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Writer's pictureCéline Hourcade

Looking back and ahead

Updated: Apr 14, 2020

Last day of an incredible year.


1st of January 2019 marked a key milestone for me: first time I took the time to really reflect on my life, personal and professional, reprioritize and set goals for the year to come. One of my New Year´s resolutions was to make a change in my professional life. After an incredible 13-year journey with IATA, I felt it was time to leave the known and venture out to learn and explore new things. Being in charge of the Cargo Transformation agenda, I was pushing for change every day.


In 2019, it was my chance to change!


Even during my last months with IATA, I continued working on exciting projects and learning every day: I am proud to have organized the first IATA Drone Innovation Weekend and UAS Think Tank in Barcelona, launched the New Cargo Distribution project, run the 3rd IATA Global Shippers Survey and the 3rd Air Cargo Innovation Award, and my last IATA Innovation Forum at the World Cargo Symposium in Singapore.


Singapore, here we are... not (yet)!


When you make a choice to change, but you don't know where you go next, it is exciting and scary at the same time. Announcing I was leaving IATA opened new doors and new opportunities. I had lots of ideas of what I could do (still listed in my notebook) and one of them was to find a new job and move with the family in Singapore. I was offered a great opportunity there so we all really considered this option seriously.  It was not meant to happen in 2019, but I am sure it would have been a great adventure. Next time :-)


Singapore was also the last stop of our "5 weeks and 2 days" family vacations: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to reboot, spend time with the family, enjoy nature and also realize the environmental and social urgencies. We need to act and do better for our planet and society: be better citizens, consumers, parents, colleagues.


I believe sustainable changes will happen through education, communication, and conscious decisions. In our change management process, we need role models and mentors. Public figures and people around you that make an impact and inspire you to act. I am greatful to the ones that were inspiring, challenging and trusting me this year. Thank you Glyn, Des, Ram, Stéphanie, Alexandra, Steven, Sanjeev and Greta.


Exploring new horizons


One of the ideas in my notebook was to set-up a consulting business to do what I used to do at IATA, i.e. driving transformation and innovation for air cargo, but now for more organizations. I started my career as a consultant in a French firm and I think I always applied the consulting approach to the jobs I hold at Amadeus and IATA: active listening to understand the issues to address; in-depth research to learn, upskills and be able to spell out an appealing vision and provide appropriate recommendations; close stakeholder engagement to get the support and buy-in that is necessary to drive change; detailed project management to deliver; on-time communication to report on progress and celebrate achievements.


Change Horizon was born last October and I am very happy to already support Aerotropolis Institute of China and TIACA, The International Air Cargo Association. I hope Change Horizon will expand in 2020 to more customers and additional resources!

For IAC, I am part of the International Experts Panel advizing Zenghzou airport (CGO) in Henan province on how to boost volumes in and out the first Chinese Aerotropolis. In 2020, I am hopeful we will look into the opportunities of digital technologies, unmanned aviation and CleanTech to make CGO efficient and attractive. CGO needs also to get known and recognized by the international air cargo industry and I trust that, with the International Experts, we will help them getting this well deserved recognition.


For TIACA, Change Horizon has been mandated to design, launch and drive its Sustainability program. Sustainability is already part of the development strategies of lots of companies in the air cargo industry, but more needs to be done. The front runners can and should inspire others to act as well and include planet and people matters in their long term strategies. I believe TIACA has a great role to play to lead this transformation within the industry through education, best practice sharing, guidelines, goal settings. TIACA can unite the air cargo industry from shippers to airlines, handlers, airports, forwarders, solution providers and manufacturers to commit to industry goals to make air cargo more sustainable in the next decade. I am proud to lead that part of the work on behalf of TIACA and call all air cargo organizations (associations and individual companies) to join TIACA´Sustainability program and agree on an industry commitment to make air cargo more sustainable.


In addition to the first mandate, TIACA has also asked me to support their modernization process. The world evolves, so should TIACA. In the coming weeks, I will be working with them and their members to review the governance, membership, value proposition, agenda and provide recommendations to the Board to ensure TIACA remains relevant.


A new decade on the horizon


A new year and new decade are starting tomorrow. What´s your New Year´s resolutions? What´your New Decade´s predictions?


My New Year´s resolutions are:


  • to make my customers happy by delivering high quality services and exceeding their expecations;

  • to develop Change Horizon by attracting new talents and new customers;

  • to nurture existing and create new relationships and partnerships as I believe we are always stronger together and

  • to give back: I am lucky to be supported by great mentors and I feel it is time for me to play a similar role with younger professionals.


My New Decade´s predictions for aviation and logistics:


  • air cargo will be sustainable as ground and air vehicles and facilities will be powered by sustainable alternative fuel, electricity or solar;

  • innovation will allow eco-friendly packaging, lightweight material, alternatives to single-use plastic, as well as the development of unmanned aviation for the transport of goods;

  • digital technologies will drive "smartization" of air cargo: data will be shared and intelligently processed to ensure assets are smartly utilized, optimized and maintained and process is efficient from start to end maximizing customers´satisfaction and business profitability;

  • air cargo will be highly reliable and predictable, resulting in high customer satisfaction as well as drastic reduction of perishable waste;

  • air cargo will attract, develop and retain the best talents at all levels, offering innovative and relevant training and ensuring diversity and inclusion.


Share (data, ideas, best practices) & care (for the environment and the people) will be the focus of the new year and the new decade and I am looking forward to supporting my current and future customers to make their transformation programs happen.


Happy New Year!



Note: this piece was originaly published here.

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