The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the San Francisco Center for Economic Development, and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council will convene senior American and Emirati leaders for a luncheon featuring keynote remarks by Mr. James Hogan, President & CEO of Etihad Airways, in San Francisco, California. Following scene-setting remarks by the Honorable Edwin M. Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, Mr. Hogan will deliver a speech highlighting Etihad Airways’ expansion into the United States with non-stop service between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Mayor Lee and Mr. Hogan will be joined at the event by key American and Emirati stakeholders, including honored guest U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles, California His Excellency Abdulla Alsaboosi. For your reference, the honored speakers’ biographies as well as information about Etihad Airways, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, the San Francisco Center for Economic Development, and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, can be found below.
The Honorable Edwin M. Lee
Mayor
City of San Francisco
Edwin M. Lee, 60, was sworn in on January 8, 2012 as the 43rd Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco. Lee is the first Asian-American mayor in San Francisco history.
Lee was elected on November 8, 2011 by the people of San Francisco while he was serving as Interim Mayor, appointed unanimously as successor mayor by the Board of Supervisors on January 11, 2011 to fill the remaining year of former Mayor Gavin Newsom’s term who was sworn in as California’s Lieutenant Governor.
While serving as Interim Mayor, Lee championed balancing the budget to keep San Francisco safe, solvent and successful, reforming City pensions, economic development, job creation and public safety as his top priorities. Mayor Lee has worked hard to keep the economy and economic recovery on track, create jobs for residents and everything that supports a thriving economic climate like parks, transit, housing, quality of life in neighborhoods and public safety.
In the next term, Mayor Lee will keep his focus on economic development and job creation, taking responsibility for building San Francisco’s future, taking responsibility for helping each other and making City government more responsive, efficient and accountable through innovation and technology. This is what it will take to keep San Francisco a thriving, diverse, dynamic city of great neighborhoods, but also one that is a global hub for innovation and new economy industries.
In 2010, Mayor Lee was appointed to a second term as City Administrator by Mayor Newsom and his appointment was confirmed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors. As City Administrator, Mayor Lee spearheaded government efficiency measures and reforms that reduced the size and cost of government, from reducing the vehicle fleet to consolidating departments and back office functions to save tax dollars. He implemented the City’s move to cleaner vehicles and an infrastructure to support electric vehicles and green City government. Mayor Lee also developed and oversaw implementation of the City’s first ever Ten Year Capital Plan to guide our capital priorities and infrastructure investment.
Working with the Department of Emergency Management, Mayor Lee has overseen the City’s disaster recovery and response planning efforts, bringing every department together to coordinate response and recovery for the next major earthquake or emergency. With the Fire Chief, Mayor Lee led efforts to work with PG&E to assess the City’s gas and electric infrastructure and ensure its safety and reliability. For the 2010 U.S. Census, Mayor Lee organized the outreach efforts to ensure our City continues to make progress on inclusion and cultural competency.
Mayor Lee first began working for the City and County of San Francisco in 1989 as the Investigator for the City’s first Whistle Blower Ordinance and has since served as the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission, Director of City Purchasing, and Director of the Department of Public Works before he was first appointed as City Administrator in 2005.
Prior to his employment with the City and County of San Francisco, Mayor Lee was the Managing Attorney for the San Francisco Asian Law Caucus, for which he worked from 1979 to 1989. Mayor Lee was born in Seattle, Washington. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in 1974 and from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, in 1978. Mayor Lee is married to his wife Anita and is the father of two daughters Brianna and Tania.
Mr. James Hogan
President and Chief Executive Officer
Etihad Airways
James Hogan was appointed President and Chief Executive of Etihad Airways on 10 September 2006, bringing more than 30 years of travel industry expertise to the Abu Dhabi-based airline.
He has overseen rapid growth of the U.A.E.’s national airline, which now serves 108 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas operating a fleet of 105 modern environmentally friendly aircraft.
In July 2008, he signed one of the largest aircraft orders in history for up to 205 aircraft worth approximately U.S.$43 billion at list prices, to meet the airline’s ambitious long-term growth plans. This was followed in November 2013 with an order for up to 199 aircraft worth U.S.$67 billion to make provision for the airline’s growth up to 2025.
CEO Middle East Magazine named him Aviation CEO of the Year in 2008 and Visionary of the Year in 2010. He won the CAPA Airline Executive of the Year 2012 Award at the Centre for Aviation’s global awards for excellence and leadership.
At the Airline Strategy Awards presented in London in July 2013, he received the Executive Leadership Award in recognition of his “influence on the aviation industry, outstanding strategic thinking, and innovative direction for growth.” In April 2014, he was inducted into The British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame in honour of his “significant part in creating and developing the travel and tourism industry in Britain and globally”.
James started his career in 1975 at Ansett Airlines, and subsequently held senior positions with bmi, Hertz, Forte Hotels and Gulf Air.
At Hertz, his roles included directorships of the marketing, sales and operations divisions. In 1995, based in London, he joined the executive management committee as Vice President, Marketing & Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
In 1997, James became service director for bmi British Midland, leaving in 1998 to join the Granada Group as worldwide sales director, where he sat on the board of Forte Hotels.
He returned to bmi in 1999 as chief operating officer. There he was responsible for flight and ground operations, sales and marketing, commercial, cargo, engineering and handling service companies, and was a member of the Board.
James moved back to his native Australia in 2001, where he was appointed chief executive of the Tesna consortium, which was created with the aim of acquiring Ansett Airlines from administration, before joining Gulf Air in 2002, where he served as chief executive for four years.
James is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a former non-executive director, and member of the Board’s Audit Committee, of Gallaher Plc and the UBS Industrial Board. In 2010, he served as the Chairman of the Aviation Travel and Tourism Governors at the World Economic Forum.
He currently serves as Vice Chairman on the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors. He serves as Vice Chairman on the Boards of equity partners, airberlin plc, and Jet Airways, and sits on the Board of Virgin Australia.
About Etihad Airways:
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates made its first commercial flight in November 2003.
Since then, the Abu Dhabi-based airline has grown faster than any other in commercial aviation history, offering its award-winning services to 110 destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Etihad Airways operates a young and environmentally-efficient fleet of 105 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and has more than 210 aircraft on firm order.
The airline’s network today reflects a combination of organic growth, growth through codeshare partnerships, and strategic minority investments, together creating a virtual network of more than 420 destinations.
Etihad Airways currently has 47 codeshare partnerships and equity stakes in six airlines: Virgin Australia – 21.24 per cent, airberlin – 29.2 per cent, Air Seychelles – 40 per cent, Aer Lingus – 4.99 per cent, Jet Airways – 24 per cent, Air Serbia – 49 per cent. The airline is in the process of formalising its equity investments in Swiss-based Etihad Regional and Alitalia.*
More than 20,000 employees from more than 140 nationalities offer the highest standards of service and comfort both on the ground and in the air. Customers can enjoy world-class cuisine, flat-beds and suites in its premium cabins and the widest seats in economy, as well as inflight wi-fi connectivity and more than 750 hours of on-demand in-flight entertainment.
International sports sponsorship plays a central role in Etihad Airways’ global brand strategy, as it seeks to develop its profile in markets across the world. The airline has signed several major international sponsorship deals, including agreements with Manchester City Football Club, the All Irish Hurling Championships, the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and Major League Soccer.
Etihad Airways has been named the World’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards for five consecutive years.
Etihad Airways operates flights between New York (JFK), Washington D.C. (IAD), Chicago (ORD), and from November 2014 will fly from San Francisco (SFO) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). US flights are direct to Abu Dhabi with connections to destinations across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
*Operated by Darwin Airline
For more information, visit: http://www.etihad.com/en-us/.
About the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce (SF Chamber):
The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is San Francisco’s largest and most vibrant business network. The Chamber is a private, nonprofit 501(c)6 membership organization led by an active Board of Directors. The Chamber also works to create a better San Francisco through our foundation, which includes: the San Francisco Center for Economic Development; ChinaSF; Leadership San Francisco; and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.
For more information, visit: www.sfchamber.com.
About the San Francisco Center for Economic Development:
The San Francisco Center for Economic Development (SFCED) focuses exclusively on helping businesses locate and expand in the Bay Area. SFCED works collaboratively with community partner organizations, industry groups and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (MOEWD) to pave the way for businesses to succeed in one of the most dynamic, innovative and technologically advanced cities in the world.
As a department of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Foundation 501(c)(3), SFCED is able to bring the strength, stature, and public policy expertise of the Chamber to our efforts. SFCED provides a one-stop information and networking resource for businesses considering their strategy and location—delivering crucial relocation knowledge and links to professional and industry networks. SFCED offers no charge, comprehensive confidential advice and fast-track access to help companies take advantage of government incentives, aiding them in navigating state and local regulations.
For more information, visit: www.sfced.org.
About the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council:
The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is a progressive business advocacy organization solely committed to the advancement of the trade and commercial relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The Business Council actively works to ensure that the U.S. and U.A.E. remain attractive destinations for foreign direct investment by conducting effective policy advocacy, undertaking various trade promotion initiatives, providing ongoing updates on the business climate in both countries, and helping develop strategic relationships between U.S. and U.A.E. business and government officials.
For more information, visit: www.usuaebusiness.org.
