KEY POINTS:
Carly Arnold has taken her teenage dream of becoming a pilot a few steps further.
The former Aucklander has for the past 20 months been general manager of low-cost pioneer easyJet's operation at London Luton Airport, responsible for 17 aircraft, 600 pilots and cabin crew and overseeing seven million passenger movements a year.
It was in this role she made Management Today's list of 35 Women under 35 - ones to watch as potential future leaders of UK plc. Arnold says it was making this list that helped get her noticed for her next job.
This month she takes up a new role with Infratil's European airport group as the group general manager of performance to work with local airport teams to review processes to optimise efficiency and effectiveness.
She said the 2006 award was a surprise and "nice recognition for all the hard work".
"In terms of the award opening doors, I guess in some way it contributed to meeting up with [Infratil chief executive] Lloyd Morrison and consequently the shift."
The 31-year-old had a flair for and interest in maths and science at school and studied for a conjoint degree in bachelor of engineering and bachelor of commerce at Auckland University, where she majored in optimisation research, and economics and finance respectively.
In her final year of engineering, she did an individual project with Air NZ, looking at ways to optimise its long-haul flight schedule.
From there she started work with the airline team as a computer programmer focused on their crew rostering tools.
"It was a great way to learn a lot of detail about airline operations. In my teens, I had wanted to become a pilot and so it was fantastic to find myself in the industry that I was passionate about, just in a slightly different role."
Over five years ago she set off with her husband, Joshua, for Britain and through a colleague from Air NZ, was introduced to easyJet.
She carried on the rich heritage of New Zealanders in easyJet.
Ray Webster, one of the brains around easyJet soon after its launch in 1995 and its chief executive for a decade, was another product of Air New Zealand.
Arnold spent her first 10 months working as a business analyst in IT, mainly focused on integrating easyJet and newly merged Go-Fly's operations systems.
She then spent almost two years on new IT initiatives and working as a programme manager for a company-wide change programme supporting the delivery of a three-year strategy.
It was after this she moved into the role of general manager for the Bristol and Newcastle bases and then, in March last year to head easyJet's London Luton operation, which has been until recently the company's largest base.
The "first wave" flights are critical for point-to-point carriers and this has meant starts as early as 4am.
"There is a buzz first thing in the morning, watching 17 aircraft with orange tails departing, and knowing what goes into making it happen safely and on-time is quite phenomenal," she says.
One of easyJet's core competencies is to fly and crew planes - the rest, at most of its bases, is outsourced. This presents challenges for a complex organisation like an airline.
Anyone who has watched Airline, the reality TV show based around easyJet's operations, would know curve balls get thrown every day.
"I've had to deal with flooding, bomb scares, security changes and various technical problems," says Arnold.
The day Arnold reckons was most challenging was Thursday, August 10 last year when tough security restrictions were imposed after a plot to attack transatlantic airliners was discovered.
"We literally woke up to completely new rules. The increased threat level and potential risk made it one of the most unsettling times."
EasyJet cancelled most flights out of London for the day but was back on schedule by the following Monday.
Arnold will be on the other side of the airport equation when she starts work for Infratil Airports Europe on December 11.
The company owns Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Kent International Airport in Manston, and most recently 90 per cent of Lubeck Airport in Germany, and has said it has plans to buy more in Europe in the next three to five years.
She says her intimate, first-hand knowledge of what airlines want gives her a critical advantage.
"For me being on the other side at the moment is very much about bringing those service levels to life consistently."
HIGH FLYER: Carly Arnold, Age 31.
Education: St Cuthbert's College, Auckland University.
Present Job: GM of easyJet's Luton base.
New Job: GM performance, Infratil's European airports.
