlook the highly capable Emirati aviation leaders who were developed within Etihad itself.
There are experienced Emirati professionals who spent many years at Etihad, subsequently broadened their aviation expertise elsewhere, and are now more than capable of returning to lead the airline at the highest level.
The future CEO of Etihad should be selected on merit, proven aviation leadership, commercial capability, operational understanding, and the ability to inspire people.
I strongly believe that this talent exists among experienced Emirati aviation executives.
My Final Thoughts
Etihad does not need growth at any cost.
It needs profitable growth, disciplined investment, operational excellence, a motivated workforce, and a premium product worthy of Abu Dhabi.
Leadership success should not be measured solely by revenue numbers or the number of destinations added to the network. It should be measured by the sustainable value created for shareholders, employees, customers, and the nation.
My strongest message is this: Abu Dhabi does not need to continuously look outside for leadership when it has already invested years in developing outstanding Emirati aviation talent.
Many young Emirati professionals who were groomed within Etihad have since matured into highly experienced aviation leaders. Some spent longer periods serving the airline than the executives currently leading it, and their combined institutional knowledge and external experience could make them strong candidates to lead Etihad as CEO.
Regardless of how talented or experienced expatriate executives may be, we must recognise that Etihad has already produced a generation of well-groomed, capable, and experienced Emirati aviation professionals.
Some of these individuals left the organisation after years of dedicated service and have since gained even broader aviation experience. I firmly believe that several of these professionals have the leadership capability, institutional knowledge, and commercial understanding required to return and successfully lead Etihad as CEO.
International expertise will always be valuable, but it should complement and strengthen national leadership rather than replace the opportunity to develop it.
As someone who spent an important part of my professional career with Etihad, my views come from a genuine desire to see the airline succeed.
Etihad was built to be one of the worldβs finest airlines. It is time to empower the Emirati aviation talent capable of protecting its legacy and taking it to the next level.
These are my personal views based on my professional experience and observations. Commercial comparisons, executive remuneration claims, and assessments of management decisions should be evaluated against independently verified information.
Wonderful take, someone from the board should see this.
Hi RK
We donβt need Bulooki back (please), seriously lacked professionalism, lots of stories
We have CPT Majeed as current COO, he is the perfect candidate for CEO
No!
No way!!!!
Boss, saying that James Hogan and Balooki were better, is similar to a victim telling its rapist, "the one before you used lubricant."
James Hogan came at a time of abundance, a swimming pool full of cash, you can spend all you can, trainee pilots and engineers were sent to Australia, when we already had training academies in UAE.
One of the many failure partnerships Hogan was responsible for, alongside Air Berlin and Alitalia was...
Boss, saying that James Hogan and Balooki were better, is similar to a victim telling its rapist, "the one before you used lubricant."
James Hogan came at a time of abundance, a swimming pool full of cash, you can spend all you can, trainee pilots and engineers were sent to Australia, when we already had training academies in UAE.
One of the many failure partnerships Hogan was responsible for, alongside Air Berlin and Alitalia was Etihad regional aka Darwin airways, a little airline with merely six Saab 2000s turboprops. The airline suffered a shortage in employees, and guess what happened next, they sent trainees, to Geneva, to stay in the 5 star Movenpick Aeroport Hotel for 3 months, in order to support Darwin airways. That's just a small example that I know of, imagine how many other things were hidden under the carpet.
Captain Majed had to purge a lot of Balookis mess, take Paolo Echeverri as an example, he employed friends, let me introduce you to one... Elvis? An incompetent person who was offered a very sensitive role, let me give you an example of what he did, he just deployed oxygen masks while playing with the buttons in the cockpit of one of those planes.
But I agree with everything else you typed, good analysis .
I think it is tragic and unfair that this has become a forum to anonymously trash someone's career with innuendo and personal grievance. I've worked with Arik De at two airlines, including Etihad, and have found him to be a driven, hard working leader. What is particularly outrageous is that Arik and his organization delivered excellence in the form that matters most - results. The Etihad story, coinciding precisely with Arik's five year tenure, is...
I think it is tragic and unfair that this has become a forum to anonymously trash someone's career with innuendo and personal grievance. I've worked with Arik De at two airlines, including Etihad, and have found him to be a driven, hard working leader. What is particularly outrageous is that Arik and his organization delivered excellence in the form that matters most - results. The Etihad story, coinciding precisely with Arik's five year tenure, is one of an extraordinary turnaround. Prior to his arrival and that of the current senior leadership team, Etihad was a failed vanity project, dependent on massive government subsidy just to continue operations. In addition to being consistently unprofitable, the airline had no strategic vision and little prospect of offering the kind of growth and opportunity the Etihad's employees currently enjoy.
Arik has not magically produced any results. The ground work was already done by Tony and his team, plus the surge in post covid travel added to the revenue. A formal audit will certainly reveal the damage that Arik has left behind. Just take the count of stations that have been opened and closed in the past two years and the flights impacted by the so called βdynamic planningβ. RASK and CASK have been severely...
Arik has not magically produced any results. The ground work was already done by Tony and his team, plus the surge in post covid travel added to the revenue. A formal audit will certainly reveal the damage that Arik has left behind. Just take the count of stations that have been opened and closed in the past two years and the flights impacted by the so called βdynamic planningβ. RASK and CASK have been severely impacted. Those who have benefited from this mismanagement would certainly speak on his behalf but the majority voice is clear and loud in this forum. Etihad employees have had world class benefits before Ariks tenure, which hopefully will be restored. He and Nadia has taken away most of the employee benefits.
LOOOOLLL HAHAHAHAHA Ivander is that you?? The βresultβ is this comment section my dear. Growing an airline in an already booming, recovering market by adding more aircraft, routes and capacity isnβt exactly some exceptional management achievement. If youβve managed to absolutely mess up the whole company culture so badly that the day you leave hundreds of people are sharing stories about how much they hated working with you on some random website, youβre a just...
LOOOOLLL HAHAHAHAHA Ivander is that you?? The βresultβ is this comment section my dear. Growing an airline in an already booming, recovering market by adding more aircraft, routes and capacity isnβt exactly some exceptional management achievement. If youβve managed to absolutely mess up the whole company culture so badly that the day you leave hundreds of people are sharing stories about how much they hated working with you on some random website, youβre a just a massive clown mate. Not some great leader. Your βsupposedβ beloved puppetmaster Arik Kumar De is the most hated pathetic failure in avition history.
ooft is Ivander Sebastian back? this looks to be written by a bit of a follower
Whatβs tragic is that you think what he achieved was an extraordinary turnaround. Any random executive from any random airline could have achieved that same growth under those market conditions without making a complete embarrassment of the company and permanently damaging the corporate culture. Now that your guy is gone youβre probably desperately scrambling to save yourself so you don't get dragged down with him just because you were one of Arik Kumarβs henchmen.
Arik you back as Trey now, LOLβ¦..
What's tragic is you referring to 200+ comments as perdonal grievance. Hahahaha . You just proved how stupid his bootlickers are, do you seriously believe what you wrote? If yes, that's a bigger problem, do you know about the work Tony Douglas and his team put which set the foundation for ey's transformation? In Arik's townhall less that 2 months from him joining, he was taking credit for the company's increase in profit hahaha what...
What's tragic is you referring to 200+ comments as perdonal grievance. Hahahaha . You just proved how stupid his bootlickers are, do you seriously believe what you wrote? If yes, that's a bigger problem, do you know about the work Tony Douglas and his team put which set the foundation for ey's transformation? In Arik's townhall less that 2 months from him joining, he was taking credit for the company's increase in profit hahaha what a joke! Let me explain more, as it looks like your IQ is as low as Sebastian's morals..it means that the company started recovering before Arik aka ivander sebastian hahah joined.
If this is you Arik, i'd realky pray each abd evrry second for Gods forgiveness for all the hurt and pain you caused. I see a comment of somrone who was suicidal because of your and your puppets toxicity. They say what goes around , comes around...i hope this is a wake up call to your evil spirit.
this comment is golden <3 although I don't wish him well
Do you think he will be given severance given that his exit was so abrupt ? Just want your opinion
Wow okay Ivander Trey Sebastien! Are we going by your middle name now?
Nice try Arik, go and get some more ozempic you fat cow
Bro youβre not even smart enough to make a fake account without giving yourself away. What are you talking about?
βDelivered excellenceβ haha. Moron.
Is it Ozempic or the STDs?
Is this Sebastian in disguise
Thanks for proving that you are a very close friend of him, worked at two airlines with him, of course you think all these people had a personal grievance against the innocent fellow.
Most funny thing about Arik and Etihad is that this guy took on Diversificarion as an objective foe him. How he do it? He started firing people from nationalities of big numbers in Etihad and he was forcing recruiting manger to bring new nationalities. So we have too many Britihs and Indian, let us go and get more people from else where. Now Etihad naturally has so many people from almost all Europe and Asia....
Most funny thing about Arik and Etihad is that this guy took on Diversificarion as an objective foe him. How he do it? He started firing people from nationalities of big numbers in Etihad and he was forcing recruiting manger to bring new nationalities. So we have too many Britihs and Indian, let us go and get more people from else where. Now Etihad naturally has so many people from almost all Europe and Asia. So they started looking at South American like Columbia and Venzuela just so he can talk on Linkedin about the number of nationalities he has. So he achieved diverisification through prejudice against other nationalities.
At the end of the day, Etihad needs to invest in its people and appoint managers who reflect the UAEβs values of kindness, respect, and fairness.
Since Antonaldo took the lead, the culture has increasingly felt like a caste system, with benefits determined by grade rather than loyalty and years of service. Long-serving employees 10+ have lost travel privileges and staff have felt publicly humiliated for raising legitimate concerns. CEO and Arik repeatedly encouraging...
At the end of the day, Etihad needs to invest in its people and appoint managers who reflect the UAEβs values of kindness, respect, and fairness.
Since Antonaldo took the lead, the culture has increasingly felt like a caste system, with benefits determined by grade rather than loyalty and years of service. Long-serving employees 10+ have lost travel privileges and staff have felt publicly humiliated for raising legitimate concerns. CEO and Arik repeatedly encouraging experienced employees to seek opportunities elsewhere sends a clear message that their dedication is no longer valued.
Etihadβs loyal employees helped build this airline into a world-class brand. The owners must take these concerns seriously and hold leadership accountable. A great airline deserves great leadership, leadership that values its people rather than pushes them away.
Exactly my thoughts. This βif you donβt like it go work somewhere elseβ culture only started at Etihad after Antonaldo and Arik Kumar came in. Throughout my time there I heard everyone above me from M2 line managers to senior managers, heads, directors, VPs use that exact phrase without a second thought. This is not something that has been normalised to this extent at any other airline. Everyone here is blaming Arik Kumar but Antonaldo is no different from him.
Very true. They even parroted the same sentiment in the East: βIf you donβt like it, you can leave.β
A toxic Chief leaving has opened up a can of worms. Letβs not forget that the culprits and enablers of this toxic environment are still lurking around. A Chief of HR with no HR background has ruined the entire organization. She and her right hand Fatma Sahlawi hs officially threatened employees with dire consequences when they have chosen to speak up. Not to forget the other mafias that are run by other chiefs. Recruitment and...
A toxic Chief leaving has opened up a can of worms. Letβs not forget that the culprits and enablers of this toxic environment are still lurking around. A Chief of HR with no HR background has ruined the entire organization. She and her right hand Fatma Sahlawi hs officially threatened employees with dire consequences when they have chosen to speak up. Not to forget the other mafias that are run by other chiefs. Recruitment and Promotions of the last two years should undergo a thorough audit. Most of the Senior Leadership would be gone then. Such a shame that they have turned an international airline to an extremely poor standards due to mismanagement. Someone please bring this to the attention of Board. Every touch point that Arik had is filled with his people who are not qualified and are equally toxic- be it HR, Finance or IT. Every single promotion given this year should be scrutinized. Also the Managers who have been promoted to Heads of , Directors and Vice Presidents with in a span of few months. The list is endless.
100% ! Promotions over the past couple years absolutely need to be thoroughly audited. Every double promotion from the past few years should be scrutinised. The exit interviews of people who worked under those rapidly promoted during Arikβs tenure should be reviewed. Removing one toxic individual doesnβt magically change a culture.
The Global Sales and Distribution department has been in need of a serious turnaround for far too long. The current leadership under Javier is lacking the essential sales skills, market relationships, and commercial capabilities for such a critical function, the departmentβs culture and effectiveness have suffered considerably
It is now time to rebuild, restore trust, and repair the damage through strong Emirati leadership. There are highly experienced and capable Emirati professionals within the department who...
The Global Sales and Distribution department has been in need of a serious turnaround for far too long. The current leadership under Javier is lacking the essential sales skills, market relationships, and commercial capabilities for such a critical function, the departmentβs culture and effectiveness have suffered considerably
It is now time to rebuild, restore trust, and repair the damage through strong Emirati leadership. There are highly experienced and capable Emirati professionals within the department who understand the culture, the people, and the realities and requirements of the markets. They have the knowledge, experience, and commercial understanding needed to restore the departmentβs credibility, rebuild its culture, and put Global Sales back on the right track
My line manager was Emirati in EY sales department and he was horrible β¦. Dear itβs not about nationalities itβs about how they are allowed to treat people !
I completely agree that nationality is not the issue, accountability, competence, and professional conduct are.
Leadership should never be judged by nationality, but by the standards it upholds, the results it delivers, and how it treats people. No individual, regardless of nationality or position, should be above scrutiny.
The real question is whether the organisation holds everyone to the same standards and takes action when those standards are breached. That is what genuine...
I completely agree that nationality is not the issue, accountability, competence, and professional conduct are.
Leadership should never be judged by nationality, but by the standards it upholds, the results it delivers, and how it treats people. No individual, regardless of nationality or position, should be above scrutiny.
The real question is whether the organisation holds everyone to the same standards and takes action when those standards are breached. That is what genuine leadership and a healthy corporate culture look like.
At the same time, empowering Emirati talent brings significant strategic advantages: a deep understanding of the UAEβs culture, values, and business environment; strong local relationships; a long-term commitment to the countryβs vision; and the ability to build strategic partnerships across government and the private sector
Emirati leaders can also bring valuable local market insight, cultural intelligence, and a genuine sense of ownership in advancing the UAEβs ambitions on the global stage
Unfortunatepy damage already happened. Etihad lost huge chunk of talent. Not only in Revenue management but in IT and marketing and everywhere. Because he was so powerful and empowered by Antonaldo. Most people who stayed they just noddd yes to Arik.
Plus, the decision he made i am almost sure they will hurt the airline in the years to come such as new routes opening.
Antonaldo should be fired.
Arik de may be gone, but the rot he left behind has not been addressed.
I have been reading the comments surrounding Arik Deβs departure, and as an Etihad employee, it is painful to see how much frustration and disappointment have accumulated. I am fortunate not to work within REVC or the departments directly affected by his management style. I work in a division where good leadership and fair practices still exist, and I...
Arik de may be gone, but the rot he left behind has not been addressed.
I have been reading the comments surrounding Arik Deβs departure, and as an Etihad employee, it is painful to see how much frustration and disappointment have accumulated. I am fortunate not to work within REVC or the departments directly affected by his management style. I work in a division where good leadership and fair practices still exist, and I want to make it clear that not every department within Etihad is in the same state. There are still exceptional leaders and talented employees who continue to do outstanding work and care deeply about the airline.
Having worked closely with the Product, Brand and Hospitality teams over many years on numerous projects and events, I have witnessed firsthand what these departments once represented. They were thriving divisions, driven by remarkable talent across Product, Service Delivery, Culinary, Ground Services and several other functions. Under Turkyβs leadership, supported by an exceptionally talented team, these departments delivered outstanding work. Their achievements were celebrated, their expertise was valued, and the people responsible for their success were recognised as the stars they were.
Then Arik Deβs management approach began to take its toll.
In my view, what followed was a textbook example of how a thriving division can be dismantled, not because it lacked talent, but because the wrong leadership decisions were allowed to take root. A department that had been built through years of hard work, experience and professional expertise was turned into an environment of confusion, demoralisation and declining confidence.
With Arikβs backing, appointments and transfers involving people such as Jyotsna and Rori raised serious concerns about leadership capability and the direction of the division. What followed was, quite frankly, a circus β and one in which Jyotsna appeared to be at the centre of the chaos.
Experienced leaders who had delivered results, including Turky and his team, were sidelined and reduced to figures with little meaningful influence. Employees who had led teams and contributed significantly to the department were publicly shamed in meetings, in a management style that bore an uncomfortable resemblance to Arikβs own. Instead of creating an environment where people could learn, grow and perform, the leadership culture increasingly appeared to rely on humiliation, intimidation and the undermining of established professionals.
Consider the message sent to employees who had dedicated five, ten or more years to Etihad: reapply for your positions, accept that this is a βnew Etihadβ, and understand that your experience and loyalty may no longer make you suitable for promotion. Meanwhile, the message that seemed to emerge was that senior positions would increasingly go to external hires rather than existing employees who had already demonstrated their capabilities.
What kind of organisation treats the people who helped build its success as though they are no longer worth investing in?
Institutional knowledge is not baggage. Experience is not a weakness. Loyalty should not become a liability. Yet this is precisely the perception that such management practices risk creating. The damage goes far beyond job titles or organisational charts. It destroys confidence, strips people of their professional dignity and makes talented employees question whether their contributions have any value.
People who were once confident, capable and respected began to see their expertise questioned and their achievements dismissed. Work that had helped establish Etihadβs standards was disparaged, at times through comparisons to Air India standards, rather than being constructively evaluated and improved. Subject-matter experts were publicly undermined, and the very experience the organisation should have been drawing upon was treated as something to replace.
When leadership lacks the ability to recognise the value of existing expertise, the easiest option is often to discredit it. And when that approach becomes the norm, the organisation loses the benefit of the very people who know its product best.
The situation became even more concerning as additional directors and senior positions were introduced in the division. Rather than resolving the underlying problems, these appointments appeared to add further layers of leadership without necessarily addressing the departmentβs fundamental needs and further denting the confidence of long serving employees of the division.
And this is where I will be blunt: some of these new appointments looked less like a serious effort to rebuild a department and more like the recruitment of a cast of clowns to protect the imcompitence of the leader. When experienced professionals who had delivered real results were being sidelined and shamed by VPs, the arrival of people who, in the eyes of those observing the department, appeared ill-equipped to lead only made the situation more absurd. Senior titles mean very little when they are not matched by competence, sound judgement, accountability and the ability to inspire a team.
The question is not how many directors a department has. It is whether those directors can actually lead, whether they understand the business, and whether they add value to the product and the people responsible for delivering it.
Much of this raises a broader question about the culture Arik fostered and the people empowered under his leadership. Jyotsna, Ruaraidh, Dani, Rori and Javi are names that should not simply disappear from the conversation because Arik has left. Their respective leadership decisions, conduct and impact on employees deserve proper scrutiny. If the management behaviours associated with Arikβs tenure continue through these leaders, then his departure will have changed very little.
It is not enough to remove the person at the top while leaving the same leadership mindset in place beneath them. A toxic culture does not disappear when its most visible figure exits; it survives through the people who continue to practise, defend or enable it.
This is why the responsibility now falls on Etihadβs senior leadership and HR to look beyond one departure. There must be an honest assessment of how the Product, Brand and Hospitality division was allowed to deteriorate, how experienced employees were treated, how leadership appointments were made depriving the right of people to be promoted, and why the people responsible for the departmentβs earlier success were pushed aside.
HR must do more than facilitate restructures and process recruitment. It must protect fair treatment, investigate credible concerns, ensure that leadership capability is properly assessed and give affected employees a genuine opportunity to rebuild their confidence and careers. Where leadership has demonstrably failed, there must be meaningful consequences. Where people have been unfairly sidelined, their contributions and future prospects deserve serious reconsideration.
The employees affected deserve more than another restructure, another set of promises or another change of reporting lines. They deserve accountability, respect, restored confidence and the chance to work in an environment where talent is valued rather than threatened.
Glad to see so many people speaking up here. The problem runs far deeper than Arik. This organization created the perfect environment for his toxic, narcissistic leadership style to thrive β to the point where it seemed not only tolerated, but actively supported and encouraged.
Everyone in the company knew about his leadership style, including HR, yet it had become completely normalized.
In this environment, leaders joining under him essentially have two choices: adapt to...
Glad to see so many people speaking up here. The problem runs far deeper than Arik. This organization created the perfect environment for his toxic, narcissistic leadership style to thrive β to the point where it seemed not only tolerated, but actively supported and encouraged.
Everyone in the company knew about his leadership style, including HR, yet it had become completely normalized.
In this environment, leaders joining under him essentially have two choices: adapt to the culture and normalize it (Dani, Ruaraidh), or refuse to accept it and leave β either on your own terms or until they push you out (Akhil, Greg).
This culture didn't stop at director level. It trickled down to team leaders, who adopted the same leadership style to survive and reproduce it within their own teams. Kavita, Marianna and Laura are examples of exactly what I'm talking about: the way they speak to their teams mirrors the way Arik spoke to his peers.
I have enormous respect for the people who chose to leave within weeks of joining. They had good salaries, had relocated their families, and had containers shipped across the world, yet still had the clarity and courage to walk away from this madness after just a few weeks. They surely made the right choice to protect themself.
Beyond the toxicity, there has been far too little discussion about the sheer chaos and unprofessionalism of this organization. There is no clear vision, no coherent company-wide or departmental strategy, no clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and no meaningful KPIs to measure individual or team performance. In the absence of any proper structure or accountability, everything comes down to personal relationships, favoritism and who happens to be in someone's good books.
I'm speaking up because of the people at the bottom of the organization who are stuck in this situation, with nowhere to turn for help, there is no independent support. Those people who deserve to have their voices heard.
Just wait and see. Part 2 of the investigation is about to begin, focusing on his direct reports, particularly Javier.
All the evidence is in place, and weβre ready to move forward
Wish us all the best!
I hope so, and Adria's name is not mentioned enough
If HR to investigate, nothing will happen.
If I were HR or someone invested in company culture, I hope thereβs a proper whistleblowing department for these comments. Mr A has left, and if any remaining leaders are behaving unprofessionally or creating a toxic environment, those concerned should start gathering evidence and share it with the department.
For those with strong feelings about unfair treatment, itβs easy to comment based on personal feelings. However, remember that evidence is needed for authority to take...
If I were HR or someone invested in company culture, I hope thereβs a proper whistleblowing department for these comments. Mr A has left, and if any remaining leaders are behaving unprofessionally or creating a toxic environment, those concerned should start gathering evidence and share it with the department.
For those with strong feelings about unfair treatment, itβs easy to comment based on personal feelings. However, remember that evidence is needed for authority to take action. Thatβs where most people hesitate and do nothing.
I hope those in power will open this platform to collect evidence of any wrongdoing by those in authority. This will ensure leaders know they canβt act as they please. I commend those who raised these concerns and stood together to bring them to shareholders or whoever can help limit his power over employees. Youβve made a significant contribution to Etihad. Toxic corporate culture will likely persist, but itβs the responsibility of top management and the board to ensure itβs not tolerated and to create a healthy working environment essential for the companyβs success.
Iβve worked in a company where top leaders encourage teamwork, which feels so different from here. Teams seem to only want to fight against each other and youβre encouraged to push your agenda without considering othersβ interests. Itβs always seemed like a win-lose working culture, and Iβm sure leadership plays a part.
I donβt personally know Mr A, but I work in layers below him. Iβm not sure if my bossβs reluctance to embrace new ideas is a result of his actions, but I also sense that most bosses are cautious. It can be demotivating to work in an environment where bosses are just yes men.
Just a note: many people come here with their families, so I understand that many have no choice but to make moving here works.
the thing is HR turns a blind eye, I reported toxic behaviors before I left, what I got was nothing and HR told me to think of how to improve my performance instead of saying your manager communication is rude.
I experienced the same thing! They even ask you to resign for reporting misconduct. What a joke!
Get an external Audit company to Audit and evidence will come out by itself
I hope Dr. Nadia, Fatima Alsahlawi, Javier, and Dani are next!
Shame on Etihad for allowing such treatment to continue and for putting employees through so much suffering.
I remember specifically a certain director promoted by Arik, one of his big suck-ups in RM asking candidates during the interviews how good they are at fighting, because that's what our job requires. The airline where I come from the question was "how well you can collaborate with other departments". You work together to find solutions. As long as people like this remain in positions of power nothing will change.
That tall director in RM now needs to go back to TAP with his buddies, the number of promotions for the TAP gang needs to looked at, EY needs an external people audit
Letβs not forget Wei was part of that was happening in RM!
Arik Kumarβs loyalty appears to be directed more towards building his personal reputation on LinkedIn than serving Etihadβs best interests. Many of the destinations he announces seem to be driven by the desire to be the first to announce them on LinkedIn, to the extent that Corporate Communications is reportedly expected to wait until after his post before making any announcements to the media. Since when did an individualβs personal social media presence take priority...
Arik Kumarβs loyalty appears to be directed more towards building his personal reputation on LinkedIn than serving Etihadβs best interests. Many of the destinations he announces seem to be driven by the desire to be the first to announce them on LinkedIn, to the extent that Corporate Communications is reportedly expected to wait until after his post before making any announcements to the media. Since when did an individualβs personal social media presence take priority over the companyβs communication strategy?
Arik Kumar should have been held accountable and removed from his position long ago, given the numerous concerns raised repeatedly in this forum. Yet Etihadβs leadership failed us, the employees. We were left with no choice but to escalate our concerns externally. Fortunately, those concerns were heard, and an independent external firm has now been brought in to investigate.
This raises a fundamental question: Why do we even have HR, Ethics, and Legal departments if serious concerns are allowed to persist for so long without meaningful action? What exactly are these departments accountable for?
Dr Nadia and Karen, you should be ashamed of how this situation has been handled. Your failure to act has severely undermined employeesβ trust in the very functions meant to protect them and uphold accountability. And AN, your continued failure to intervene despite these concerns being raised over an extended period raises equally serious questions about your leadership.
The time for accountability is long overdue. Dr Nadia and Karen, you should consider stepping down, alongside AN, who has turned a blind eye to these concerns from the beginning. Employees deserve leadership that listens, acts, and takes responsibilityβnot leadership that allows the situation to deteriorate until external intervention becomes necessary.
The issues within REVC go far beyond isolated leadership failures. Javi, Jyotsna, Wei, Dani, Ruaraidh and Adria all need to reflect seriously on the culture, accountability and leadership standards that are being set across the organisation. In my view, Lena stands out as the only leader in REVC who continues to demonstrate what decent leadership should look like.
If restoring brand credibility is genuinely a priority, then Ruaraidh and Dani, in particular, need to answer...
The issues within REVC go far beyond isolated leadership failures. Javi, Jyotsna, Wei, Dani, Ruaraidh and Adria all need to reflect seriously on the culture, accountability and leadership standards that are being set across the organisation. In my view, Lena stands out as the only leader in REVC who continues to demonstrate what decent leadership should look like.
If restoring brand credibility is genuinely a priority, then Ruaraidh and Dani, in particular, need to answer some difficult questions. The complaints raised across these functions cannot simply be dismissed or treated as unrelated incidents. There is a clear need to examine the underlying patterns, the leadership decisions being made and the impact they are having on people.
The loss of Emirati talent should be a particularly serious concern. When an organisation repeatedly loses local talent, leadership must be willing to examine its own role rather than look elsewhere for explanations. The reputational damage is real, and the longer these issues remain unaddressed, the harder it will become to rebuild trust.
What is most concerning is the possibility that this is no longer a series of isolated problems, but a deeper cultural failure. Unless there is meaningful accountability and a fundamental change in leadership approach, I fear more people will choose to leave. No amount of brand messaging can compensate for a leadership culture that is steadily undermining the very credibility it is supposed to protect.
The rot runs deep, and cosmetic fixes will not be enough. REVC needs honest scrutiny, decisive action and leaders who understand that their responsibility extends beyond business results to the people, culture and reputation they leave behind.
None of the names you mentioned has capacity to reflect on the culture, they are the culture. They all are as bad as each other, Adria specifically. Lena is the only leader who managed to stay true to some values within this toxic system and that's why she was pushed aside.
There is a picture going around about a cabin crew member who was forced to go on a flight while she was sick and died after landing in Toronto. She was so scared to call in sick because her manager was threatening her with an improvement plan and dismissal, so I am not surprised of the comments.
Itβs such a disappointment that things have come to this. The UAEβs national airline should be a symbol of hope, ambition and excellence, yet its own REVc leadership seems to be letting it down.
Ruaraidh Smeaton and Dani Ryan look more like Arikβs puppets than independent leaders, especially given how Gregβs exit was handled. People call Ruaraidh βThe Robotβ for a reason - ask anyone who has dealt with him!
Then thereβs Cristinaβs rapid promotion...
Itβs such a disappointment that things have come to this. The UAEβs national airline should be a symbol of hope, ambition and excellence, yet its own REVc leadership seems to be letting it down.
Ruaraidh Smeaton and Dani Ryan look more like Arikβs puppets than independent leaders, especially given how Gregβs exit was handled. People call Ruaraidh βThe Robotβ for a reason - ask anyone who has dealt with him!
Then thereβs Cristinaβs rapid promotion to lead Brand (Ruaraidh again!), the questions surrounding her connection to a family friend of Manchester Cityβs CEO, and the promotions within REVC that have left people questioning whether merit and experience are really what count. Certain nationalities seem to be disproportionately represented in leadership appointments, while talented people are pushed out.
The previous Marketing and Brand teams were miles better. Itβs embarrassing to see whatβs happened. The UAEβs national airline deserves leadership built on competence, fairness and merit, not favouritism or blind loyalty. Bring real local talent, and remove Ruaraidh and Dani.
The rot runs deep, and its influence has spread far beyond the head office to the outstations. Arik was a cancer that ravaged the organisation, and the damage extended well beyond borders.
Those appointed to leadership positions, despite having absolutely zero airline experience, also played their part in driving the company into the ground. These were not leaders; they were impostors occupying positions of authority without the values, competence, or skills that genuine leadership demands.
...The rot runs deep, and its influence has spread far beyond the head office to the outstations. Arik was a cancer that ravaged the organisation, and the damage extended well beyond borders.
Those appointed to leadership positions, despite having absolutely zero airline experience, also played their part in driving the company into the ground. These were not leaders; they were impostors occupying positions of authority without the values, competence, or skills that genuine leadership demands.
Perhaps the most troubling question is this: Why would the UAE entrust the management of its national airline to outsiders and foreign executives, seemingly at the expense of developing its own national talent? Where were the Emiratis? Where was the investment in Emirati leadership? And where was the national pride in protecting, nurturing, and building an institution that represents the country?
A national airline is more than a commercial enterprise. It is a symbol of national identity, ambition, and pride. Foreign expertise can certainly contribute to its success, but that should complement the development of local talent, not come at the expense of it.
The real issue is not the nationality of those in charge, but whether they possess the competence, integrity, accountability, and respect for people required to lead. When individuals without the necessary industry experience are placed in positions of power, and when arrogance and workplace misconduct go unchecked, the consequences can be devastating.
Ultimately, a national airline deserves leaders who understand the industry, respect its people, uphold professional standards, and take responsibility for their decisions. Without those qualities, even the most prestigious airline can lose its wayβand the people who bear the greatest cost are often the employees who genuinely care about the company and its future.
Yes, absolutely can confirm the cabin crew hooking up part. After the REVC conference 2025, it was evident who was the masterβs pet. And the birthday party, only the ones that were sucking up to him and the cute boys got invited. I have seen the pics and videos. Itβs utterly disgusting what this one individual was doing openly.
Wow, this is definitely major. And yes it is bizarre that he shows up at the most random events and trips all the time. If it is true it sounds more like grooming to me.
All of the toyboys are going down, just wait and watch.
Yes, absolutely can confirm the cabin crew hooking up part. After the REVC conference 2025, it was evident who was the masterβs pet. And the birthday party, only the ones that were sucking up to him and the cute boys got invited. I have seen the pics and videos. Itβs utterly disgusting what this one individual was doing openly.
I've got my popcorn ready to watch how all Arik Kumar's little puppets suddenly do a 180 now that Arik has been made the bad guy and start playing whatever role benefits them. And Javi you better put your oxygen mask on because seems like you're about to hit some turbulence with all the gossip circulating lol
This guy set up and actively contributed to a fraudulent LinkedIn profile and used it to communicate and seek information from others in the industry. That alone should have been grounds for immediate termination. However, the management took zero action against him. This inaction says so much about the state of Etihad and its HR, Etihics, and senior managment. Itβs hard to imagine what this guy must have done this time to be finally shown...
This guy set up and actively contributed to a fraudulent LinkedIn profile and used it to communicate and seek information from others in the industry. That alone should have been grounds for immediate termination. However, the management took zero action against him. This inaction says so much about the state of Etihad and its HR, Etihics, and senior managment. Itβs hard to imagine what this guy must have done this time to be finally shown the door. In contrast, junior staff get harshly punished for the most trivial transgressions. Itβs no wonder that Etihad abandoned its often-discussed initial public offering, something that would have required financial and managerial transparency.
Reading all these comments doesnβt shock me, because this has been going on for years and years. Iβm just so glad that finally something has been done about one part of the problem (a huge one I must say), and that people are finally speaking out!
Itβs such a shame that this C-suite has been allowed to ruin what was once a great airline. The way they treated their employees, as you can see from...
Reading all these comments doesnβt shock me, because this has been going on for years and years. Iβm just so glad that finally something has been done about one part of the problem (a huge one I must say), and that people are finally speaking out!
Itβs such a shame that this C-suite has been allowed to ruin what was once a great airline. The way they treated their employees, as you can see from all the comments and as I witnessed first hand, and how theyβve turned the airlineβs products and services into those of a cheap low cost airline, are simply not aligned with the values and premium reputation associated with the UAE and Abu Dhabi.
But again, it doesnβt shock me, because they came from airlines like TAP Air Portugal and Ryanair. They had no background or understanding of the culture here, no respect for peopleβs lives and families, or for those who had dedicated most of their lives to this airline, working hard to build it into what it once was and feeling proud to call it home.
So many people have left because of how toxic the culture has become! They (you know who) also used to say that people who stayed at Etihad for more than two years were losers. And yet, look at them, staying for around five years and seemingly using the airline for their own personal gain. Because of course, it was a jackpot compared to where they were before.
Besides the horrible treatment of employees and having nobody within HR or Ethics to turn to for help, they also removed many of the staff travel benefits, while making them better for those in senior positions like themselves. Arik also once said, people have been lucky to have what they had when removing the benefits, because again, their benchmark was the low cost airlines they came from and were so proud of. And he also said, the more people complain, the more we will remove.
Arik had so much power over Etihad that it felt like two companies operating within one. Half the company was run by him, and the other half, who really knows? Because itβs not like Antonoaldo seemed to know what was happening, or even cared enough to do anything about it.
And somehow everything became a show about him. Even the townhalls felt more like an Arik show than an opportunity to talk about the company and its people. I remember when they announced the McLaren sponsorship, they actually had Lando Norris record a personal video message for Arik, which was then played to all the employees as part of the big reveal at the sponsorship event when we were in the office. It just shows how even moments that should have been about celebrating the airline and its achievements somehow ended up being about him.
Just to give you an example, half the company gets Friday half-days and remote working arrangements. However, those under Arik were expected to be in the office every Friday and work until late, sometimes as late as 10pm, and not just occasionally but on most days. And that culture was actually celebrated.
And letβs not forget how employees who had dedicated so many years to the airline were suddenly made to reapply for the very jobs they had been excelling in for years, as if they had to prove themselves all over again. It certainly didnβt feel like this was done for any genuine operational or commercial reason, but rather as an ego trip and a way to scare people into submission.
Rules seemed to be changed to accommodate him and nobody, not even HR did anything about it. He also expected people to join irrelevant calls while on holiday or during special occasions, and it always felt like an intentional test to see just how much you were willing to sacrifice.
It didnβt matter how hard you worked every single day. You still had to do all these βextrasβ just to perhaps prove your loyalty to them.
I feel like I owe it to the company I was once so proud to work for, and to the reputation of Abu Dhabi, a city we all love and is my home, to speak up. Because Etihad represents so much more than just an airline and it genuinely deserves better than what has happened to it.
I could go on and on, but I can see that my colleagues, and even external suppliers, are now speaking up and raising many of the same points.
I just hope and pray that the board is made aware of the severity of whatβs been happening, that they genuinely look at the quality of the people they have running this company, and that they make positive changes to bring Etihad back to what it once was.
Like someone here said, it only takes one person to go on TikTok. So please, look into this before it becomes a crisis beyond control.
Having worked at Etihad under four different CEOs, I can honestly say that working there has never been a walk in the park. But when AN joined as CEO, things deteriorated very quickly.
Seasoned senior and mid-to-senior executives were pushed out, often with little apparent justification. Portuguese-speaking colleagues began moving into senior positions, frequently arriving for a specific project and subsequently finding themselves in Senior Manager roles. The message was clear: the new leadership wanted...
Having worked at Etihad under four different CEOs, I can honestly say that working there has never been a walk in the park. But when AN joined as CEO, things deteriorated very quickly.
Seasoned senior and mid-to-senior executives were pushed out, often with little apparent justification. Portuguese-speaking colleagues began moving into senior positions, frequently arriving for a specific project and subsequently finding themselves in Senior Manager roles. The message was clear: the new leadership wanted people they trusted, and the existing team was increasingly seen as expendable. Speaking Portuguese was also helpful. ;)
Nothing new there. It happens in organisations all the time.
What was different, however, was the growing culture of harassment, bullying, humiliation and the systematic undermining of hardworking, capable people. Reporting lines and organisational structures were changed in ways that made little sense. Arik, Tully, Dr N and AA, among others, were involved in implementing or driving decisions that affected staff, including people who had the courage to respectfully speak their minds.
Investigations were initiated, only to seemingly disappear into a black hole. Where investigations concluded, the outcomes often appeared to lead nowhere. Concerns were raised, but meaningful accountability seemed elusive.
Meanwhile, the internal Ethics and Compliance Board was chaired by ANβs newly appointed Chief People Officer, Dr N. A new Group Legal Counsel was appointed, and significant authority was allocated to Arik and Dr N.
This created an environment in which certain individuals appeared able to act with full impunity.
In 2023, the most serious investigation of all failed to result in meaningful consequences for Arik over allegations relating to the presentation of false revenue figures to the Board. I understood that a third-party UK investigation firm had reportedly produced evidence described as a βsilver bulletβ. Yet Arik remained in position, seemingly untouched by the process.
To give Arik credit, he is sharp. The two decisions I did consider positive was th sacking of AA, the SVP of Marketing, and Tully C, who held a senior HR role.
Now, consider the timeline.
Arik joins Etihad in mid-2022. Tony Douglas announces his departure in Aug 22. In October, Antonoaldo Neves is announced as CEO. Arik is announced CCO in Dec 22. And CCRO shortly after. Of course his role in bringing AN to the Boardβs attention as a potential CEO raises an obvious question about influence and leverage.
Between November 2022 and December 2023, the COO, Group Legal Counsel and SVP Sales are removed and replaced as the leadership team changes. Meanwhile, allegations concerning fraud and misuse of funds emerge in the Portuguese Parliament.
For the next three years, this leadership does what it wants. They open new routes to many unprofitable secondary cities. Screw up the companyβs IPO. Shift focus away from the Australian market to the low yielding Indian market, (as opposed to growing both). I could go on and onβ¦.but thatβs not the point of this comment.
βAnd nowβ. Arik is gone. He leaves with a a huge financial reward, while many of the people affected by decisions made under this leadership have had to rebuild their careers and lives.
AN, the CFO, Dr N and the Group Legal Counsel must also face scrutiny over their respective roles, where the evidence warrants it.
AN you allowed this to happen. You and that other Dutch board member.
Finally, to those who took action: we salute you, and we thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
Ben , if you could bring this to International Media attention that would be great. It is not just about Arik Kumar De leaving but those who enabled his ways of torture and corruption are still part of the Organization. Fatma and Dr Nadia has clearly spoken in many official forums about βget used to new ways of working or leaveβ . This toxic culture should be uprooted and other toxic Cheifs who are equally...
Ben , if you could bring this to International Media attention that would be great. It is not just about Arik Kumar De leaving but those who enabled his ways of torture and corruption are still part of the Organization. Fatma and Dr Nadia has clearly spoken in many official forums about βget used to new ways of working or leaveβ . This toxic culture should be uprooted and other toxic Cheifs who are equally corrupt should go. Look at the DTI chief and his mafia. Any one who has spoken up is threatened with termination or asked to leave. This is the worst management and it is surprising that they have held on for so long and used Abu Dhabi government funds to encash their personal interests.
Woah, these comments really blew up! I mean, I was a bit disappointed a year ago when Etihad stopped flying a380 to JFK (and earlier when AA partner awards in EYβs premium cabins became extremely limited), but some of you took this to a whole new level! Hoping for better times at Etihad (and the Middle East, in-general. Very sad for RUH today.)
Etihadβs decline in culture, values, and leadership accountability is deeply disturbing. What was once a company driven by ambition, growth, and a bold vision in the 2010s now appears to have lost sight of the very people who helped build it.
When leadership abandons integrity, employees pay the price. When promises are broken without accountability, trust becomes collateral damage.
The treatment of current and former employees is appalling by such individuals. Among the most troubling...
Etihadβs decline in culture, values, and leadership accountability is deeply disturbing. What was once a company driven by ambition, growth, and a bold vision in the 2010s now appears to have lost sight of the very people who helped build it.
When leadership abandons integrity, employees pay the price. When promises are broken without accountability, trust becomes collateral damage.
The treatment of current and former employees is appalling by such individuals. Among the most troubling examples is the reported decision under the current management, including Arik Kumar, to withdraw promised travel benefits from former employees who dedicated more than a decade of their careers to Etihad. Many made significant career and personal sacrifices, turning down other opportunities while remaining loyal to the company, with the understanding that these benefits were part of their long-term reward.
To reportedly withdraw those benefits without prior notice or mutual agreement is not merely a question of policy. It raises serious questions about fairness, professional ethics, and whether the commitments made to long-serving employees mean anything at all.
You cannot demand loyalty from employees for a decade and then discard your commitments when it becomes convenient.
Leadership is not measured by titles or authority. It is measured by integrity, accountability, and how people are treated when they are no longer on the payroll. A CEO and senior management team should set the highest standards of professionalism, not leave former employees feeling betrayed and disregarded.
As negative stories about Etihad circulate internationally, the damage extends beyond headlines. It erodes employee confidence, undermines the employer brand, and raises questions about the values the company claims to represent.
Etihad was built on ambition and the promise of something exceptional. The question now is simple: what happened to those values, and who in the current leadership is prepared to take responsibility?
He came from all the low cost airlines who also probably removed him because he thought low cost means being a low life.
Gather a good personality and if u expect guest service related departments to work as u expect, then lead by example. So glad u r out. Probably fired and now you'll target another company to fool around with.
Imagine if the Etihad management spent half as much time trying to create a non toxic working culture as they did hiding cash funnelled to Manchester City! What a shameful time to work for an embarrassment of a βnational airlineβ. Emirates must be laughing all night long
There is a complete mafia operating. This was just a tip of iceberg. HR is just a spineless tool to promote or slaughter people as per wishes of the big. Heard Mr David De has threatened his entire team if anyone talks negative about Arik he will take them to HR and initiate disciplinary action. Talking about diversification, under the nose of HR three people joined in the same month from the same company, same...
There is a complete mafia operating. This was just a tip of iceberg. HR is just a spineless tool to promote or slaughter people as per wishes of the big. Heard Mr David De has threatened his entire team if anyone talks negative about Arik he will take them to HR and initiate disciplinary action. Talking about diversification, under the nose of HR three people joined in the same month from the same company, same country, same nationality and same team under David and given RM related work.
And not to forget how Arik had gifted David Del with double promotion to VP. What a joke of a person with zero digital background to be promoted to VP position. He is a mini Arik and goes around threatening and firing people. Among the toxic bunch that should leave, his name should be on the top of the list along with other minions of Arik ( read Mark Pot, Kavita Iy, Javier, Wei etc etc etc)
Honestly, I donβt believe EY will change anything or take these comments seriously unless the situation gets more attention from outside the company. Maybe the only way to make a real difference is to bring these concerns to the media and make sure the right people finally hear what is going on.
The way things are being handled internally is deeply concerning. Ethics & Compliance doesnβt seem independent if itβs so closely connected to...
Honestly, I donβt believe EY will change anything or take these comments seriously unless the situation gets more attention from outside the company. Maybe the only way to make a real difference is to bring these concerns to the media and make sure the right people finally hear what is going on.
The way things are being handled internally is deeply concerning. Ethics & Compliance doesnβt seem independent if itβs so closely connected to Legal and people close to Arik and the leadership. HR is supposed to protect employees, not just follow Ariks orders. There are serious concerns about favoritism, people being pushed out after years of service, and employees being treated badly for speaking up or disagreeing with Arik and Ariks buddyβs. There are also serious allegations that need to be properly investigated rather than ignored.
Under Arikβs leadership, many people seem to have lost their work-life balance and their sense of security. Work should never mean sacrificing your family, your children, and your private life just to survive in the company. Itβs heartbreaking to see what this environment is doing to people who built this company from the scratch and to a company that could be such a great place to work.
Does anyone know a journalist who investigates corporate misconduct, or have contacts who could help bring these concerns to the attention of Abu Dhabi royal family or people who can actually do something? Does anyone know whether there is a legitimate way to raise these issues with the relevant authorities in Abu Dhabi or? Iβm not looking for gossip or drama. I want these concerns to be taken seriously and independently investigated like at least 100 others within the company.
A companyβs people are its biggest asset, and no leader should be above accountability. Itβs time for someone to listen to the employees who feel they have no voice left. If internal channels arenβt working, we need to find a responsible way to make sure the truth is heard!
I think the way this company has been run could cause a massive scandal if some of these stories ever made it into the international media, especially the ones that can actually be backed up with evidence. I can see a single person sharing their experiences on tiktok and the whole thing gaining traction worldwide.
At the same time, I think it would be far better for someone with real authority to step in...
I think the way this company has been run could cause a massive scandal if some of these stories ever made it into the international media, especially the ones that can actually be backed up with evidence. I can see a single person sharing their experiences on tiktok and the whole thing gaining traction worldwide.
At the same time, I think it would be far better for someone with real authority to step in before things get to that point. Whoever has the power to intervene needs to take a serious look at what has happened to this company. The fact that Arik has left doesnβt mean the culture he helped create has disappeared with him.
Just look at Emirates and then look at Etihad. Itβs honestly embarrassing, because EY had the potential to become another Emirates or Qatar Airways. It had the talent within the company. It feels like too much energy has gone into certain leaders promoting themselves and taking credit for the companyβs achievements, rather than building an airline that people genuinely want to work for and feel proud of. There needs to be an independent investigation, with real accountability and people who are willing to challenge the existing leadership. Otherwise, I donβt see how anything will fundamentally change.
Just to add, letβs not forget the good looking male ex cabin crew that have gotten into the corporate office with little to no skills or knowledge of aviation and becoming part of REVC as analysts, getting invited to offsite meetings that didnβt require them whatsoever. All for this one personβs interests and to have around as eye candy and to of course spend the night with.
I think he is not even good looking but do we know for a fact the alleged hooking up part? It's getting harder to just dismiss it as gossip at this point too many people are talking about it.
Moved to Abu Dhabi from a fantastic company in Europe back in 2023. I was skilled - well paid - and confident in my ability. When approached for a job in Revenue I was delighted, and excited to take my career to the next level. I joined with huge optimism, moving my family across the world with me and ready to make an impact. I left less than a year later.
Within days of joining...
Moved to Abu Dhabi from a fantastic company in Europe back in 2023. I was skilled - well paid - and confident in my ability. When approached for a job in Revenue I was delighted, and excited to take my career to the next level. I joined with huge optimism, moving my family across the world with me and ready to make an impact. I left less than a year later.
Within days of joining I noticed something off. No remote working for jobs that need not be in the office. Insanely long hours for work that simply didnβt need doing and a leadership team that were more than happy to shout at anyone they pleased. But the scariest thing was the fight or flight.
I witnessed so many colleagues get fired for speaking their mind. People like me who took huge risks coming to UAE with their family. Leaving great jobs in Europe. And others who werenβt as brave because of that. Who didnβt want to go home to their partners and say theyβd quit or been fired having uprooted them across the world. So it was simple - either accept your fate that you were to be treated like garbage or speak up and get fired and treated like a criminal. Either way you lost.
The second I left I felt alive again. And for the colleagues left behind I either felt ashamed for leaving them or ashamed of the behaviour of them. This was all set by the pure insanity of Arik Kumar - the worst most evil person Iβve ever had the displeasure of being in the same room with. May he forever be forgotten as the dirty rodent that he is. I hope etihad wakes up and changes but I seriously doubt it.
If any one needs to be blamed is HR, they are the big contributor on this environment, allowing such a toxic person to grow and attract individuals sharing same toxic behavior is their responsibility.
This not started with his joining the corporation, it started long years ago, they were enjoying let people go through what they call it RSS ( restructure), two years ago a colleague of us let go just because he asked for...
If any one needs to be blamed is HR, they are the big contributor on this environment, allowing such a toxic person to grow and attract individuals sharing same toxic behavior is their responsibility.
This not started with his joining the corporation, it started long years ago, they were enjoying let people go through what they call it RSS ( restructure), two years ago a colleague of us let go just because he asked for a raise for handling his station by his own for more than a year after his colleague left for the same reason despite she was a very professional individual, but she left for another job after she felt stuck with bunch of in-humans wanting her to work like robot without any considerable returns, despite the economic pressures she experienced in her country, was not HR aware about this?
THEY were aware and one of the HR officer told a manager once that she is enjoying firing employees or let them go, now sheβs HR manger.
Imagine those people what theyβve done for the cooperation.
All employees looking at all money wasted away for those toxic people for they travel and benefits, not to mention the events were made just to listen to bunch of toxic people lecturing you about moral and their success stories of taking this company to profit level.
All these can be easily invested in people with dignity working hard with loyal to this cooperation, to make their lives easy and being able to serve their families with all economic pressures around from fuel increases to inflation or cost of living other than wasting money on these useless events or senior managers travel around the world for the sake of show off without any tangible outcomes.
If HR stays as is, getting rid of current leadership will not solve anything, they will attract another toxic leadership.
I am a current employee in the people division so I wonβt say too much. However all I can say is I agree with everything said about Dr Nadia. Sheβs basically as bad, if not worse, than Arik. A truly horrible lease who has zero experience in actual HR. So how can it be any real surprise that she allowed Arik to ruin an entire departments culture? No amount of free cake will ever fix...
I am a current employee in the people division so I wonβt say too much. However all I can say is I agree with everything said about Dr Nadia. Sheβs basically as bad, if not worse, than Arik. A truly horrible lease who has zero experience in actual HR. So how can it be any real surprise that she allowed Arik to ruin an entire departments culture? No amount of free cake will ever fix the mess sheβs allowed. Questions have to be raised about Ethics and Compliance under Karen as well. How could they ignore such volumes of complaints. Ultimately this is all CEOs fault but we already knew he was useless given TAP sacked him. Sickening really. Super proud to see all these people speak up in the comments, hopefully more and more comes to light.
Arik was such a nightmare when he traveled too. I work at an outstation and his secretary would message us ahead of time to ensure we treated him like royalty. We had to break protocols for him like ensuring private lounge space, changing customers from seats he personally wanted, etc. He would barely interact with us even when staff members were excited a chief was coming. Sad to read what my colleagues were dealing with in AUH.
Has anyone noticed that none of Arikβs usual minions, who normally jump at every opportunity to suck up to him, have even liked his bullshit farewell post?
Hahahhahahaa I was asking my self the same question
Not a single one of the people he tagged in his farewell has even reacted to it. Interestingβ¦
That tells you everything you need to know hahaha!
The number of double promotions he handed out during his tenure , in return for favors is astounding. How come people missed Digital and Ecommerce, Kavita I and David D. He had branches and roots everywhere. HR is accountable for the toxic culture that was created and all the mismanagement done by Arik and other C levels and senior executives. Why is no one holding HR Nadia and Fatma accountable? Ethics and Compliance is equally...
The number of double promotions he handed out during his tenure , in return for favors is astounding. How come people missed Digital and Ecommerce, Kavita I and David D. He had branches and roots everywhere. HR is accountable for the toxic culture that was created and all the mismanagement done by Arik and other C levels and senior executives. Why is no one holding HR Nadia and Fatma accountable? Ethics and Compliance is equally complicit as employees who have complained are tortured. Someone from board should look into this.
The list can go on and on. They should investigate Nadia and Thiloniβs contribution to the corruption in the hiring and promoting process. Thiloni receives the profiles and resumΓ© from Arik and short lists them for managerial/sm roles even though they do not even qualify for entry level roles, and this happens even before they short list those whom are better qualified for the role.
Sheβs already (with Arik) decided who will fill in the...
The list can go on and on. They should investigate Nadia and Thiloniβs contribution to the corruption in the hiring and promoting process. Thiloni receives the profiles and resumΓ© from Arik and short lists them for managerial/sm roles even though they do not even qualify for entry level roles, and this happens even before they short list those whom are better qualified for the role.
Sheβs already (with Arik) decided who will fill in the role but go through the interviewing process of the other candidates just for formalities purposes. Imagine the time and cost they waste on this process!!!! No wonder Thiloni is a Senior manager. A big role for a weak personality.
It is time for Emirati leaders to open an investigation on everyone from C-level to M1 , they will be SHOCKED with what theyβll find out. 75% should be sacked!!!!
Absolutely agree. Everyone in a leadership position, from C level down to M1/M2 needs to be investigated, especially those who worked under Arik. Exit interviews from the past few years need to be reviewed and patterns need to be identified. They need to figure out who has adapted to this toxic culture and become part of the problem. Thereβs some truly shocking stuff that would come to light.
Etihad Airways must urgently address growing concerns about "Indianisation" within its organisational structure. There is concern that deeply entrenched nationality-based networks in certain departments (e.g. finance) are influencing hiring and firing decisions, promotions, decision-making and workplace culture.
There are serious concerns that internal politics, favouritism and personal loyalties are taking precedence over merit, productivity and accountability.
I have so much respect for everyone who had the backbone to call out the bullshit at Etihad over the years, stand up to management and walk away from this place or got fired for refusing to play along. It takes actual character to choose integrity over being one of these spineless pathetic losers who sell out their values just to climb the corporate ladder in a rotten system.
To all the suck-up corporate parasites...
I have so much respect for everyone who had the backbone to call out the bullshit at Etihad over the years, stand up to management and walk away from this place or got fired for refusing to play along. It takes actual character to choose integrity over being one of these spineless pathetic losers who sell out their values just to climb the corporate ladder in a rotten system.
To all the suck-up corporate parasites who bent over to thrive in this rotten machinery, Iβm talking to you. When the tables turn and this whole toxic circus blows up in your face I sincerely hope whatever worthless crumbs of title or status you scraped together were worth trading your soul for. This is just a beginning.
I genuinely started to feel like I was hallucinating while working at Etihad. Everyone seems to be all smiles, but after hearing people speak about the atmosphere of fear, the blame culture, and reading through these comments, I realise that what I experienced was pretty much exactly what others have described.
It got to the point where I was suicidal. I resigned, and I still feel a sense of regret. Thereβs so much great work...
I genuinely started to feel like I was hallucinating while working at Etihad. Everyone seems to be all smiles, but after hearing people speak about the atmosphere of fear, the blame culture, and reading through these comments, I realise that what I experienced was pretty much exactly what others have described.
It got to the point where I was suicidal. I resigned, and I still feel a sense of regret. Thereβs so much great work that could be done, so much potential. But when youβre constantly afraid of being humiliated, it feels like thereβs no way out.
Iβve tried to understand how things got this way, and I think one commenter put it perfectly: the fish rots from the head.
The most mundane, minuscule details became obsessions, not because they mattered, but because everyone was terrified of what their superior might say. And their superior was afraid of their superior. All the way up the chain, presumably to the very top.
The person I worked under was probably the worst human Iβve ever had the displeasure of working with. Itβs now pretty clear where they got their inspiration from, and where that inspiration came from in the first place.
Well said. Exactly my experience. Managers were constantly forced to choose between sticking to their principles and becoming the kind of person this toxic system expected them to be. It was traumatic for me to watch perfectly normal, decent people turn into something completely different over time just to survive and get ahead in that environment.
I can only say I am happy to see so many people being able to ventilate their feelings here. Those who had other options or courage, and left early, you did the right thing. Oppression and psychological manipulation, and taking advantage of people with either extreme career ambitions or fear of losing their job in the golden cage of UAE. Arik is a narcissistic sociopath of the worst degree.
PLEASE READ UNTIL THE END. THE LAST STORY IS ABOUT MORE THAN EGO. ITβS ABOUT HUMANITY.
Letβs talk about Javier, Arik, Dr. Nadia (Chief HR), and Fatima Al Sahlawi (HR Director).
Javierβs reported relationship with Arik raises serious questions about the influence he had over management decisions. But what about HR? Many of these incidents allegedly happened in Fatima Al Sahlawiβs presence, with Dr. Nadia aware of what was going on. So why were these...
PLEASE READ UNTIL THE END. THE LAST STORY IS ABOUT MORE THAN EGO. ITβS ABOUT HUMANITY.
Letβs talk about Javier, Arik, Dr. Nadia (Chief HR), and Fatima Al Sahlawi (HR Director).
Javierβs reported relationship with Arik raises serious questions about the influence he had over management decisions. But what about HR? Many of these incidents allegedly happened in Fatima Al Sahlawiβs presence, with Dr. Nadia aware of what was going on. So why were these decisions allowed to happen without proper investigation?
Letβs talk about Javierβs ego and the careers that allegedly paid the price.
At the 2025 conference, the Country Manager of Spain raised concerns about understaffing. Shortly afterwards, Javier reportedly flew to Spain with HR, collected her laptop and phone, and fired her. Other RGMs and GMs were allegedly dismissed overnight, some even called back from annual leave just to be terminated. Others were given the choice of demotion or resignation.
Were these business decisions, or was Javier threatened by people qualified enough to challenge him?
And these are only a few examples. There are many more.
But the next story is where ego allegedly turned into something far more cruel.
A female employee resigned after repeated humiliation and verbal abuse by her manager went unresolved. Her decision was reportedly seen as a challenge to Javierβs authority.
There are allegations that Javier and Arik decided to retaliate by putting her through another recruitment process, only to withdraw the offer at the end.
The company already knew she had cancer before she resigned. After leaving, she also went through a coma.
Yet she later completed four months of recruitment, received a formal offer, and then had it withdrawn.
Was she put through all of this simply because she refused to accept humiliation and obey Javier?
Separately, a member of management was reportedly heard saying, βWe donβt employ her because she has cancer.β This comment was not alleged to be the reason for withdrawing her offer, but it raises another serious concern.
Fatima Al Sahlawi was reportedly present during relevant discussions, and Dr. Nadia was allegedly aware of these matters.
If the HR Director was present and the Chief HR knew, why was this allowed to continue? Where was the accountability?
Weβre talking about someoneβs health, dignity, career, and future. Not a game to satisfy an executiveβs ego.
These allegations demand an independent investigation. People are not disposable, and no executive or HR leader should be above accountability.
I remember him sometimes introducing himself as Eric instead of Arik and treating his middle name Kumar like a state secret lmao alright Arik Kumar De. He shouldβve just gone with Eric De Souza or smth
AyottolahDeβs monthly townhall ppt always included a slide with names of colleagues with birthdays that month.
Then heβd force his direct pets to publicly sing happy birthday as if they actually cared about anyone, let alone the person fired last week they forgot to remove from the list.
He acted like a dog pissing to claim his property, when farebrands were introduced to award tickets he couldnt resist breaking the 6th character naming...
AyottolahDeβs monthly townhall ppt always included a slide with names of colleagues with birthdays that month.
Then heβd force his direct pets to publicly sing happy birthday as if they actually cared about anyone, let alone the person fired last week they forgot to remove from the list.
He acted like a dog pissing to claim his property, when farebrands were introduced to award tickets he couldnt resist breaking the 6th character naming convention to replace with his name.
βVβ for Value was replaced with βAβ, βCβ for Comfort replaced with βRβ and so forth. We spent two extra days to customize and ensure the ticket hierarchy lined up and spelled our Dear Leaderβs name in one column.
I have much respect for the leaders that stood up to him, tried to shield as much as possible but when the camelβs back broke, they didnβt pass it onto their team but rather quit.
Chris H, Akhil, Mariya, Greg were amongst the real leaders that we wish back.
Now that Arik is gone, itβs time to hold the next level of leadership accountable. Ruaraidh Smeaton, Dani Ryan and others should be next. They encouraged Arikβs behaviour instead of providing independent leadership, and the brand is paying the price.
Review all promotions. How was Cristina promoted to Brand Lead in less than a year, despite limited experience leading an airline brand at this level? Questions about her reported family friendship with the ManCity CEO...
Now that Arik is gone, itβs time to hold the next level of leadership accountable. Ruaraidh Smeaton, Dani Ryan and others should be next. They encouraged Arikβs behaviour instead of providing independent leadership, and the brand is paying the price.
Review all promotions. How was Cristina promoted to Brand Lead in less than a year, despite limited experience leading an airline brand at this level? Questions about her reported family friendship with the ManCity CEO and whether that connection influenced her promotion demand transparency. How was a Head of RM promoted to Head of Marketing with zero experience? There are serious flaws in the promotion process. And if these are the candidates being promoted, theyβve lost everyoneβs respect.
Dani and Ruaraidh need to be held accountable. Investigate the promotion decisions, and the toxic culture that drove good marketing people out.
There are still very talent people on the departnent, completely overlooked.
Bring in Emirati talent, restore meritocracy, and fix the brand. One departure means nothing if the same culture survives.
There should be much greater scrutiny of why people have left the company over the years. More importantly, someone should actually look at the reasons behind those departures and the patterns in the feedback. Many employees have been too afraid to speak openly about their experiences because of the culture.
I also donβt see how the culture can meaningfully change while the same leadership structure and many of the same direct reports remain in place....
There should be much greater scrutiny of why people have left the company over the years. More importantly, someone should actually look at the reasons behind those departures and the patterns in the feedback. Many employees have been too afraid to speak openly about their experiences because of the culture.
I also donβt see how the culture can meaningfully change while the same leadership structure and many of the same direct reports remain in place. Those behaviors and attitudes become embedded and are simply passed down.
There is also a clear perception that certain nationalities and people from particular professional networks receive preferential treatment-possibly because of connections from previous organisations. And the promotion process? Frankly, its hard to take it seriously when merit and performance dont always appear to be the deciding factors.
honestly Iβm just here for the tea did Javi or that one certain crew boy who randomly shows up at events with Arik or any other rainbow men at the company actually hook up with him??? please someone who knows spill
100% Javi sold his soul to A KUMAR D and pretty boy (cabin boy) now in NP
Wei - resign PLS, you worked with at air Asia
Agree, Dani, Wei, Javi, these names need to Go this week, this was Kumarβs evil second layer that ruled there areas by Fear.
Sad to see this happen to such a great company because of a few evil people
how about the plane costume boy getting promoted from analyst right after they were vibing in the green team at that event last year
ETIHAD SHAREHOLDERS AND BOARD: IT IS TIME TO PAY ATTENTION.
This is not just about Arik. It is about the people enabling him, prioritizing personal loyalty, career advancement, and self-preservation over competence, integrity, and Etihadβs interests.
ARIKβS THREE BOYS: JAVI, WEI JIN, AND MARK.
1. JAVI: FROM MANAGER TO VP OF SALES, NOW WITH DIGITAL ADDED. WHY?
What measurable results justify these responsibilities? Is this about proven performance or preparing the next promotion to SVP?
...ETIHAD SHAREHOLDERS AND BOARD: IT IS TIME TO PAY ATTENTION.
This is not just about Arik. It is about the people enabling him, prioritizing personal loyalty, career advancement, and self-preservation over competence, integrity, and Etihadβs interests.
ARIKβS THREE BOYS: JAVI, WEI JIN, AND MARK.
1. JAVI: FROM MANAGER TO VP OF SALES, NOW WITH DIGITAL ADDED. WHY?
What measurable results justify these responsibilities? Is this about proven performance or preparing the next promotion to SVP?
There are also serious concerns about his ego and behavior toward his team. The perception that Arik will always protect him should never give anyone a sense of immunity or the right to treat colleagues with arrogance.
2. WEI JIN: ZERO RM BACKGROUND, YET APPOINTED VP OF RM AND PROMOTED TO SVP WITHIN A 1-2 YEARS. HOW?
What qualifications, relevant experience, and measurable achievements justified this progression? Where were HR and the CEO?
But the bigger concern is his leadership and the way employees are treated. Wei follows Arikβs instructions without independent judgment, with decisions about who gets promoted, transferred, sidelined, or fired seemingly driven by Arikβs preferences rather than objective performance, qualifications, or business needs.
Is this leadership, or simply doing whatever Arik wants?
Employees deserve managers who make fair, independent decisions not someone who appears to carry out another personβs wishes regardless of the consequences for the team.
Concerns have also been raised about Weiβs treatment of employees, including the use of inappropriate and abusive language. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, not intimidated, humiliated, or treated like shit by the very leaders responsible for supporting them.
An SVP should build teams, develop talent, and create a professional environment not make employees fear for their jobs because they are not on the right personβs side.
3. MARK: WHAT EXACTLY IS HIS ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION?
What are his responsibilities, and what measurable value does he bring to Etihad? Every senior position should be justified by clear responsibilities, competence, and results.
AND THEN THERE IS THE QUESTION OF INTEGRITY.
Concerns have also been raised about senior leaders reporting directly to Arik, including SVP , VPs and directors , allegedly disclosing details of confidential investigations concerning him.
If people called to provide information in a confidential investigation immediately report back to the person being investigated, sharing what they were asked, is that integrity! or an attempt to protect their own positions and careers?
These allegations deserve serious scrutiny.
THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS ARIKβS DIRECT TEAM.
The concern is that almost all his direct reports appear to prioritize doing what he wants over what is right for Etihad, its employees, and the business with perhaps only one or two exceptions.
Leadership should mean having the courage to challenge a decision when it is wrong, not blindly following instructions to protect a position or secure the next promotion.
When personal loyalty takes priority over the companyβs interests, everyone pays the price especially employees and the business itself.
ENOUGH WITH QUESTIONABLE PROMOTIONS. ENOUGH WITH BLIND LOYALTY. ENOUGH WITH TREATING EMPLOYEES AS DISPOSABLE.
Etihad deserves leaders who earn their positions through competence, integrity, and results not proximity to power.
The question is simple: Do qualifications, fairness, and performance still matter at Etihad, or has personal loyalty become the real path to success?
Iβm confident there are more firsthand experiences involving Arik and his direct team. If you have a story to share, speak up. Letβs expose the truth together.
Javi was an M1 and few years ago, junior manager, spent a night with Kumar (in bed) and VP today with No experienceβ¦β¦.. time to GO
did javier actually sleep with kumar?? everyoneβs talking about it how do we know and is there evidence cuz this is major
JAVI do the right thing, on Monday put your papers in, resign.!
You were his pet boy!
You were part of the problem
You have been a Venom in sales
You licked ADs boots for this role
You slept with him
You contributed in everything (and his watch)
Do the Right thing, Leave..!
You have NO respect in sales
As a UAE national who has witnessed what has been happening at Etihad for years, I feel compelled to speak up. I have raised concerns before, but when you are not in a senior position, it often feels as though your voice carries no weight. The lack of support for employees who dare to speak up is part of the problem itself.
It is deeply painful to see a national airline that should make...
As a UAE national who has witnessed what has been happening at Etihad for years, I feel compelled to speak up. I have raised concerns before, but when you are not in a senior position, it often feels as though your voice carries no weight. The lack of support for employees who dare to speak up is part of the problem itself.
It is deeply painful to see a national airline that should make our country proud become, in the eyes of its own employees, a place where fear, favouritism, and abuse of authority appear to take precedence over professionalism and respect.
Arik and the management culture associated with his leadership deserve serious scrutiny. I have witnessed behaviour in meetings that I consider intimidating and disrespectful, leaving employees reluctant to challenge decisions for fear of being insulted or humiliated. Shouting at people is not leadership. Publicly belittling employees is not management. And holding a senior position does not give anyone the right to silence those who disagree.
But the problem does not end with Arik. What happens when the people around a leader adopt the same management style and continue the same practices? Removing one individual will achieve very little if the culture that developed under their leadership remains intact.
Jyotsna Chaudhry, a VP who has no expertise of lots of areas she has been gifted by her recruiter Arik β She is a female version of Arik. She is overseeing major areas including brand, products, delivery, lounge, food and beverage, stratergy must also be part of any serious examination of the management culture within these divisions. I have witnessed conduct in meetings that I consider unprofessional and intimidating, and I have seen situations in which the recommendations of experienced staff, their teams did not appear to receive the consideration they deserved. They are just brushed off, not heard and insulted in meetings by her β Same style as Arik - When employees feel that shouting, applying pressure, targetting indiciduals and individual preferences outweigh professional expertise, how can the company expect the best results?
The consequences are not trivial. Decisions concerning seating, in-flight entertainment, food, beverages, and the passenger experience affect the airline's reputation and its customers. The professionals responsible for these areas should be heard and their expertise respected. Neither Arik nor Jyotsna, nor any other senior manager, should be above constructive challenge or accountability.
I have also witnessed conduct that, in my view, raises concerns about the way Emirati and long-serving employees are treated. Experience, dedication, and institutional knowledge should count for something. Instead, there is a perception that employees who agree with the right people progress, while those who question decisions are overlooked. If Arik and Jyotsna are confident in their leadership and management decisions, then their divisions should be able to withstand an independent review of promotions, performance assessments, and employee grievances.
Promotions must be based on merit, performance, and transparent criteriaβnot personal loyalty or the willingness to say yes to everything. Long-serving employees should not have to watch their opportunities disappear while they feel that personal connections and internal politics carry greater weight than their contributions.
There are also serious concerns that deserve independent investigation regarding supplier samples, alcohol bottles, and other items brought into the workplace and allegedly sent to private residences. I have personally observed situations that raised questions for me about how such items were handled. The relevant records, approvals, and company policies should be examined impartially. If any rules have been breached, those responsible should be held accountable, regardless of their position. These concerns should not be dismissed simply because senior people may be involved.
And where is HR in all of this? Where is the accountability from those responsible for ensuring that managers uphold the company's standards? If employees repeatedly feel unheard, intimidated, or unfairly treated, HR must investigate the actual workplace experience rather than simply rely on assurances from the same management hierarchy.
Arik and Jyotsna should not be the only names examined, but neither should their roles be overlooked. Other managers who have contributed to or perpetuated these practices like Rori, Dani, and a whole gang must also be held accountable if the evidence supports it. Replacing Arik while leaving Jyotsna and other managers operating in the same way would not solve the problem. It would simply allow the same culture to continue under different leadership.
And what about Emiratisation? We have capable Emirati professionals, including Turky Al Hamadi, yet serious questions remain about whether Emirati talent is being given genuine authority and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully. What is the point of promoting Emiratisation if local employees feel sidelined, undermined, or powerless in their own organisation? As an Emirati, this is particularly painful to witness.
Etihad is our national airline. Its reputation matters. Its employees matter. Emirati talent matters. No individual should be permitted to place personal authority above the interests of the company and its people.
The real question is not simply whether Arik should be removed or whether Jyotsna should remain in her position. The real question is why this management culture has been allowed to persist, why employees' concerns have not been adequately addressed, and why those responsible for oversight have not ensured meaningful accountability.
Etihad deserves better. Its employees deserve better. And the people entrusted with leading our national airline must be held to the highest standardsβnot protected by the very positions that make them accountable.
Thank you so much for sharing such a meaningful, thoughtful post. I have often thought how trusting it is for Gulf countries to entrust their most elite and precious aviation assets that are often the first and only point of contact individuals will ever have with their countries to expatriates of questionable character (only a few like this mind you, most are truly hard-working, good people who do their best in my belief). I feel...
Thank you so much for sharing such a meaningful, thoughtful post. I have often thought how trusting it is for Gulf countries to entrust their most elite and precious aviation assets that are often the first and only point of contact individuals will ever have with their countries to expatriates of questionable character (only a few like this mind you, most are truly hard-working, good people who do their best in my belief). I feel for all Emiratis who are disappointed with what has happened here. I look forward to seeing a future with more Emiratis at the helm of Etihad. Their talent, national pride and commitment are exceptional. Best wishes for a bright new future for both you and the airline.
After reading so many comments here. I can tell the issue is bigger than Arik himself, a lot of stories coming out and out. Reaching this stage can only prove the problem is beyond Arik. Where is the Ethics and Compliance? Employee Relation/HR? Legal? millions of dirhmas are spent on those divisions however tolerating such behaviors is big question mark. I hope someone from
HR/Legal/Ethics tells us what is going on
The real problem here lies with Dr. Nadia and Antonoaldo. For years, people across Revenue and Commercial have endured bullying, being shouted at, excessive and unnecessary working hours, a blame culture, toxic positivity, and many other damaging behaviours.
Where were you throughout all of this? You turned a blind eye while people suffered. Many talented employees either left or were fired because of Arikβs leadership and behaviour.
So the real question is: Why did it...
The real problem here lies with Dr. Nadia and Antonoaldo. For years, people across Revenue and Commercial have endured bullying, being shouted at, excessive and unnecessary working hours, a blame culture, toxic positivity, and many other damaging behaviours.
Where were you throughout all of this? You turned a blind eye while people suffered. Many talented employees either left or were fired because of Arikβs leadership and behaviour.
So the real question is: Why did it take so long to fire Arik? How many more people had to suffer, leave, or lose their jobs before action was finally taken? And what responsibility do those who allowed this culture to continue bear?
The issue is not limited to one individual; the entire leadership structure needs to be reviewed, from top to bottom, particularly Danielle Ryanβs tenure. More than 15 employees, including Emiratis, reportedly left during this period, with some leaving within weeks of joining. Serious concerns have been raised about alleged bullying, intimidation, and excessive pressure, with some employees reportedly breaking down in tears because of their treatment.
Those who enabled, supported, or ignored such behaviour must...
The issue is not limited to one individual; the entire leadership structure needs to be reviewed, from top to bottom, particularly Danielle Ryanβs tenure. More than 15 employees, including Emiratis, reportedly left during this period, with some leaving within weeks of joining. Serious concerns have been raised about alleged bullying, intimidation, and excessive pressure, with some employees reportedly breaking down in tears because of their treatment.
Those who enabled, supported, or ignored such behaviour must also be held accountable.
Additionally, promotions appear to have been made without transparent processes or clear merit-based criteria.
There should be a proper review into leadership conduct, employee attrition, HR procedures, and promotion decisions.
There were numerous serious issues and questionable decisions at Etihad under Arik Deβs leadership, ranging from arbitrary promotions of favoured individuals to Gregβs removal from his position, despite being one of the most respected and professional people in the industry.
There was also the appointment of the new lady in Marketing and the damage that followed, as well as the appointment of close associates to managerial positions despite lacking the necessary experience, competence, and...
There were numerous serious issues and questionable decisions at Etihad under Arik Deβs leadership, ranging from arbitrary promotions of favoured individuals to Gregβs removal from his position, despite being one of the most respected and professional people in the industry.
There was also the appointment of the new lady in Marketing and the damage that followed, as well as the appointment of close associates to managerial positions despite lacking the necessary experience, competence, and educational qualifications
Another example was the appointment of a woman from Revenue Management to a senior Head-level position in Marketing. It raises a legitimate question: what relevant Marketing experience and expertise qualified her for such a sensitive, senior role? Appointments at this level should be based on proven expertise, relevant experience, and the ability to deliver results, rather than questionable management decisions.
Consider some of the decisions that affected individual employees at Etihad. Imagine a Regional General Manager in Europe being dismissed suddenly, without any prior warning, without having committed any wrongdoing, and with no performance issues whatsoever, simply because he was not favoured by Mr. Arik Kumar
Similarly, the Regional General Manager for the East was dismissed overnight, despite having an excellent reputation both within Etihad and across the wider aviation industry. He was also highly respected and well-liked within the company by his colleagues and team members alike.
Another senior Sales professional, working in the Sales deptartemt, was replaced despite having served as General Manager for Lavant and Africa. He was single-handedly managing many countries across the regions. Yet he was replaced by someone who lacked even the most basic understanding of Sales. He was pushed aside and replaced by a woman with virtually no Sales experience, who had never even been out in the market or attended a single Sales meeting throughout her career
How many people joined the company only to leave within less than a year because of the toxic working environment? How much talent and valuable experience has Etihad lost as a result?
These were professionals who had weathered every challenge Etihad faced over the past 10 years. They stood firm through difficult times, restructuring, re evaluating, covid, demonstrating their resilience, capabilities, and deep industry expertise. Losing such people simply to satisfy Mr. Arik Kumarβs ego is truly regrettable
One of the immediate corrective measures the company should take is to reinstate all employees who were adversely affected by the decisions of this management, including those in Marketing, Revenue Management, Sales, and Alliances. Etihad needs to acknowledge the damage caused, restore fairness and accountability, and bring back the talent it should never have lost in the first place.
Look at the people who climbed the ranks unusually fast during his time. They seem to have one thing in common: either theyβre good looking males or theyβre homosexual. I think not enough people are talking about the rumours that have been circulating internally for ages that he ALLEGEDLY slept with people in exchange for promotions and passed STDs.
Are you referring to the cabin crew guy that attended the Senior Leadership offsite? Or the guy he kept giving employee of the year to? Or the handsome man that had about 2 promotions every year under Arik? I loose track.
I know right? There are many others that you forgot to mention.
I know right? There are many others that you forgot to mention.
He facetunes his pics on instagram lol
Looks like the card castle is going to fall apart soon... waiting for the next ones to drop...
Wei / Javi / Dani and all the TAP lot
Game Over
EY HR Please review all these promotions and jobs to TAP
Why did the CEO turn a blind eyeβ¦. Does Arik have a FILE on him β¦β¦?????
Please investigate
I don't think any of these top executives (the ones who think they're so smart) have the capacity to understand the power of the media or how dangerous years of built up employee resentment can become. Remember that couple who went viral at the Coldplay concert? There are such scandalous things about this guy that all it takes is for one person to go on social media and post a video for everything to blow...
I don't think any of these top executives (the ones who think they're so smart) have the capacity to understand the power of the media or how dangerous years of built up employee resentment can become. Remember that couple who went viral at the Coldplay concert? There are such scandalous things about this guy that all it takes is for one person to go on social media and post a video for everything to blow up and the company's entire reputation is gone. Thatβs how close Etihad is to becoming a massive worldwide scandal. And somehow these people still think they have everything under control.
Etihadβs only purpose was to put AUH on global map with its hospitality and true image like Emirates did for Dubai.
Look what is happening with in the company and whole leadership was tolerating it, means they are part of it.
When HR turns a blind eye to corruption and toxicity, or worse, is part of it, thatβs where the problem starts. And when the Board doesnβt look into the people within its own circle, thatβs an even bigger problem.
In my 7 years in Ey, i can say it was quite interesting, from stories about a board memberβs wife has been all over social media for her inappropriate conduct and public image at events, with...
When HR turns a blind eye to corruption and toxicity, or worse, is part of it, thatβs where the problem starts. And when the Board doesnβt look into the people within its own circle, thatβs an even bigger problem.
In my 7 years in Ey, i can say it was quite interesting, from stories about a board memberβs wife has been all over social media for her inappropriate conduct and public image at events, with her best friend A (ex female ey senior leader) also part of the show. Then thereβs Summer, who was fired for a scandal with another colleague. And Ahmed's scandal with a moroccan HR senior. There's the vp who promoted young ladies within his division, and the senior vp who was accused of se**al assault and stories of senior leadership using ey's resources for their personal use. These are just a few stories, and theyβre no secret. Everyone in the company knows about them, yet board aren't taking it serious. Nadia better that you and your team steps down.
And then Arik kumar De joins and makes things even worse. He was a nightmare, the stories and contributors to them are real. Javi, Dani, Aisha, Ruaraidh and many more, the show is coming to an end. We are releived.
So much money has been invested in this company for it to be in a much better position today, with a better reputation, culture and leadership. Itβs a shame to see where things stand.
I can confirm this, summer was being promoted every few months albeit she cost the company millions of dollars and a huge drop in the NPS...if it weren't for the cabin crew whom exposed and escalated her inappropriate behaviour with her manaGer on a flight, theh both would have remained in their roles. HR did nothing when the whole divisiom knew about the relationship, they onlh took action after the escalation. It was weird that...
I can confirm this, summer was being promoted every few months albeit she cost the company millions of dollars and a huge drop in the NPS...if it weren't for the cabin crew whom exposed and escalated her inappropriate behaviour with her manaGer on a flight, theh both would have remained in their roles. HR did nothing when the whole divisiom knew about the relationship, they onlh took action after the escalation. It was weird that a married emarati vp locked his office door when Summer who was also married, entered the office. Oh there were talks about other relationships they separatelh had within EY and within ADQ.. HR is the real problem.
I believe they have so much money to waste on they donβt care whatβs happening internally as long as the profit is making and the brand is expanding. What a loss. Etihad has so much potential.
Arik Deβs management at Etihad deserves serious scrutiny. The decisions made under his leadership, alongside those of Dani Ryan and Ruaraidh Smeaton, raise serious concerns about accountability, professionalism, and the treatment of talented employees.
To this day, there needs to be a thorough review of recent promotions, including out-of-cycle promotions, to establish whether HR policies are being applied fairly and consistently. Ruaraidh Smeatonβs promotion decisions, including Crisβs rapid progression from Brand Manager to Brand Lead...
Arik Deβs management at Etihad deserves serious scrutiny. The decisions made under his leadership, alongside those of Dani Ryan and Ruaraidh Smeaton, raise serious concerns about accountability, professionalism, and the treatment of talented employees.
To this day, there needs to be a thorough review of recent promotions, including out-of-cycle promotions, to establish whether HR policies are being applied fairly and consistently. Ruaraidh Smeatonβs promotion decisions, including Crisβs rapid progression from Brand Manager to Brand Lead in less than a year, raise legitimate questions about transparency and merit.
The treatment of Greg, a highly respected aviation professional who knew how to lead a team, is equally concerning. Meanwhile, talented people have left Brand and Marketing, taking valuable experience with them.
A leadership title does not equal leadership ability. When promotions are questioned, experienced people leave, and trust in management erodes, accountability cannot be optional. Etihad needs an independent review of leadership decisions, promotion practices, and whether personal connections are influencing outcomes. HR rules must apply equally to everyone, regardless of who they know.
Itβs truly incredible that itβs taken this long. It seems the Dr is next and, with the shareholder investigations ongoing, perhaps more C-suite oustings to be announced soon.
The new shareholder group is apparently keen to get Tony Douglas and his team back to fix the airline for a second time, but with Riyadh Air now launched and quickly ramping up,
I canβt imagine why anyone would come back to fix EY again.
A few things about Arik that people may find interesting.
His middle name is Kumar, which he kept like some big secret. Funny, isnβt it? I also clearly remember him trying to convince people that he was Swedish. Why are you so ashamed of where you come from, Arik Kumar?
On the floor where his office was, there is a board covered mostly with pictures of himself and selfies from his travels. I mean, thatβs...
A few things about Arik that people may find interesting.
His middle name is Kumar, which he kept like some big secret. Funny, isnβt it? I also clearly remember him trying to convince people that he was Swedish. Why are you so ashamed of where you come from, Arik Kumar?
On the floor where his office was, there is a board covered mostly with pictures of himself and selfies from his travels. I mean, thatβs the level of self-obsession.
He also had this little show he would put on where he put new joiners on the hot seat in front of the entire company. He would ask them all sorts of ridiculous questions, sometimes openly racist ones, especially to people of Asian background and expect everyone to laugh. Imagine joining a company and being introduced to this kind of culture within your first couple of weeks. Welcome to Etihad.
He had all-hands meetings, were basically his personal show. Just one random example that comes to mind, he once talked about how he called a senior executive in the middle of the night and told him to fly a newly launched 15-hour US route the very next day for marketing purposes. Mind you, the guyβs wife was pregnant, but of course saying no to Arik was never really an option. Arik presented this as an example of the guyβs dedication and expected the whole company to applaud him. Imagine turning your employeeβs inability to say no to you into a heroic story about dedication. This was how you climb the corporate ladder fast here.
He once had a massive birthday cake ordered for himself and arranged the whole thing, then acted like it was a surprise from his employees because they loved him so much. I honestly canβt decide if thatβs hilarious or deeply concerning.
In his free time he creates fake linkedin accounts to praise himself and trash people he dislikes. He isn't even smart enough to realize that anyone who clicked on his fake account could see his entire comment history and activity and easily figure out it was him. What an absolute genius.
Lack of controls and oversight on senior management has always been a problem in that airline. The issue certainly isn't limited to one department. Get on the wrong side of the prevailing 'family' and show some integrity your done for. With no staff association or unions the price is impossible to challenge. A root and branch clear out is required.
EYβs board needs to take a serious look internally. Arik leaving is not enough. There are several serious questions that need to be investigated.
First, HR and Ethics & Compliance. How is it possible that people at every level were reportedly telling HR during exit interviews that they were leaving because of Arikβs management style, the turnover rate was insanely high and people were leaving before even completing two years, yet absolutely nothing was done?...
EYβs board needs to take a serious look internally. Arik leaving is not enough. There are several serious questions that need to be investigated.
First, HR and Ethics & Compliance. How is it possible that people at every level were reportedly telling HR during exit interviews that they were leaving because of Arikβs management style, the turnover rate was insanely high and people were leaving before even completing two years, yet absolutely nothing was done? Iβve never seen another company where so many people couldnβt wait to get out. And what happened when the linkedin scandal came out? How was that just swept under the rug while he was allowed to stay? There were employee satisfaction surveys over and over again with absolutely terrible results. What exactly did HR do about any of this? All the red flags were there. I even clearly remember a situation where employee satisfaction and engagement scores were so low that employees were basically told off and given the impression that if they didnβt like it they could just leave.
Second, every single person who received an unexpected promotion, a double promotion or was seemingly fast-tracked into a position during Arikβs time should be looked into. Was it actually based on merit, or was it because they were close to him, he liked them or they knew how to play the game? Dani, Javi, Adria and managers at every level also need to be held accountable for the role they played in allowing this culture to become what it was. You canβt spend years enabling, normalizing and benefiting from a toxic environment and then pretend you had nothing to do with it. They helped sustain this culture and they shouldnβt get a free pass just because Arik is gone.
Third, there have been far too many rumours about inappropriate relationships involving Arik and younger male employees, as well as cabin crew, for these concerns to simply be ignored. These allegations need to be handled properly and independently. The nepotism and apparent favouritism ran deep, with people seemingly being promoted into management based on personal preferences and even physical appearance rather than qualifications and merit. Every suspicious promotion and appointment needs to be reviewed.
Getting rid of one person doesnβt fix a culture that an entire organization helped create and maintain. If they are genuinely serious about accountability and rebuilding trust, they need to look at the people who enabled him, the HR failures that allowed this to continue and the promotion decisions that helped him surround himself with people who wouldnβt challenge him. Otherwise nothing will really change.
It it not just Arik Kumar De that has ran Etihadβs reputation into the ground. His decisions and behaviors are unbecoming for the flag carrier of a proud country of the UAE. His appointment of Danielle Ryan as the marketing head for the national carrier of our country is not Emirati and doesnβt understand the local culture here is big disappoinment
Also, now that he is gone, can the vendetta against former employees stop and our former employees staff travel benefits be reinstated as they once were? Removal of the yearly confirmed ticket, tripling the price of former employees tickets!! How was he even allowed to make changes on benefits of people he has never met? On people who have contributed to the company for more than 10 years and definitely contributed more than he did!
You know what they say: the easiest way to destroy an institution is to put the wrong person at the top and let him run it into the ground.
Enter Arik KUMAR De.
An ABCDesi whose leadership deserves scrutiny as manipulation, intimidation, corporate theatre, and an extraordinary obsession with controlling the narrative.
And letβs not forget the curious disappearance of that middle name. KUMAR. A perfectly respectable name, yet one that rarely seems to make...
You know what they say: the easiest way to destroy an institution is to put the wrong person at the top and let him run it into the ground.
Enter Arik KUMAR De.
An ABCDesi whose leadership deserves scrutiny as manipulation, intimidation, corporate theatre, and an extraordinary obsession with controlling the narrative.
And letβs not forget the curious disappearance of that middle name. KUMAR. A perfectly respectable name, yet one that rarely seems to make an appearance in his professional identity. Why, Arik KUMAR De?
Mr. Arik KUMAR De appears to have mastered one particular discipline: the art of corporate puppetmastery.
The allegations surrounding Arik KUMAR Deβs leadership paint a deeply troubling picture: questionable performance figures, bullying, gaslighting, manipulation, and a culture in which personal loyalty allegedly mattered more than competence.
His supposed signature move?
Make a questionable decision. Create an entirely avoidable problem. Watch as the organisation wastes valuable time, resources, and effort trying to resolve the chaos. Then, just when everyone is scrambling for a solution, Arik KUMAR De makes his grand entrance as the corporate saviour.
And what is his brilliant solution?
To reverse the very decision he forced in the first place.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Arik KUMAR De manufactures the problem, allows everyone else to deal with the consequences, and then expects recognition for undoing his own mistake.
A remarkable talent: manufacturing a crisis, exhausting the organisationβs resources, and then presenting common sense as a groundbreaking leadership achievement.
Apparently, at the Arik KUMAR De School of Management, fixing your own mistakes isnβt accountability. Itβs innovation. Arik KUMAR De: creating the crisis, manufacturing the rescue, and expecting a standing ovation for both.
And then thereβs the alleged intelligence network. People recruited to circulate rumours, collect gossip, and report back to the self-appointed mastermind. Apparently, running a commercial organisation wasnβt enough for Arik KUMAR De. He needed his very own intelligence agency.
The most extraordinary part is the apparent belief that nobody notices. That Arik KUMAR De is somehow the smartest person in every room, operating in plain sight, untouchable and several moves ahead of everyone else. But confusing manipulation with intelligence is perhaps the greatest illusion of all.
And apparently, the performance continued right up to the final curtain. Even at the very end, you couldnβt resist controlling the narrative, could you, Arik KUMAR De ;)?
That LinkedIn farewell post deserves a special mention. A photograph reportedly taken during a forced birthday celebration LAST YEAR, repackaged as though it were a heartfelt farewell. How convenient. Was it really a farewell, Arik KUMAR De ;)? Or another carefully manufactured piece of corporate theatre designed to disguise the actual circumstances of your departure ;)?
There are serious questions about whether your exit was voluntary, particularly given the accounts circulating about your previous departures (FIRED) from other airlines. The aviation industry is a small world, Arik KUMAR De. A very small world. People talk. Professional histories follow people. And a polished LinkedIn post does not automatically rewrite the circumstances of a departure. You can change the caption, Arik KUMAR De. You can recycle the photograph. You can even try to reinvent the occasion.
But changing the story doesnβt change what actually happened. And what about the people allegedly bullied, humiliated, intimidated, traumatised, or pushed out along the way? Who answers for the damage to their careers, reputations, confidence, and well-being? Who takes responsibility for the human cost of this supposed leadership genius?
Because the most disturbing allegations concerning Arik KUMAR De are not about corporate politics or personal vanity. They concern the potential psychological and emotional harm inflicted on other people. If substantiated, such conduct would raise fundamental questions about Arik KUMAR Deβs fitness to lead and the responsibility of organisations to protect employees from harmful behaviour.
Leadership should never leave people frightened, humiliated, or psychologically distressed. And the damage caused by destructive leadership does not magically disappear when the person responsible leaves the building. The deeper concern is the extent to which Arik KUMAR Deβs influence may have become embedded within Etihadβs commercial structure. With numerous former direct reports and their own teams reportedly recruited during his tenure, questions arise about the long-term consequences of those appointments. Were people selected for their competence, experience, and ability to deliver? Or was personal loyalty the more valuable qualification? Restoring confidence, accountability, and merit-based appointments may take considerable time.
Because rebuilding an institutionβs culture is considerably harder than surrounding yourself with people who agree with you.
And we havenβt even reached the supporting cast. A VP of Sales with zero Sales experience. How convenient. A VP of Commercial Enablement and Engagement β a title so wonderfully vague that one wonders whether anyone can explain what it actually enables. And then thereβs the reported promotion record. Six promotions. Three years. Six. At that pace, even the corporate elevator must be exhausted. One has to wonder what extraordinary achievements justified such rapid advancement and whether the same opportunities were available to equally qualified colleagues. Btw this VP is also known as VP of Sambosas. Because apparently nothing says commercial enablement quite like celebrating another extraordinary corporate achievement over a plate of sambosas. Forget revenue growth, organisational capability, sustainable commercial performance, or genuine leadership. The real performance indicator seems to be how quickly the next tray of sambosas arrives.
Perhaps Arik KUMAR De should have introduced a new corporate KPI: KUMAR Performance Indicator β Sambosas Consumed Per Promotion. At least that would be a metric everyone could independently verify. And unlike disputed commercial performance figures, the sambosas would actually be visible.
Ultimately, the issue is bigger than Arik KUMAR De. Itβs about what happens when an organisation allows a culture of fear, favouritism, questionable accountability, and personal loyalty to take precedence over integrity and competence. Itβs about the employees whose concerns deserve to be heard. Itβs about the people whose careers may have been affected. And itβs about ensuring that no individual, regardless of title, position, or influence, is ever considered beyond accountability. Leadership is not puppetmastery. Intimidation is not authority. Manipulation is not intelligence. A carefully curated LinkedIn post is not the truth simply because it has a photograph attached. And surrounding yourself with loyalists does not make you a visionary. So, Arik KUMAR De, enjoy the sambosas. We KNOW youβre reading this ;)!
No amount of corporate theatre, recycled birthday photographs, manufactured applause, or celebratory sambosas can substitute for genuine leadership.
The curtain has fallen, Arik KUMAR De.
You can understand just how unhinged this man is from the fact that even on the day he was fired and escorted out of the building he was still trying to make it look like his team had thrown a hearthfelt farewell by posting an old photo on linkedin. The fake linkedin account he used to leave comments under his own posts praising himself as an amazing leader says everything you need to know about...
You can understand just how unhinged this man is from the fact that even on the day he was fired and escorted out of the building he was still trying to make it look like his team had thrown a hearthfelt farewell by posting an old photo on linkedin. The fake linkedin account he used to leave comments under his own posts praising himself as an amazing leader says everything you need to know about him. So does paying for his own birthday cake with his own credit card and then making it look like his team had surprised him because he was such a beloved leader. The guy was literally a walking PR campaign with absolutely nothing behind it.
When he was finally kicked out people across the company were genuinely happy. Just reading the comments people are leaving here tells you a lot about what he was really like behind the carefully curated image.
During his time at Etihad he didnβt give a damn about the airline itself. The only thing he cared about was building his own personal brand and making himself look like some kind of visionary leader on linkedin. All those ridiculous new routes that kept getting launched aggressively only to be shut down a few months later say a lot. It felt like some of those decisions were made just so he could post about...
During his time at Etihad he didnβt give a damn about the airline itself. The only thing he cared about was building his own personal brand and making himself look like some kind of visionary leader on linkedin. All those ridiculous new routes that kept getting launched aggressively only to be shut down a few months later say a lot. It felt like some of those decisions were made just so he could post about launching new destinations and take credit for them, only for the airline to be left dealing with the consequences. It was all about the optics, the posts and feeding his own ego. The guy got fired and he was still trying to make it look like his team had thrown him a farewell party by posting an old photo on linkedin, pathetic.
Very true
Looking at all the comments today you can see how many people have been impacted by the culture at Etihad. Itβs a real scandal and the sheer volume of cases in this thread alone shows that the reality is way more than meets the eye. Arik got away with psychotic behaviour. Every employee knew it and the business simply didnβt care. Employees left to rot.
The reality is regardless of what department you were...
Looking at all the comments today you can see how many people have been impacted by the culture at Etihad. Itβs a real scandal and the sheer volume of cases in this thread alone shows that the reality is way more than meets the eye. Arik got away with psychotic behaviour. Every employee knew it and the business simply didnβt care. Employees left to rot.
The reality is regardless of what department you were in you didnβt have a nice life. All of the chiefs ran horrendous operations filling people with dread all day everyday and basically anyone Sm and Director level and above were just abhorrent individuals.
Arik leaving should be celebrated but believe me Etihad wonβt be looking at how to fix the culture, theyβll just be looking at papering over the cracks with bandaids to save their own sorry selves. Despicable organisation filled with despicable people. Goodbye Ivander you will be missed by no one and I hope the shareholders clear house with the rest of the idiot management team for enabling pure hatred.
Antonaldo who kept propping this dude up just cuz it suited him is just as big a piece of trash as Arik himself. Adria, Javier, Jagdish all the other little bootlickers yβall better watch your backs cuz youβre next. This dude created such a fked up culture at that place that his own nasty behavior became the norm. Before you knew it all these other managers were acting just like him bullying people and treating...
Antonaldo who kept propping this dude up just cuz it suited him is just as big a piece of trash as Arik himself. Adria, Javier, Jagdish all the other little bootlickers yβall better watch your backs cuz youβre next. This dude created such a fked up culture at that place that his own nasty behavior became the norm. Before you knew it all these other managers were acting just like him bullying people and treating employees like they were damn slaves. Like seriously do yβall have no morals of your own?? No backbone or principles? Or do you just throw all that out the window the minute it helps your career? Every single one of these people needs to be held accountable. And anyone who climbed the ladder by kissing Arikβs behind needs to be shown the door too. Time to clean house cuz this mess ainβt gonna fix itself.
It is such shame this behaviour was tolerated. The new shareholders need to look into his team.
DE missed used team members. He would waste resources, I recall samples being requested all the way from China or UAE being flown to DE wherever he wanted.
Also I was told the creative team would create multiple design of his precious Finjaan cups and fuelled his behaviour. Bring back Greg! Read the comments about Mr...
It is such shame this behaviour was tolerated. The new shareholders need to look into his team.
DE missed used team members. He would waste resources, I recall samples being requested all the way from China or UAE being flown to DE wherever he wanted.
Also I was told the creative team would create multiple design of his precious Finjaan cups and fuelled his behaviour. Bring back Greg! Read the comments about Mr R (Director Brand)- itβs terrible!
Also a joke about the new brand team member (who only got promoted as she is related to the ManCity CEO)
This the entire analysis of the current state of affairs
Four Years of Speaking Up: Accountability, Leadership, and the Future of Etihad
As a whistleblower, this has been a journey spanning more than four yearsβa journey marked by frustration, immense personal and professional challenges, and the difficult experience of witnessing what I believe to have been a deeply unhealthy workplace culture. Along the way, employees allegedly endured severe psychological pressure, intimidation, humiliation, and, in some...
This the entire analysis of the current state of affairs
Four Years of Speaking Up: Accountability, Leadership, and the Future of Etihad
As a whistleblower, this has been a journey spanning more than four yearsβa journey marked by frustration, immense personal and professional challenges, and the difficult experience of witnessing what I believe to have been a deeply unhealthy workplace culture. Along the way, employees allegedly endured severe psychological pressure, intimidation, humiliation, and, in some cases, physical mistreatment. Many appeared to feel that career progression depended less on competence, performance, or business knowledge and more on unquestioning compliance, pleasing those in positions of authority, and doing whatever was necessary to remain in favour.
Throughout this period, serious questions have arisen about the quality of leadership, the basis on which promotions were awarded, and whether professional merit was consistently prioritised. Individuals including Wie, Javi, Mark, Jurian, Jyotsna, Aysha, Dani, and others deserve scrutiny in the context of the wider organisational cultureβnot simply because of their association with particular leaders, but because the investigation should establish whether appointments and promotions were supported by genuine capability, demonstrable results, and a clear understanding of their responsibilities.
A particularly important question is whether people were promoted because they were genuinely equipped to lead, or whether agreeing with senior management and repeatedly saying βyesβ became more valuable than demonstrating independent judgement. An organisation cannot afford to confuse loyalty with competence or compliance with leadership. When people are rewarded for telling their superiors what they want to hear rather than challenging poor decisions, the business ultimately pays the price.
The same principles should apply when examining functional expertise and performance. Questions have been raised about Javiβs understanding of sales and Ahmedβs understanding of distribution, particularly in relation to the fundamental requirements of their respective roles. These concerns should be assessed objectively against measurable performance, professional knowledge, and actual contributions to the business. Titles and promotions should never shield anyone from legitimate scrutiny, regardless of their relationships with senior leadership.
I sincerely hope the investigation goes much deeper than the individuals and circumstances that initially brought these concerns to light. It should extend across departments, examine the conduct of departmental heads, and establish who knew what, when they knew it, and whether concerns were ignored, normalised, or actively suppressed. It is equally important to determine whether management structures and internal reporting mechanisms allowed inappropriate behaviour to continue without meaningful intervention.
One of the most troubling aspects of this period, in my view, was the apparent treatment of experienced employees who possessed substantial institutional knowledge and a deeper understanding of the business. Under Mr. ADβs leadership, there were concerns that long-serving employees and those willing to exercise independent judgement became targets. Some were reportedly removed abruptly and in circumstances that employees perceived as humiliating. Across different levels of the organisation, accounts of disrespectful treatment and intimidation contributed to a growing sense that experience and professional integrity were no longer necessarily valued.
The resulting culture appeared to favour those who agreed unquestioningly with management while marginalising individuals who challenged decisions, raised concerns, or brought alternative perspectives. If an organisation systematically loses experienced professionals simply because they are unwilling to conform, it does not merely lose employees. It loses institutional memory, operational expertise, sound judgement, and the very people who understand how the business works beyond what appears on a presentation or a management report.
The office environment, as experienced and described by employees, became increasingly intimidating. Fear and uncertainty appeared to influence everyday decisions, particularly within the Regional Management (RM) team. People seemed reluctant to take initiative or act independently without explicit approval. Such an environment is fundamentally incompatible with effective leadership. Employees should be empowered to make informed decisions within their responsibilities, not conditioned to operate out of fear of reprimand or humiliation.
Leadership should inspire confidence, encourage constructive disagreement, and create an environment in which employees can raise concerns without worrying about retaliation. When fear replaces trust, silence replaces honesty, and obedience replaces independent thought, the consequences inevitably reach the customer, the operation, and the organisationβs commercial performance.
For those who have lived through these four years, the recent developments have brought a sense of relief that is difficult to put into words. What many employees may be experiencing privately is not necessarily celebration at another personβs misfortune, but a feeling that their concerns might finally be taken seriously. After years of uncertainty, seeing the possibility of accountability can represent a significant moment for people who believe they were overlooked, mistreated, or denied a fair opportunity to succeed.
However, the departure or removal of one individual cannot, by itself, resolve the underlying issues. The more important question is what happens next. Will the investigation examine the wider leadership network, the decisions that were made, the promotions that were approved, and the treatment of employees who challenged the prevailing culture? Will it assess whether those entrusted with departmental responsibilities genuinely possessed the skills and knowledge required to perform their jobs? And will it distinguish between people who contributed meaningfully to the business and those who benefited from an environment in which questioning leadership was discouraged?
These are questions that deserve answers based on evidence, not assumptions or personal loyalties. Accountability must apply consistently, irrespective of seniority, position, or proximity to powerful individuals.
It is also difficult to understand why the board did not identify these warning signs sooner. Were employee concerns reaching the appropriate channels? Were internal complaints investigated impartially? Did leadership reports accurately reflect the working environment on the ground, or was the board receiving a carefully filtered version of events? Most importantly, did the organisation listen sufficiently to the employees who were contributing real value to the business but may not have had the influence or visibility to make their voices heard?
A boardβs responsibility extends beyond financial results and high-level performance indicators. It must also ensure that leadership behaviour, employee welfare, internal controls, and organisational culture are consistent with the companyβs stated values. A business can appear successful on paper while serious problems develop beneath the surface. By the time those problems become impossible to ignore, the damage to morale, trust, talent retention, and operational effectiveness may already be substantial.
The future trajectory of Etihad will therefore be particularly interesting to observe. The organisation now has an opportunity to demonstrate that accountability is more than a statement, that employee concerns will be taken seriously, and that promotions and leadership appointments will be grounded in merit, capability, and measurable contribution.
The ultimate test will not simply be whether leadership changes occur. It will be whether the culture changes with them. Will experienced professionals once again be valued? Will employees be able to challenge decisions without fear? Will departmental leaders be held accountable for their performance and conduct? And will those who genuinely understand the business and contribute to its success finally receive the recognition they deserve?
As a whistleblower, the objective should never be reduced to settling personal scores. It is about ensuring that concerns are investigated properly, that people are treated with dignity, and that no employee has to sacrifice professional integrity merely to advance a career.
Four years is a long time for employees to feel unheard. If these experiences have exposed deeper weaknesses in leadership and governance, then the investigation must address them comprehensively. Etihadβs long-term success will depend not on how effectively employees comply with authority, but on how well the organisation identifies talent, rewards competence, protects integrity, and holds those in positions of power accountable.
The real measure of leadership is not how many people say βyesβ in the room, but how many capable professionals feel safe enough to speak the truth. That is the standard Etihad should aspire toβand the standard against which its future leadership should be judged.
He was definitely kicked out and honestly it was long overdue. Ever since Arik joined the culture at Etihad changed completely. He created one of the most toxic work environments Iβve ever seen in aviation, built entirely around fear and intimidation. The managers were so afraid of him that they would manipulate numbers in presentations just to avoid his reaction. Nobody liked him including his little bootlickers and deep down everyone was disgusted by him.
...He was definitely kicked out and honestly it was long overdue. Ever since Arik joined the culture at Etihad changed completely. He created one of the most toxic work environments Iβve ever seen in aviation, built entirely around fear and intimidation. The managers were so afraid of him that they would manipulate numbers in presentations just to avoid his reaction. Nobody liked him including his little bootlickers and deep down everyone was disgusted by him.
He was incredibly insecure, obsessed with power and attention and had every trait of narcissistic personality disorder. I wonder if he ever got diagnosed. He would make deeply offensive jokes and people were basically expected to laugh along. He created a chain of fear and pressure that trickled all the way down through the organization to the point where people couldnβt even do their jobs properly. Calling it toxic would be an understatement.
And that whole linkedin scandal was a perfect summary of his character. The fact that he was using a burner account to praise himself was something everyone knew about but werenβt even allowed to talk about internally. The moment you disagreed with him or challenged him in the slightest, your career at Etihad was pretty much over and getting fired was always a real possibility. The more you sucked up to him and kissed his ass the further you could go in your career. And if you look at the senior management at Etihad today most of them got where they are by doing exactly that. Theyβre not that different from Arik themselves.
Maybe he managed to improve some numbers on paper, but the damage he did to the company culture was enormous. He left behind a deeply unhealthy environment. Honestly he is one of the very few people Iβve encountered in my life who I would genuinely describe as a bad person, with a very disturbing personality and seemingly no ethical boundaries. He still seems desperate to maintain a certain image of himself but anyone who actually worked with him knows what the reality was like.
The most delusional leader Iβve ever seen. He genuinely believes heβs smarter than everyone else, when in reality, heβs the definition of sloppy. A liar, an idiot, and a man who thinks he knows everything. His direct reports, with the exception of one or two, have lost their authority and now come across as fragile, weak, and completely powerless.
And you guys? Youβre next. Youβll be even easier to deal with than your disgraceful leader.
Not surprised.
I was part of the Social team. Led by Ruaraidh Smeaton (was previously direct report then downgraded as he was just Arik's yes man). I saw first hand how things were poorly managed. Everyone complains about Dani. Ruaraidh is equally as bad. May not scream at you. But an absolute clown. Ask them how the brand colours were decided.
I think it is disgraceful that this behaviour was accepted for so all long. Lots of people raised concerns.
His direct reports team is equally responsible. I remember Dani and Ruaraidh before I left. The worst two hires for the company. They both helped push out the former SVP Greg - who was the best thing for that department. Years of experience. But Ruaraidh stabbed him in the back. Now Ruaraidh promoted Cris (because...
I think it is disgraceful that this behaviour was accepted for so all long. Lots of people raised concerns.
His direct reports team is equally responsible. I remember Dani and Ruaraidh before I left. The worst two hires for the company. They both helped push out the former SVP Greg - who was the best thing for that department. Years of experience. But Ruaraidh stabbed him in the back. Now Ruaraidh promoted Cris (because sheβs family friends with ManCity CEO!!!). Absolutely crazy. HR? Ethics and compliance where are you? Look into this!
Arik if you read this (which I think you will):
What you did wasnβt just the fault of circumstances; thereβs something of you in it that you want to look at.
You are powerless now. You are not dangerous anymore. You are just a very unpleasant person to be with.
Ben. You clearly prepared yourself with your inside info and had your article online right after things kicked off. You actively invite readers to write away in the comments. Is it necessary for you to create the one place on the Internet that anyone can use to trash EY leadership? Comments started with Arik, now its Dani, Javi, Antonoaldo, Jyotsna.. who else should find themselves publicly shamed here?
Your only moderation effort is to...
Ben. You clearly prepared yourself with your inside info and had your article online right after things kicked off. You actively invite readers to write away in the comments. Is it necessary for you to create the one place on the Internet that anyone can use to trash EY leadership? Comments started with Arik, now its Dani, Javi, Antonoaldo, Jyotsna.. who else should find themselves publicly shamed here?
Your only moderation effort is to try to motivate people to state positive things about Arik, gladly adding fuel to the fire. Creating an open discussion that can potentially ruin other peopleβs careers is pretty ugly. Itβs not for you to judge if someone who was promoted during that time has to be involved in any of this. Now anyone can blame any person here regardless if it has merit or not. Getting allegations cleared is almost impossible, but sure, everyone fire away, now is your chance if you want to get back at someone in the company. Just state their names trash their skills. make everyone a target. Good for clicks though.
All those listed people enabled the bullying and many carried it out themselves, so it is fair to state their complicity in this toxic environment.
Nice try, Etihad!!!!
Dani. I'm surprised you managed to do this without the help of chatgpt or bcc-ing Amal from HR. Funny you should talk about clicks when what you're actually doing is giving the post more engagement organically which drives more clicks. Ridiculous. See you in the office and please leave your fake goyard bag at home.
And why are you triggered? Oh, your name may have been listed or are scared that it will be? When many people share the same names , don't you think that there is truth in it?? There are shameful stories and scandals, which would be no surprise to anyone who worked in the toxic environment (even before Ariks time, mayne you would know about the old guest experience vp scandal mr. J with his staff...
And why are you triggered? Oh, your name may have been listed or are scared that it will be? When many people share the same names , don't you think that there is truth in it?? There are shameful stories and scandals, which would be no surprise to anyone who worked in the toxic environment (even before Ariks time, mayne you would know about the old guest experience vp scandal mr. J with his staff or the marekting vp mrs A. who threw parties from ey's money,not hers, she left anyway), the toxicity was unbearable and Arik made it worse..You either never worked there or have contributed to the toxicity...let everyone be exposed, maybe serious investigation and actions can be taken...HR there is a joke..
Akhil getting Amina out was top. Arik became infatuated with her after she sucked up to him. She was horrible at marketing and using company funds for her own personal parties. People donβt forget she dressing up her dog in cabin crew uniform
She was cheap, yes everyone knows about the parties and celebrations using companyβs money. She does not represent the Emirati women as she has no dignity nor class. Sorry Amina money cannot buy class. The most dangerous thing a company could do, is to employ insecure, unqualified and cheap people in leadership roles and thatβs what ey did with Amina T, Arik K and many more
well if that "other people" you referred to helped create and sustain that toxic work environment and benefitted from it, guess what their careers deserve to be ruined. dont play the victim here when there are consequences, nobody owes them sympathy. instead of crying here you better get ready to face the consequences of the choices you made ha?
A classic case of narcissistic behavior at the worst. Arik De Kumar along with his moronic henchmen Javi, Dani Ryan are the reason why Etihad is the laughing stock of carriers in the gulf region. Completely unfit to lead in any capacity. Compare the marketing that Etihad does with Qatar and you wonder how someone like Dani even manages to hold down a job
I know of many instances of violent rage towards employees, a tryst on a business trip with a handsome entry level employee, and dismissal from Cape Verde, TAP, and Aeromexico. The birthday cake story fits the psychological profile perfectly.
There needs to be an investigation into all of Arikβs management and his direct reports.
They allowed this to happen. If there is ounce of truth on what is said about Ruaraidh - this should be investigated. Nepotism has no place in any organisation.
Many people are overlook, overworked and the ones who know people are promoted.
All of the Etihad Chiefs are at blame for this (especially CEO) not just ARIK SEBASTIAN. Only John Wright, who was the only one had any sense of dignity about him, can hold his head up at that level and not be ashamed of themselves. What an awful culture set by Antonoaldo and his team of top clowns who allowed for the worst culture of all time to be tolerated. HR useless and should be...
All of the Etihad Chiefs are at blame for this (especially CEO) not just ARIK SEBASTIAN. Only John Wright, who was the only one had any sense of dignity about him, can hold his head up at that level and not be ashamed of themselves. What an awful culture set by Antonoaldo and his team of top clowns who allowed for the worst culture of all time to be tolerated. HR useless and should be binned off as they 100% allowed him to get away with anything he wanted. What message does it send to the business that you can internet troll as Ivander, shack up with cabin crew men, make people meet you at 2am in the office because you have a pointless flight to catch at 3am and then get rewarded for it. And challenge it? HR will fire you, great job guys!
Any other country that wasn't UAE with strict media control and the PR team would've been working overtime trying to fix the damage done, but instead they could just clown about serving Ivander's LinkedIn image with lavish parties disguised as route launches to places that probably don't even make any money. And again where was ethics and compliance in all this? The legal team should never have allowed this to even last 5 minutes, no way people wernt reporting it. ANother cover up from a worthless department.
I left at the end of November 2024 but to this day I will never forget how bad a compnay it was to work for. My time in REVC was absolute hell, and just look at who is still there at a leadership level across that whole division and I doubt anything will change for the better. What an absolute farce.
The commercial organization has a very insular culture, and it seems to have trickled down through Arikβs direct reports. Certain nationalities and professional backgrounds appear to get preferential treatment, while being close to certain VPs/SVPs seems to carry significant weight when it comes to career advancement.
Thereβs also a noticeable difference in how senior executives interact with people β extremely friendly and engaged with a select few, but distant and unapproachable with everyone else. Over...
The commercial organization has a very insular culture, and it seems to have trickled down through Arikβs direct reports. Certain nationalities and professional backgrounds appear to get preferential treatment, while being close to certain VPs/SVPs seems to carry significant weight when it comes to career advancement.
Thereβs also a noticeable difference in how senior executives interact with people β extremely friendly and engaged with a select few, but distant and unapproachable with everyone else. Over time, that can create the perception that personal connections and visibility matter more than performance.
Whatβs especially concerning is the lack of an independent HR voice. Employee feedback doesnβt seem to be actively sought or meaningfully addressed, leaving people with little confidence that raising concerns will actually lead to change. When HR is perceived as being too closely aligned with leadership, it becomes very difficult for employees to challenge the culture from within
Letβs be honest: The Etihad turnaround was completed in 2022 and handed over on a platter when the Douglas-era team was headhunted by PIF to go to Riyadh.
Painful cost transformation completed, world class terminal about to open, network stable and OEM orders restructured. The post Covid wave that benefited the entire industry masked the underlying poor strategic decision of the ex-TAP team led by Arik and his Brazilian puppets, and supported by inept...
Letβs be honest: The Etihad turnaround was completed in 2022 and handed over on a platter when the Douglas-era team was headhunted by PIF to go to Riyadh.
Painful cost transformation completed, world class terminal about to open, network stable and OEM orders restructured. The post Covid wave that benefited the entire industry masked the underlying poor strategic decision of the ex-TAP team led by Arik and his Brazilian puppets, and supported by inept expats on the EY Board at that time (mostly now also gone).
The telling moment was when Arik was allowed to continue after the Ivander scandal initially unfolded. This should have been the end.
Hopefully this will now trigger a broader overhaul of EY management than can take this great airline forward to a happier future.
It took extraordinary courage for a group of managers to finally speak up and report his behaviour directly to the Shareholder through its official whistleblowing channel.
Despite multiple previous internal investigations, it was the Shareholderβs decision to commission an independent external investigation that marked a turning point. Numerous employees were called upon to provide evidence, allowing the full extent of the allegations to be examined.
It is understood that his VP of Sales and Director...
It took extraordinary courage for a group of managers to finally speak up and report his behaviour directly to the Shareholder through its official whistleblowing channel.
Despite multiple previous internal investigations, it was the Shareholderβs decision to commission an independent external investigation that marked a turning point. Numerous employees were called upon to provide evidence, allowing the full extent of the allegations to be examined.
It is understood that his VP of Sales and Director of Marketing alerted him to the investigation, raising serious questions about the integrity of the process.
But ultimately, it appears that Abu Dhabiβs leadership has finally heard the voices of those who had suffered in silence for years and taken decisive action.
Director of Marketing of Etihad 2026 is Danielle Alicia Ryan who was previously from Ryanair and worked in Sydney. I'm adding as much SEO keywords here to ensure that this remains visible for a long long time
Arik De was horrible to work for, but there were others aswell.
However he was encouraged by people like Ruariadh Smeaton (Director of Brand).
Thr brand direction was a joke. Ruariadh had no direction and was just concerned on pleasing Arik. Worst of all Ruaraidh also recently promoting his M1 Cristina who has work less then 1 year to SM1 (double promotion). Cristina is a family friend of ManCity CEO and Ruaraidh promoted...
Arik De was horrible to work for, but there were others aswell.
However he was encouraged by people like Ruariadh Smeaton (Director of Brand).
Thr brand direction was a joke. Ruariadh had no direction and was just concerned on pleasing Arik. Worst of all Ruaraidh also recently promoting his M1 Cristina who has work less then 1 year to SM1 (double promotion). Cristina is a family friend of ManCity CEO and Ruaraidh promoted her on that basis! Its disgusting as there were so many talented people.
When will others be investigated? Someone needs to inform the board. It's not only Arik, but people like Ruaraidh that need to go.
Ruaraidh, now has recently changed his tune and is trying to impress more powerful local senior execs.
Arik De is a cancer to the industry and was a cancer to Etihad/Abu Dhabi. Lets not forget the amount of STDs he gave male cabin crew and some of his senior leaders that he made sleep with him for promotions.
He blatantly pushed out top execs from the airline industry, in particular Americans, and then took credit for their work. Point in case, he took credit for the new cabins when it was...
Arik De is a cancer to the industry and was a cancer to Etihad/Abu Dhabi. Lets not forget the amount of STDs he gave male cabin crew and some of his senior leaders that he made sleep with him for promotions.
He blatantly pushed out top execs from the airline industry, in particular Americans, and then took credit for their work. Point in case, he took credit for the new cabins when it was the work of Mariya, the VP of Guest Experience, who was an industry veteran from Jetblue. He took credit for the new Beyond Borders campaign, when it was the work of Akhil SVP of Marketing from Delta. He hired and fired Greg who replaced Akhil in a matter of months, who was a long time Alaska airlines leader. Their guest experience and marketing have tanked since Mariya and Akhil left, and were replaced by "yes boss" morons in Dani and Jyotsna... who came from Ryan Air and Air India - 2 airlines that are complete crap when it comes to experience and marketing. If I am Etihad's board, I am calling and begging Akhil and Mariya to come back...
Don't get me started on some of his other direct reports - anyone find it odd that his VP of Sales has no sales experience and was a manager when Arik started? Notice how they never share numbers on B2B sales growth...
He replaced Lena, his VP of Network Strategy, with a young, lovely fellow in Adria... who was barely a manager of network at Wizz Air... and then moved Lena into a hidden VP role to still say he has the only woman in the airline industry running network/alliances. She was the catalyst to some of the most successful new route launches and openly pushed back routes Arik wanted, which were destinations he could jetset too with his boy toys... like Chiang Mai... someone should look up who all on his trips were staying in the same hotels that were out of policy...
Worst person I have ever met, narcissist by nature and confirm all those comments written above - he was a cancer to the company and I am very curious to see who next will have to be escorted with security guards from the office- he basically built a large community of mafiosi around him, ceo, legal lady Karen, HR and all were part of his close circle- anyone who hires this person should be well aware of this slave driver
Arik ruined marketing. He thinks he knows marketing but all his ideas fail and he blames the person who had to build his bad idea. Dani and Ruaridh are bad leaders and even worse marketers. All the campaigns are the same poorly performing concept and the brand refresh was an utter disaster since Arik didn't want certain former leaders to get credit for good ideas.
Wow passing on STD and hooking up with male staff for promotion are big allegations although I personally heard many times that he was gay which is fine but the lack of meritocracy is a big issue.
Arik is a bully and a tyrannical leader, so all but his sycophantic henchmen will be celebrating in the streets of Abu Dhabi this weekend. Those overpromoted sellouts will be panicking as their incompetence will soon be exposed. Notably almost zero employees have anything positive to say on his LinkedIn post - only random people not closely associated.
The snake rots from the head and this is a textbook example. His leadership was characterised...
Arik is a bully and a tyrannical leader, so all but his sycophantic henchmen will be celebrating in the streets of Abu Dhabi this weekend. Those overpromoted sellouts will be panicking as their incompetence will soon be exposed. Notably almost zero employees have anything positive to say on his LinkedIn post - only random people not closely associated.
The snake rots from the head and this is a textbook example. His leadership was characterised by fear, sudden firings, witch hunts, public humiliation including fat shaming, 4am emails and 10pm in person meetings at no notice. When other leaders see the C level doing this, they begin to emulate and the rotten culture spreads. Now Arik is jobless, how will he fill the time, who will he whatsapp demanding presentation reviews at 1am?! His own office assistant told me he has absolutely zero life outside work.
Having fired many competent people as his fragile ego couldn't tolerate anyone standing up to him or being smarter than him, getting fired himself is a fitting end to his Etihad chapter. Woe betide any future airline that considers hiring him.
On a separate note, the CEO who promoted and tolerated this tyrant must also look in the mirror. I sat in meetings with them as they squabbled like children over incredibly trivial topics, and almost competed on who could say the most offensive and inappropriate comments. Shameful leadership examples, both.
I will add a little context to his behavior. He was in school with me and was a nobody. He was this awkward kid who was bad at sports and was bullied to a certain extent. Unfortunately it seems he took his revenge in his professional life like the little shit that he was.
Yesterday was the greatest day for EY employees! Today people are relieved and, I can confirm only his Direct Reports are saddened by his termination.
FYI - there was no leaving event. Thatβs a 1yr old image!
He did not resign. He was marched out.
Arik doesn't understand how revenue management work still and you keep on ask to push fare but in market like india where people are not well off who is going to push J cabin? We look at the demand everyday and we try to explain but no one will listen to us. Marketing Dani and her team also don't understand India and Dani team keep on pushing campaign in India that dont work
The most disrespectful person I had to ever encounter. He kept on going on and on about knowing your markets and incase you don't know where that reference is from, its from the TV show The Office. He has enabled people like Danielle Alicia Ryan (who rumors say got fired from Ryanair) to thrive in this toxic environment. Seriously can't believe the tears that Dani was putting on the office the other day when she found out, oh the drama of it all.
The issue isnβt limited to the CCO himself. A number of senior leaders seem to have adopted the same top-down approach, and the result is a culture where excessive hours and constant pressure are treated as normal. Working late into the night to get ready for leadership meetings doesnβt seem to be the exception.
There also appears to be a strong βinner circleβ culture, where connections and background can sometimes matter as much as performance....
The issue isnβt limited to the CCO himself. A number of senior leaders seem to have adopted the same top-down approach, and the result is a culture where excessive hours and constant pressure are treated as normal. Working late into the night to get ready for leadership meetings doesnβt seem to be the exception.
There also appears to be a strong βinner circleβ culture, where connections and background can sometimes matter as much as performance. People who are well connected can move ahead very quickly, while others can find themselves overlooked.
The way some leaders speak to their teams is another concern. Publicly undermining people or making comments that chip away at their confidence is not effective leadership. If Etihad wants a genuine change in culture, bringing in someone completely outside the existing leadership circle may be a better starting point.
I don't work for Etihad but I am a third party vendor that deals with the marketing team. Arik doesn't understand what marketing is and the only reason why he has kept Dani for this long is because if he needs he asks her to jump, she will say how high. The entire marketing plan of Etihad is just to buy out of homes and that is all they spend the money on. Dani and...
I don't work for Etihad but I am a third party vendor that deals with the marketing team. Arik doesn't understand what marketing is and the only reason why he has kept Dani for this long is because if he needs he asks her to jump, she will say how high. The entire marketing plan of Etihad is just to buy out of homes and that is all they spend the money on. Dani and the people that she has brought over from Ryanair to look at CRM are the worst people that we had to deal with. In all my years of agency experience, I have never had to deal with a client as bad as Dani and by extension Arik.
In an industry beset by ego, to be considered the βworstβ surely says something - unfortunately for a narcissist that will probably be seen as a badge of honour.
Honesty, Humility, Hunger. The three Hβs that he expected from his team - very much do as I say, not as I do.
A man with an ego as inflated as it is fragile. Constantly needing to be the one who had the last say. Needing...
In an industry beset by ego, to be considered the βworstβ surely says something - unfortunately for a narcissist that will probably be seen as a badge of honour.
Honesty, Humility, Hunger. The three Hβs that he expected from his team - very much do as I say, not as I do.
A man with an ego as inflated as it is fragile. Constantly needing to be the one who had the last say. Needing to be respected as the smartest in the room - but anyone meeting with him would be reminded of this by the man himself.
The tales of bullying, demeaning and consciously creating a toxic workplace filled with shills, yes-men and pretty boys being promoted well above their ability-levels are well known. The oxygen mask guy from the safety videos becoming head of sales under his watch.
Expecting people to work outside work hours, routinely calling people when they are on holiday or at the weekend, ordering staff back into the office, going on company paid vacations with his favourites.
Never wanted to be in a situation with a less than pliable crowd. This meant no meetings with customers or anyone who might challenge him. Probably a good thing as his ego nixed any chance of closer ties with Skyteam - Etihad lost even their interline relationship with AFKL due to one person alone.
Interesting this happened when Etihad are embroiled in a high-profile controversy - I wonder whether more recent commercial agreements are coming under greater scrutiny?
What could be next? Perhaps looking at the relationship between certain senior decision makers and some of companies that have been given Etihad contracts without following internal tender processes?
Spare a thought that he now doesnβt have a captive audience to routinely tell about his swath of passports, countries heβs visited and flights heβs taken.
I thought one of the H's stood for homosexuality? At least that seemed to be a common trait in those he favoured and promoted...
My understanding from several sources is that if you wanted a promotion you had to sleep with him, and this was tacitly condoned by senior management.
No surprise to see all these comments about etihad. My fellow employees have known for years how messed up it is. Good people fired everyday just for daring to try and do the right thing. Ivanda was the worst of a rotten group of leadership led by Antonaldo. More than 4 years this guy was abusvive , nasty and blatant in his ways - yet what did anyone do about it. Nutinf at all. cEO...
No surprise to see all these comments about etihad. My fellow employees have known for years how messed up it is. Good people fired everyday just for daring to try and do the right thing. Ivanda was the worst of a rotten group of leadership led by Antonaldo. More than 4 years this guy was abusvive , nasty and blatant in his ways - yet what did anyone do about it. Nutinf at all. cEO didnβt care if it was making money and no matter how much people complained they were told to just leave. Revenue has been living in misery long hours for nothing. Itβs an airline yet treated it as if it was only thing that mattered in the world. Invader invanda leaving is a great thing for Etihad, problem is culture wonβt be fixed anytime soon as all his cronies are still there. What a sorry state
Iβm in a senior role at Etihad, and there are a few things I want to add to this discussion.
Some comments here seem to justify the bullying by pointing to people like Bezos or Jobs, as though this is simply how successful leaders operate. I think that misunderstands the situation. The distinction is between pushing people to build a successful company and manipulating people to strengthen your own position. In my experience, Arikβs behaviour...
Iβm in a senior role at Etihad, and there are a few things I want to add to this discussion.
Some comments here seem to justify the bullying by pointing to people like Bezos or Jobs, as though this is simply how successful leaders operate. I think that misunderstands the situation. The distinction is between pushing people to build a successful company and manipulating people to strengthen your own position. In my experience, Arikβs behaviour falls far too often into the second category.
The closest comparison is Kevin Spaceyβs character in House of Cards: constant manoeuvring, trading on connections, and making support conditional on loyalty. The message is not simply βhelp me and Iβll help youβ. It is βhelp me, or expect consequencesβ.
The LinkedIn affair illustrates the concern. The allegation was that he posed as Ivander to ask members of his own team what they thought of him and whether they would consider leaving, then used their answers against them. For those asking why criticism did not emerge earlier, consider what it means to challenge someone you believe is prepared to spend considerable time and energy damaging your career.
A colleagueβs experience from a few years ago also stays with me. Arik inherited a very competent, decent person when he was appointed. My impression was that he wanted this individual out. I suspect the colleagueβs standing and established support within the organisation felt threatening to him, although that is my interpretation.
What followed was an increasingly unmanageable collection of responsibilities. More and more was added until the colleague eventually resigned, remaining diligent and professional to the end. After the departure, that same remit was split between THREE people at the same level. That gives some indication of what one person had been expected to carry.
To me, this reflected a recurring pattern: diminish the people around you, even when the business pays the price. There was also a critical, multimillion-dollar project for which another chief stood to receive credit. My understanding is that Arik actively obstructed it, almost until go-live. This was not something happening quietly between two people; dozens were in a position to see it.
How do you build loyalty in that environment? One way is to take young, ambitious people and give them jobs several years ahead of when they would ordinarily get them. There is nothing inherently wrong with promoting talent early. But when those people feel they owe their entire position to one individual, the relationship becomes something else.
You pressure them, they pressure the people beneath them, and the same behaviour spreads. Working constructively with other departments becomes secondary. Meanwhile, relationships with selected individuals in those departments extend the reach of that influence beyond commercial.
Then there were the meetings. Arik would sit there messaging his contacts at seemingly every airline in existence, supposedly obtaining some insight relevant to the discussion. Somehow, the conclusion was usually that somebody at United, Delta or Emirates was doing it better, and the people in front of him were inadequate.
I cannot tell you who was actually replying. I can tell you that colleagues became sceptical enough to joke that he was messaging a bot, or his dog. The supposed intelligence became difficult to distinguish from another opportunity to belittle someone.
For balance, his contribution was not entirely negative. There was a genuine gap in commercial strategic thinking when he arrived, and he brought impetus. He is intelligent, can be charismatic, and is clearly a strong speaker.
But that is not the question a prospective employer should stop at. The question is whether those talents will be directed towards making the company stronger, or towards consolidating his own position at everyone elseβs expense.
From what I experienced, I would have very little confidence in the former.
I can say that he may well be the worst human being I have ever encountered in my professional life. And I donβt say that lightly.
He is exceptionally intelligent, commercially sharp, well-informed, and extremely demanding when it comes to professionalism, particularly presentations and commercial analysis. I will give him credit for that. But intelligence and commercial competence do not excuse a complete lack of basic human decency.
His treatment of people was appalling. Shouting,...
I can say that he may well be the worst human being I have ever encountered in my professional life. And I donβt say that lightly.
He is exceptionally intelligent, commercially sharp, well-informed, and extremely demanding when it comes to professionalism, particularly presentations and commercial analysis. I will give him credit for that. But intelligence and commercial competence do not excuse a complete lack of basic human decency.
His treatment of people was appalling. Shouting, belittling, mocking, and humiliating employees in front of their colleagues were part of his management style. He could publicly insult someone and, five minutes later, crack a joke with that same person as if nothing had happened. He actually has a very sharp sense of humour, which somehow made the whole experience even more disturbing.
The way he treated his direct reports was particularly degrading. They were sometimes treated more like personal pets than senior executives. At one major corporate event, a fun quiz even included a question about which VP was βArikβs pet.β Everyone laughed and knew the answer. That tells you something about how normalized this culture had become.
Then there was the complete disregard for peopleβs personal lives.
Groups of employees would wait outside his office for hours, sometimes until 9 or 10 PM, just to attend meetings. If he was travelling that night, he would fill practically every available minute before his flight with meetings. Imagine ten people waiting at 9 PM for a meeting that could easily run until 11 PM.
Messages at 2 AM were nothing unusual. Screenshots sent to WhatsApp groups at 5 AM on a Sunday, demanding immediate action. If you werenβt available to jump online within 30 minutes, you risked becoming his next target. People were even called to his home on Saadiyat Island on Sundays just to get documents signed.
He seemed to have little understanding or respect for the fact that other people had spouses, children, and lives outside Etihad. He could dedicate virtually every waking hour to the airline, and he expected everyone else to do the same.
Disagreeing with him was another dangerous game. Challenge his opinion, and you could find yourself on his blacklist. First came the public humiliation in meetings. Then the constant criticism of your work, the questioning of your competence, and the gradual effort to make your professional life miserable. It was workplace bullying executed with remarkable sophistication.
Flattery, on the other hand, worked wonders. Those who fed his ego, tolerated his behaviour, and adopted his toxic management methods could advance. Those who maintained their independence or refused to play along could find themselves marginalized.
And the ego was extraordinary. He loved talking about himself: the exclusive cards he possessed, the influential people he knew, the special treatment he received, and the privileged experiences he enjoyed.
There were also some extraordinary stories and episodes involving his personal preferences. One concerned an expensive birthday watch, allegedly selected by him, with the cost distributed among his direct reports according to seniority through his secretary. Those who did not contribute were reportedly remembered, while the gift presentation itself was arranged for the contributors.
I also heard allegations about commercial decisions being influenced by personal interests, including the decision to serve a destination, where he had a home, despite strong unfavourable profitability analyses, and an inaugural flight allegedly being moved by a day shortly before the flight because a friend could not secure a First Class ticket in inaugural. I cannot independently substantiate those accounts, but they illustrate the kind of stories circulating about his leadership.
For a long time, he delivered the numbers and appeared to manage the relationship with ADQ (wealth fund) effectively. My impression was that this gave him enormous protection. As long as the commercial results looked good and the right stakeholders were satisfied, the human cost of his leadership was seemingly considered acceptable.
My guess is that he finally crossed someone with more power than himself, possibly an influential Emirati stakeholder. That is speculation, of course, but the speed and manner of his departure suggest that something fundamental changed at the top.
And then there is the LinkedIn farewell. Using a photograph from an earlier, reportedly self-orchestrated celebration to create the impression of a warm farewell is almost a perfect illustration of the disconnect between his carefully cultivated public image and the reality many employees experienced.
The irony is that he genuinely understands the airline business. He follows global developments closely, knows the commercial details, challenges weak thinking, and expects extremely high standards. Those qualities are real. But so was the destructive environment many people experienced around him.
There is a difference between being a demanding leader and being an abusive one. Between setting high standards and humiliating people. Between earning respect and creating fear.
Arik was remarkably good at delivering commercial results. Unfortunately, in my experience, he was equally good at destroying the confidence, motivation, and dignity of the people around him.
The most disturbing part of this story is not that he behaved this way. It is how long an organization was apparently willing to tolerate it.
Strong commercial performance should never be a licence to treat people like dirt.
Wow!
^Is this actual JonNYC (Eat Up Martha), or someone just imitating him?
The entire leadership must go, not only they tolerated his abusive behavior they also benefited from it, javi, dani, all must go
Preach!! Not only tolerated but also treated their own teams in the same manner.
i agree with dani and javi! dani is such a nightmare, her life is almost as sad as Arik's.
Surprised by the news? Mmmm, not really. Surprised he lasted 5 years? Absolutely!!
The unprofessional behaviour, bullying and rude attitude were well known to many of us who worked there.
And hearing allegations about a C-level executive creating fake LinkedIn profiles to boost his own posts? You really couldn't make this stuff up...........
But I think the bigger question is how this kind of environment was allowed to continue for so long, and where...
Surprised by the news? Mmmm, not really. Surprised he lasted 5 years? Absolutely!!
The unprofessional behaviour, bullying and rude attitude were well known to many of us who worked there.
And hearing allegations about a C-level executive creating fake LinkedIn profiles to boost his own posts? You really couldn't make this stuff up...........
But I think the bigger question is how this kind of environment was allowed to continue for so long, and where HR was in all of this????
I left partly because of the toxic culture, and 8 other colleagues from the same department resigned around the same time. EIGHT! If that's not a red flag, I'm not sure what is.
I really think EY's board and Emirati leaders needs to take a serious look internally. And NOT just at one person, but at the culture and the people who allowed it to continue. I suspect there are quite a few uncomfortable things waiting to be uncovered.
It's a shame because EY has a great product and some genuinely talented people. They deserve far better leadership and a much healthier place to work.
Hopefully, this news becomes an opportunity for meaningful reflection and change, rather than just another leadership departure!!!
I must say, it's interesting to read all these comments. I have no agenda here, but there's not an airline executive out there who I've heard such uniformly negative things about. The comments here are only a small sampling of what I've heard -- I also received countless messages from people sharing their experiences.
Does anyone have anything positive to say about him? Was everyone in upper management at Etihad just completely blind to...
I must say, it's interesting to read all these comments. I have no agenda here, but there's not an airline executive out there who I've heard such uniformly negative things about. The comments here are only a small sampling of what I've heard -- I also received countless messages from people sharing their experiences.
Does anyone have anything positive to say about him? Was everyone in upper management at Etihad just completely blind to this, or why did they ignore it?
The rot within Etihad runs deep and since this topic is gaining traction, here's a few more stories that will make you wonder how did he last this long and how did EY management allow this.
Blatant abuse of power: Marketing campaign will be thrown under the bus if you do not like his post on Linkedin and leave a positive comment under it. The person who is allegedly driving this complicity is the...
The rot within Etihad runs deep and since this topic is gaining traction, here's a few more stories that will make you wonder how did he last this long and how did EY management allow this.
Blatant abuse of power: Marketing campaign will be thrown under the bus if you do not like his post on Linkedin and leave a positive comment under it. The person who is allegedly driving this complicity is the horribly inadequate marketing director Danielle Ryan.
More blatant abuses of power: For his birthday this year, he "allegedly" wanted a luxury watch and tasked the someone to fundraise the amount from his inner circle so that they could buy him a watch as "gift" to him and was "allegedly" gifted the watch.
Inappropriate relationships: There is no surprise in Arik's preferences albeit it may be his personal one, however when he brings his boy toys on work trips to a place like Rio, thats got to raise some eyebrows right?
I'm curious to see how his inner circle and biggest fans will react to this move having aligned their entire careers in EY so closely to him.
The reason : Who knew his behavior from before at TAP?
Who turned a blind eye on the fake Linkedin story, a laughing stock within the industry.
When you are shown as untouchable as this... What can happen to you?
Rumors has he attacked bigger than him this time. In Middle-east you respect locals as you are immigrating their home country...
Donβt get me started on Dani Ryanβ¦ I think the only one in Etihad that actually cried that Arik was leaving. The way she treats her team is disgraceful.
Here's an Arik story for you:
One Friday, at around 17:30, he gathers all the employees outside his office (appx. 50). Talks for a bit and then decides to hand out some leftover gifts from route launches (think cheap coffee mugs and tote bags). Asks everyone to move 2 feet away from him, places the 'gifts' on a table and shouts 'Hunger', for people to run and grab them.
The 'Hunger' was from the...
Here's an Arik story for you:
One Friday, at around 17:30, he gathers all the employees outside his office (appx. 50). Talks for a bit and then decides to hand out some leftover gifts from route launches (think cheap coffee mugs and tote bags). Asks everyone to move 2 feet away from him, places the 'gifts' on a table and shouts 'Hunger', for people to run and grab them.
The 'Hunger' was from the 'Hunger Games' which really says all that needs to be said.
P.S. - Incident took place on 2 June 2025 and I have (video) receipts!
We have a video of him doing the same thing on the 2nd of July 2025 too. I am sure a lot of people took footage of that insane moment.
Removing the leader doesnβt necessarily remove the toxic culture he created. The nepotism ran deep, with individuals promoted into management positions seemingly based on personal favouritism and physical appearance rather than merit or capability. The same favourites were repeatedly put forward for employee recognition awards under his leadership, raising serious questions about the integrity of the recognition process. Many of those who benefited remain firmly in place, with some already holding meetings declaring that nothing...
Removing the leader doesnβt necessarily remove the toxic culture he created. The nepotism ran deep, with individuals promoted into management positions seemingly based on personal favouritism and physical appearance rather than merit or capability. The same favourites were repeatedly put forward for employee recognition awards under his leadership, raising serious questions about the integrity of the recognition process. Many of those who benefited remain firmly in place, with some already holding meetings declaring that nothing will change moving forward. That alone speaks volumes about how deeply entrenched the culture has become. Until the practice of rewarding personal favourites over genuinely deserving individuals is addressed, a change at the top will be little more than a cosmetic exercise.
@Ben - I have never worked for Arik or in the same organisation, but I have dealt with him over the last decade in multiple roles. He has never been anything but straightforward with me personally, and even helpful / generous at times. I have heard many of the stories about his management style and if true, some of those are unacceptable. However, my personal experiences with him are mostly positive and I will maintain...
@Ben - I have never worked for Arik or in the same organisation, but I have dealt with him over the last decade in multiple roles. He has never been anything but straightforward with me personally, and even helpful / generous at times. I have heard many of the stories about his management style and if true, some of those are unacceptable. However, my personal experiences with him are mostly positive and I will maintain that position publicly, notwithstanding its unpopularity today.
So yeah, at least one person is standing up for him today.
People like this guy know who they need to be nice to and manage well to get what they want. You must be one of those people. Doesn't change the way he treated his staff or other colleagues. I use to work there (before his time) and several former colleagues of mine stayed and worked under/around him. I've been hearing these stories for years. He probably needed something from you so of course he treated...
People like this guy know who they need to be nice to and manage well to get what they want. You must be one of those people. Doesn't change the way he treated his staff or other colleagues. I use to work there (before his time) and several former colleagues of mine stayed and worked under/around him. I've been hearing these stories for years. He probably needed something from you so of course he treated you well. Doesn't mean he wasn't absolutely terrible to those inside the company.
Even the most despotic leader of history had heir fan as they could be charming in private. I am sure pol pot could be nice to some other communiste leader
A couple of initiatives he led were sensible (albeit unpopular!), namely clamping down on the crazy number of confirmed seats Etihad RM allocated to staff paying ID fares.
In an e.g. European country or airline he wouldn't last a week, as employees would simply refuse to work for such a character and have union protection. However in the UAE no such protections exists and thus "If you annoy me I will fire you" is...
A couple of initiatives he led were sensible (albeit unpopular!), namely clamping down on the crazy number of confirmed seats Etihad RM allocated to staff paying ID fares.
In an e.g. European country or airline he wouldn't last a week, as employees would simply refuse to work for such a character and have union protection. However in the UAE no such protections exists and thus "If you annoy me I will fire you" is an option, and he never hesitated to use it.
The reason people message you privately is because of fear of reprisal.
Narcissa was a very, very charming person who seemed intriguing when you first got to know her socially, of course if you didn't have any business that could potentially make you a target. I can see how this charm could be applied to management for long periods of time, particularly in the Middle East, as well as Mexico, which are cultures where the personal relationship often overshadows the numbers, at least for much longer than it would in, say, Scandinavia.
He did the same thing in one of his previous job/airline, and also at least in another one (of the previouses)... we were all wondering how long he was staying there in Etihad being as he is... 5 years is a very long time and a very long damaging period for all employees to endure under his ruling...
Why doesn't this get more media visibility? To protect future employees unlucky to ever meet him...
He did the same thing in one of his previous job/airline, and also at least in another one (of the previouses)... we were all wondering how long he was staying there in Etihad being as he is... 5 years is a very long time and a very long damaging period for all employees to endure under his ruling...
Why doesn't this get more media visibility? To protect future employees unlucky to ever meet him as their superior...
A textbook case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)...
In my experience, Arik demonstrated extremely poor leadership, and I have serious concerns about Javierβs management approach as well. Employees have reportedly faced humiliation, discrimination, unfair treatment, and dismissals without reasonable justification.
But my biggest question is: Where are Dr. Nadia and Fatima Al Sahlawi? Where is HRβs accountability?
Instead of conducting proper investigations into employeesβ complaints, HR appears to accept managementβs decisions without question. Employees who raise concerns are allegedly encouraged to resign or...
In my experience, Arik demonstrated extremely poor leadership, and I have serious concerns about Javierβs management approach as well. Employees have reportedly faced humiliation, discrimination, unfair treatment, and dismissals without reasonable justification.
But my biggest question is: Where are Dr. Nadia and Fatima Al Sahlawi? Where is HRβs accountability?
Instead of conducting proper investigations into employeesβ complaints, HR appears to accept managementβs decisions without question. Employees who raise concerns are allegedly encouraged to resign or are simply dismissed, even when their complaints involve verbal abuse, humiliation, or discrimination.
I was among those affected. After refusing to remain silent about the disrespectful treatment I experienced, I believe I was effectively blacklisted.
Even more concerning, I became aware of an incident in which someone allegedly stated that a female candidate should not be hired because she had cancer. Such a statement raises serious concerns about potential disability discrimination, yet, to my knowledge, no meaningful action was taken.
I hold HR particularly accountable. Their responsibility is to protect employees, ensure fair treatment, investigate complaints impartially, and hold management accountable, regardless of seniority.
Instead, my experience suggests that HR enabled this behavior by repeatedly siding with senior management rather than addressing legitimate employee concerns.
How can an organization claim to value its people when employees who speak up are pushed out, while those accused of mistreating them face no apparent accountability?
The real issue is not simply poor leadership. It is the apparent failure of the very department responsible for protecting employees and ensuring a fair and respectful workplace.
Horrible guy, lier, bully, insulting at will, firing at will...
claims to everyone he flew 10000 commercial flights
Was horrible with some airline partners and one of the reason that EY is small and alone...
Nobody will miss him
One of the worst individuals Iβve ever encountered. He created a culture of fear, publicly humiliated staff, and took credit for their hard work. Iβm surprised it took Etihad so long to act, given the numerous complaints against him. The recruitment process clearly needs reviewing. And the claim that he received a farewell is a lie. Good riddance to a deeply damaging individual.
The truth is that the reason for his departure may have less to do with his abrasive personality and more to do with his disagreement with someone equally as abrasive but with greater power. One has to be prepared to work with abrasive personalities in the UAE.
Etihad on the other hand is a vile product to fly and the airport Abu Dhabi has one of the most nonsensical designs that I have ever visited.
He was by far the most toxic person at EY and there is not even one person in the office now who is not celebrating.
All our contacts from EY are rejoicing, none of them are commenting his departure message to thank him and half must be drunk at the office this morning
If corporate survival were an Olympic sport, heβd have taken home gold. Thankfully, it isnβt. Otherwise, weβd probably be reading about it in his next LinkedIn post.
Over the past years, he was apparently subject to a few internal investigations. He made peopleβs lives miserable and this was by design. The question that remains is whether thereβs an airline out there crazy enough to offer Mr De another executive role.
I had the distinct displeasure of working with him while he was at WS. Thankfully not under him. Lets say 5 minutes into the conversation he was off my Christmas card list. He really does think he knows everything about airlines and airplanes when in reality he doesnt. He is also very ambitious and that coupled with his arrogance did not win him any friends. Wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if he had been punted out off WS.
Having worked in the UAE for many years an expat knows his longevity is probably less than the next 24 hours.
especially an expat that insults nationals
Unfortunately, his leadership style has raised significant concerns, and his recent departure reflects some of the challenges within the organization. I also believe that broader changes within the management team are necessary. The work environment has made it difficult to retain talented professionals, with many leaving within just a few months. A lack of respect, recognition, and support for employees has contributed to the loss of valuable talent. Unless these issues are addressed, the organization...
Unfortunately, his leadership style has raised significant concerns, and his recent departure reflects some of the challenges within the organization. I also believe that broader changes within the management team are necessary. The work environment has made it difficult to retain talented professionals, with many leaving within just a few months. A lack of respect, recognition, and support for employees has contributed to the loss of valuable talent. Unless these issues are addressed, the organization risks continuing to lose highly capable people.
The funny part is that he still seems to think heβs smarter than everyone else.
Selling yourself as the man who transformed the company from $10 billion to $30 billion clearly didnβt prevent you from being shown the door in such an abrupt way.
And posting an old photo to make it look like your own team threw you a farewell party is genuinely quite amusing
Narcissists always think they're the smartest guy in the room. Not that I'm making a psychiatric diagnosis here, but if it quacks like a duck...
Unrelated. Saudia A320 hit and destroyed by a missile at Riyadh. Airport closed and evacuated. No one on board.
ππ
Sadly, as you may have seen, there was another attack at RUH, today (October 10), 12 killed, 300 injured, worse than KWI back in June. Awful.
De was definitely fired. My friends at EY's Marketing were actually celebrating because he was known for being a complete bully, always taking credit for his team's work. He even reprimanded his staff for "speaking at meetings without [his] prior permission." Good riddance.
that was on his good days, normally he would insult you with it...
Good riddance. Fear mongering leader who never cared about the wellbeing of his team. Very surprised it took Etihad so long to kick him out.
Flew EY very recently. A m9re pleasant experience than my previous trip on EY
One of the most despicable and demeaning human beings I have had the displeasure of working with over the years. Total disrespect for people, their lives and their capability. He may paint himself as this all inclusive, forward thinking leader that brings everyone together but instead builds a polarised team that undermines one another at every turn. To sum up the total narcissism Iβll leave you with an anecdotal reference, to celebrate his anniversary at...
One of the most despicable and demeaning human beings I have had the displeasure of working with over the years. Total disrespect for people, their lives and their capability. He may paint himself as this all inclusive, forward thinking leader that brings everyone together but instead builds a polarised team that undermines one another at every turn. To sum up the total narcissism Iβll leave you with an anecdotal reference, to celebrate his anniversary at Etihad he asked his team to go and buy a cake to celebrate, with his credit card, only to capture the moment on camera as a βsurpriseβ from his doting team and publish on LinkedIn. He will be forgotten.
Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos does that too.
Jobs and Bezos changed the world. This dude wasn't anywhere near their league.
Whatβs βYowzers!β about that comment?
Pete, hardly anyone even knows what βYowzers!β means (hot-take?)
Inagine still trying to spin yourself as a turnaround king 5 minutes after being unceremoniously escorted out of the building....
I exchanged messages with him briefly this afternoon after the news broke. He seems positive and optimistic, but to be fair, positive and optimistic have never been in short supply with Arik. I wish him well - he is definitely someone that will make things interesting wherever he winds up next.
Well he is hardly going to admit to the reality of the situation is he?
In the UAE the reality is that corporate plans depend on who was the last person to talk to the CEO or equivalent.
Customer service still sucks.
Before and during his time.
The culture is always like that.
The penny pinching LC ME3.
New terminal is just lipstick.
A great airline only when nothing goes wrong even little things.
Ben, as you have one of the most read travel blogs, I hope Etihad reads this comment. With family in the Gulf region, I used to recommend Etihad as a passenger friendly airline. When Etihad adopted its draconian points expiration policy, it set a tone. And, my recommendations moved to other carriers.
And? Do you think Etihad did this by mistake and they're waiting for your input to fix it? Every company will stretch the rope as far as they think they can, even if it costs them some customers they apparently don't care for.
Do the same as a consumer: Spend your money opportunisticly and rid your brain of fake concepts like "loyalty".
From what I have heard from people familiar with the organization, Arikβs management style could be pretty abrasive. There were stories about him being tough on his team and sometimes making people the butt of jokes. There was also a perception that being in his inner circle could help when it came to promotions.
That said, it sounds like the bigger issue was the broader leadership culture at Etihad, rather than any one individual