I… I… I’m speechless. Suffice it to say that a certain airline executive probably isn’t having a great Monday, as flagged by View from the Wing.
In this post:
Airline executive calls out other airline executive
Willy Boulter, who is the former Chief Commercial at IndiGo, just took to LinkedIn to share a post exposing another airline executive. Let me just share the main part of the post, because this is quite something:
It seems a certain Chief Officer at a Middle East airline has created (or had another person create for him) a false LI identity to promote his reputation and gather information in a rather, shall we say, underhand way. The fraudulent profile is one “Ivander Sebastien” (already “outed” by another savvy colleague of ours) and has been used to engage me and others in the industry about our career aspirations and similar subjects. To me, he even offered to “speak” saying “Let us chat one of these days” – but somehow he ignored the number I sent him and didn’t reply for eight months, unsurprisingly I learn now, since poor Ivander is of course just a rag doll in the mind of his master. He also suggested to me a non-existent job opening (at the airline he was supposedly working for), and, of course, as Ivander, he has himself held a number of non-existent jobs at real airlines (who probably won’t be too happy about being misrepresented). Do have a look at his profile before Ivander is suddenly taken away from us, if he hasn’t already been as a result of our clever colleague’s post earlier today.
Actually this Ivander character has only one reliable feature – that he frequently and consistently mentions what a wonderful job his creator is doing: indeed, the fact that Ivander has been a LI premium member surely shows how much his creator values the puppet, and to what lengths the creator will go to embellish his immaculate image on LI – although some of his real direct reports might beg to differ with Ivander’s judgement!
Too bad both Ivander and his creator seemingly aren’t too smart. Perhaps the creator’s real job should become non-existent as a result of this astonishingly manipulative behavior, which, in my view, beggars belief, sets an awful example to younger colleagues and damages the reputation of the industry. What do others think?
(btw “Ivander” once suggested in a post that I should retire, some of my followers may recall, in a rather rude, disrespectful and cack-handed comment. Well, I guess it is unfortunate for him and his creator that I haven’t !)
Someone responds to this post with the following:
It’s interesting that Ivander’s LinkedIn comments focus on particular airlines.
Of course there’s lots about Etihad, for example: “Amazing to see the turnaround. Etihad was an airline for 18 years that made losses with teams that did not know what they were doing. It is really incredible to see what has been done over the past 2 years.”
But also positive things about TAP: “I think this shows the visionary work of the previous management team ordering 321LR’s and connecting Africa with North America; Europe with Americas.”
Positive things about Aeromexico: “Congratulations Andres Conesa. You are one of the best airline CEO’s out there.”
Less positive things about WestJet: “Real change? It’s an airline that clearly has no sense of identity or strategy. Didn’t they say a season back to cancel all flights and just focus on Calgary? Now back to doing things it did before. Directionless!!!”
And less positive things about AirAsia: “But Paul Carroll, how much of these are real numbers? I mean, there is a history of Air Asia making up numbers :).”
I wonder if there’s anyone out there who’s worked at Etihad, TAP, Aeromexico, WestJet and AirAsia?
Clearly it’s suggested that the person behind this is Etihad’s Chief Revenue Officer. To quote the announcement from when he was appointed to his current position in early 2023:
He has previously held leading positions at WestJet, Air Asia, Aeroméxico, and most recently, TAP Air Portugal, where he was the Chief Revenue & Network Officer.
I’m disappointed by “Ivander Sebastien”
I’ve often said how I think Etihad’s current management team is really smart. They’ve done an amazing job turning the airline around positively, with sustainable growth.
But now I’m disappointed. Of course I’m disappointed that someone lie, and create a fake profile in this way. But frankly I’m almost more disappointed at the level of stupidity exhibited here. Like, if you’re going to set up a fake account, at least do a good job with it.
First of all, “Ivander Sebastien” claimed to be the “Chief Customer & Experience Officer at Ethiopian Airlines,” when there’s absolutely no record of that. You’re really going to set up a fake profile, when it’s so easy to verify that this isn’t true?
Then while reportedly working at Ethiopian Airlines, posts from “Ivander Sebastien” were mainly about how amazing Etihad is, and in particular, how amazing Etihad’s Chief Revenue Officer is. Some of his comments included the following:
- “Amazing to see the turnaround. Etihad was an airline for 18 years that made losses with teams that did not know what they were doing. It is really incredible to see what has been done over the past 2 years.”
- “Arik, I love the marketing materials coming from @Etihad since you have taken over brand and marketing. Your love for destinations and routes is very clear. I like this new direction.”
- “Well done. Looking good Arik De.”
- “This is smart. Seems Etihad has really learned from the past. I love how innovative this management team is being.”
- “Well done Arik De. So many good things being done at Etihad these days.”
- “This is one of the most impressive things I have seen. Arik De, you are really building a great legacy.”
- “After being asleep, I am amazed to see the number of new things Etihad has been doing over the past few months with new management team. Congratulations Arik De and team.”
Then there are all kinds of posts from “Ivander Sebastien” putting down other airlines and executives, while praising airlines he has otherwise recently worked at, and even praising the previous management teams.
Now, let me of course acknowledge that we don’t know for sure if Etihad’s Chief Revenue Officer directly ran this account, if he had someone else do it on his behalf, or what. Regardless, “Ivander Sebastien” did a terrible job covering his tracks, or creating a believable storyline. And at the same time, if this was outsourced to someone, it was clearly someone who understood the industry very well.
Bottom line
A former IndiGo executive is accusing an executive at a Middle Eastern airline of creating a fake LinkedIn profile to promote himself and put down others. It’s pretty clear that this is referring to Etihad’s Chief Revenue Officer, given that this fake account spent a lot of time talking about how great he is (and how he’s “looking good”), and also focusing heavily on the airlines he used to work for.
This is incredibly disappointing. Etihad’s management team has been doing a great job, so I don’t know what would cause an executive to decide that this is how they should spend their time…
What do you make of this situation?
Day 8 since this news broke and still 0 communication or clarification from the big man himself nor HR. To be honest, this behaviour/outcome was already anticipated because Etihad has changed into a place where this person easily manipulates hiring and dismissals because he has got good backing in the company. There aren’t anyone that questions or asks about this matter because everyone is afraid to be fired or bullied to leave. There has been...
Day 8 since this news broke and still 0 communication or clarification from the big man himself nor HR. To be honest, this behaviour/outcome was already anticipated because Etihad has changed into a place where this person easily manipulates hiring and dismissals because he has got good backing in the company. There aren’t anyone that questions or asks about this matter because everyone is afraid to be fired or bullied to leave. There has been many instances where good people were made to leave because they spoke up against this man. Employees are constantly being told to be grateful to even have a job. This is the kind of fear they instil. An advice if you’re considering to join this company, RUN.
This person is up to their old tricks, manipulating those who are most easily influenced. Promoting 'yes men' with no experience into senior roles. Check out the carefully curated comments on this person's posts from their own team! They are hand-picked to be half smart. Smart enough to do the job but not smart enough to challenge this person or see what is actually happening. And yet so self absorbed and wrapped up in their...
This person is up to their old tricks, manipulating those who are most easily influenced. Promoting 'yes men' with no experience into senior roles. Check out the carefully curated comments on this person's posts from their own team! They are hand-picked to be half smart. Smart enough to do the job but not smart enough to challenge this person or see what is actually happening. And yet so self absorbed and wrapped up in their own careers that they don't understand the huge mistake they are making by connecting themselves to this person...
I’m in a difficult position now, as my reputation is ruined and I’m the laughing stock of the entire industry, so I can’t leave Etihad as I’ve got no career path anymore.
I plan to keep suppressing you little people to feed my rampant ego.
Truthfully, I feel threatened by anyone who is more capable than me, or has more passports, so I’m going to keep getting rid of those people quickly. I’ve...
I’m in a difficult position now, as my reputation is ruined and I’m the laughing stock of the entire industry, so I can’t leave Etihad as I’ve got no career path anymore.
I plan to keep suppressing you little people to feed my rampant ego.
Truthfully, I feel threatened by anyone who is more capable than me, or has more passports, so I’m going to keep getting rid of those people quickly. I’ve got all my VP and SVP minions ready to analyse the next (non) anonymous HR surveys and work out who dared answer honestly, so I can fire them asap :)
Ivander
Arik Kumar De has no leadership and no management skills. Staff turnover ratio was the highest after he joined, staff were bullied. He promoted a fear and blame culture in Revenue Management. It is a shame that Etihad Airlines is a joke now because of such a person. Etihad lost lots of talents and great staff because Mr. Kumar De wanted to bring his people, giving them senior positions although they were not qualified. He...
Arik Kumar De has no leadership and no management skills. Staff turnover ratio was the highest after he joined, staff were bullied. He promoted a fear and blame culture in Revenue Management. It is a shame that Etihad Airlines is a joke now because of such a person. Etihad lost lots of talents and great staff because Mr. Kumar De wanted to bring his people, giving them senior positions although they were not qualified. He bypassed HR promotion policies by promoting Himself and His staff when they still were on probation!!!! Maybe it is time for the board of directors to further investigate the mockery of this guys work and take necessary actions on him and on all whom supported him including HR..shame !!
... make it simple,
ETIHAD was never an airline that you should trust!
No matter what level or operation at the airline, even all the former CEO's, or executives, they all were a lot less, then they pretended to be.
Starting with a former TriStar/A330 captain from LTU, to training pilots and lastly the ones who tried to buy out other airlines, but failed so badly, simply because they had NO knowledge...
... make it simple,
ETIHAD was never an airline that you should trust!
No matter what level or operation at the airline, even all the former CEO's, or executives, they all were a lot less, then they pretended to be.
Starting with a former TriStar/A330 captain from LTU, to training pilots and lastly the ones who tried to buy out other airlines, but failed so badly, simply because they had NO knowledge of how that business is done.
Most were put in place, simply by recommendation or how they presented themselves, no checks done and it always had to be done FAST at Etihad.
We all know, were this went.
So to say it in an easy but maybe sketchy way, NEVER trust Etihad in the things they say.
Where is Sean M. when you need him?? :)
And here is the man who spoke about integrity at his first town hall, a moment I distinctly remember from his introduction to the entire team. He boasted about being a superstar in the US presidential election campaign and mentioned his time at the World Bank, claiming he left because he couldn't deal with the numerous subpar individuals there. Now I realize that everything he said was a complete lie.
How incredibly embarrassing for Etihad and for the CEO.
Mr. Top Etihad Executive Accused of Faking LinkedIn Profile: A Reflection
If you are reading this - and I am sure you will - do yourself a favour and Google "Narcissistic Personality Disorder". It might provide you with some much-needed insight. I've noticed that a few colleagues on LinkedIn believe this case is worthy of a study. Perhaps after reading this note, you should review those posts as well.
Beyond this, I have one recommendation...
Mr. Top Etihad Executive Accused of Faking LinkedIn Profile: A Reflection
If you are reading this - and I am sure you will - do yourself a favour and Google "Narcissistic Personality Disorder". It might provide you with some much-needed insight. I've noticed that a few colleagues on LinkedIn believe this case is worthy of a study. Perhaps after reading this note, you should review those posts as well.
Beyond this, I have one recommendation for you (take it or leave it): request a few days off and book a hotel room in an isolated place, like a mountain or a beach, preferably somewhere without internet connection. Use this time to reflect on who you are and the image you've been building throughout your career. From the perspective of many, you are undeniably famous, but unfortunately, not for the right reasons. Take a moment to consider all the actions you've taken and the high costs at which you've delivered results. Think about all the professionals who have been negatively impacted because of you, the countless nights and conversations dominated by discussions about you. These talks take place at bedtime, over dinner, through texts, in the kitchen, in the living room, while waiting for meetings, or connecting to Teams calls. How many social and personal events have you interrupted because of your actions? At the end of the day, I believe it's a poor investment.
I have a few questions: How old are you? Why did you think it was appropriate to create a false account at your level in life? To praise yourself? Why do you crave this self-validation that centres on you? What do you seek from this? A Nobel prize? An Oscar? Maybe an airline? I genuinely want to understand.
Fortunately, there are limits. Thankfully, you are not running a hospital, negotiating peace talks, or leading a larger organization with a greater social impact. In five years or whenever it may be, you will leave Etihad, and life will go on. Planes will take off with or without you. People will remember you, but as an example of what not to do. I sincerely hope your HR team at Etihad recognises the help you need and sees a success story in you (once you change, of course).
In the meantime, seek solace in the one thing that might still be loyal to you: your dog. (Perhaps your close family, but I am not certain about that either.)
With my best regards,
A former colleague from the company you work for, who witnessed my boss, my mentor, suffer the consequences because of you.
Nicely put.
It never ends well for bullies.
I'm not sure why there are so many negative comments about Arik.
He is extraordinarily talented and the brightest person in the entire aviation industry.
He alone delivered the profits for EY and it has nothing to do with increased demand or jacking up prices.
Instead of the negative comments, he obviously deserves a massive bonus, pay rise, and other airlines should look to hire him as CEO.
Someone should ask Arik De how his business cases for Air Asia X for KUL-MCT, KUL-IKA, KUL-MRU, BKK-MCT and BKK-IKA in 2016 turned out and why after just 4-5 months they were all shut down! He is nothing more than a big talker and a BS master of the highest order.
current employees and staff just get in touch with former ones... to check the stories of constant abuse and bullying...
in fact, we should all join a group in social media (reclused), or reach out somehow, because the stories are so many... a sort of #metoo. I'm really serious.. that kind of abuse, somehow you only see it when you see the stories shared, and other people who suffered it. I did... we all...
current employees and staff just get in touch with former ones... to check the stories of constant abuse and bullying...
in fact, we should all join a group in social media (reclused), or reach out somehow, because the stories are so many... a sort of #metoo. I'm really serious.. that kind of abuse, somehow you only see it when you see the stories shared, and other people who suffered it. I did... we all did. was absolutely horrible. He will forever be in my worst stories told of work bullying, of not sleeping, of anxiety..
he leaves a trace of destruction...
so glad to see this guy exposed...
The new routes at Etihad, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, St Petersburg also had terrible LFs for the first months, and I suspect they still do. Truthfully the least talented executive I've ever met, with the lowest EQ.
Anyone interested in sharing their stories of being bullied, harassed, humiliated by the tyrant A De can reach out to Luca Zocche on LI.
He (the CRO at EY) is one of the most knowledgeable industry professionals I’ve ever met. However, he is absolutely insufferable. The first thing he will tell you when you meet him is that he holds passports from five different countries and that he has visited all the countries registered with an Olympic committee.
When he used to work with me, he would insist that you leave a positive comment about him on LinkedIn. He...
He (the CRO at EY) is one of the most knowledgeable industry professionals I’ve ever met. However, he is absolutely insufferable. The first thing he will tell you when you meet him is that he holds passports from five different countries and that he has visited all the countries registered with an Olympic committee.
When he used to work with me, he would insist that you leave a positive comment about him on LinkedIn. He is always saying things like “a lot of people are asking me…” and “many people reach out to me…” I wonder who all these people are and where they are queuing up for his advice?
He is invasive on many levels and appears to be quite lonely. He loves gossiping, having lunch with people he can take advantage of, and gathering information to maneuver himself around. Humility is not in his DNA; he is always bragging about himself and his career. I wonder, if he is such an aviation guru, where are the books he has written?
He is quite narcissistic and will always offer unsolicited advice on your personal career. Good luck if you are a young, good-looking man in your mid-20s.
He claims that every respectable airline on Earth has offered him a job and says, “people discuss me in aviation forums.” The truth is he was fired from TP and AM, and I don’t really know how he is managing his personal life at EY.
How do I know he has impersonated someone on a fake LinkedIn profile? Whenever he wants to be sarcastic and prove a point arrogantly, he finishes his texts with either of these two emojis: “:) ;)”
Gotcha.
What a poor soul.
Amusing on the topic of "young, good-looking man in your mid-20s". I also noticed favouritism towards those types... I wonder why!
Which is totally ok if that is his preference. Who are we to judge on this part? But odd to hit up on a professional setting young good-looking men in their mid-20's full of dreams and own expectations on climbing the corporate ladder, inviting them for weekend trips, telling them that with his advise they could be the next most brilliant CEO in the industry. Saying them that thank to him they are what they...
Which is totally ok if that is his preference. Who are we to judge on this part? But odd to hit up on a professional setting young good-looking men in their mid-20's full of dreams and own expectations on climbing the corporate ladder, inviting them for weekend trips, telling them that with his advise they could be the next most brilliant CEO in the industry. Saying them that thank to him they are what they are. At the end he goes to his office and looks at them from the distance trying to have something from them he can't have. He will investigate with other sources about those good-looking young men and will talk bad about them in front of others. Trying to put them on a lower level. Because they are not him.
That's why he stayed and made people stay long hours at night presenting decks with his own format. That's what he is fed by.
Why is this important and why I am taking my time to talk about this subject? Because it is good to let it go, it's healthy to ventilate all that stress. I am glad that I learned how to stand up for me and never but never tolerate people like this in your life. It's literally a new me too in the corportate word.
I've noticed his multiple fake accounts have been commenting on anything Etihad related on OMAAT recently... whatever it takes to validate his insecure self.
Commercial Aviation relies on open and honest communication to ensure the safety and security of the operation.
We take all the risk of flying 000s of passengers higher than Mount Everest at 1000km/h across Planet Earth.
If you don't share factual technical information you shouldn't be working in aviation.
By that criterion alone, Person X is not fit to work in the industry
I have a hard time believing a senior exec at Etihad who has got several promotions spent time creating all this. I also find it equally intriguing that a senior exec at Indigo who worked at Etihad is creating this social media storm. Agree with many. Is there any real airline news?
Hi Arik :) you know exactly what you did.
You're still finding time to create new profiles?!
I am so glad people is finally letting him know the piece of garbage this guy is.
"Has got several promotions..." It is always about him and his career. How fast he has grown in X, Y or Z. You can easily identify him when he is behind any of these posts.
He barely sleeps, he has a lot of time to go over Instagram and see and criticize all those elements that he can't have because he is trapped in this horrible human being he is.
yes,,, and is indeed very vindictive towards previous employers... even using professional means to it... we saw it. he did it. using his position and the company to "pay back time" to former employers/companies he disliked and hold a grudge on.
This is so TMZ. Is there any airline news today? Any actual airline news, that is?
Fraudulent profiles, online narcissism, bullying executive - is too minor to report, in your view? Any Exec behaving this unethically deserves to be in the headlines.
I wonder how HR people don’t do background checks.
Arik’s main aims in Etihad are to self promote and to belittle others.
I have sat in multiple meetings where his management philosophy is to attempt to humiliate me or other Directors. He regularly invited random RevMan team members in and get them to join his criticism on e.g. images or videos. His OCD is routinely on display - some team members spend 12h a day on Ppts because he won’t look at a...
Arik’s main aims in Etihad are to self promote and to belittle others.
I have sat in multiple meetings where his management philosophy is to attempt to humiliate me or other Directors. He regularly invited random RevMan team members in and get them to join his criticism on e.g. images or videos. His OCD is routinely on display - some team members spend 12h a day on Ppts because he won’t look at a slide, even on internal decks if the title isn’t aligned
He WhatsApps nightly until 1am, and then again on Saturdays and Sundays - clearly zero life outside work. He invented stories about the CEO roles he’d been offered at major European carriers, and claimed to have turned them down because ‘they are too white’. He also puts late night meetings just to test people’s commitment, and invents so much bs work just to keep people in the office until late. Bullied as a child and now in a position of power, a bully.
Regretfully the CEO of Etihad isn’t much smarter; he worked for McKinsey, did you know? (He tells you twice per meeting) and likely won’t have the backbone to get rid of the bully and Chief Micromanagement Officer.
absolutely true - this is his Modus Operandi..
If I were Machiavellian, I would say someone might be trying to give the impression this CRO is behind the fraudulent account to actually discredit him... and let social media do the rest.
Back to travel.
republicans and diaper donnie must be trying to collect royalties for this person's copycat approach to self-promotion.
Sounds just like how they run their football team lol.
If I wanted to read recycled View from the Clickbait content, I would read View from the Clickbait.
Or Live and Lets Clickbait?
I know and have worked and socialised with the individual named in the fake LI profile. My impression: pure BS and it does not surprise me in the least that he would resort to stuff like this. Notice how often he changes jobs so after the initial gloss wears off you are left with the pure unadulterated fact that he used the old "bullshit baffles brains" principle to advance his career. 10 minutes with him...
I know and have worked and socialised with the individual named in the fake LI profile. My impression: pure BS and it does not surprise me in the least that he would resort to stuff like this. Notice how often he changes jobs so after the initial gloss wears off you are left with the pure unadulterated fact that he used the old "bullshit baffles brains" principle to advance his career. 10 minutes with him and you start looking for your Wellies to prevent your feet getting covered with effluent.
He deserves a raise and a promotion. Perhaps he can take over Boeing or maybe he will be Trump’s VP running mate. He’s a winner! He has my vote!
Can’t wait for AI to come so we have far more credible scams
Ivander has an incredible resume. Starting at Czech Airlines during the Cold war, and still looking very crisp for someone who must be in his late 60s.
Sigh. Gossip threads one after another today. @Lucky how about those full Swiss reviews instead of all this fluff?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivander-sebastien-93267a149/recent-activity/comments/
This does not surprise me, I worked with Arik at an airline and he was all about self praise. As soon as the bosses figured him out, he was gone. He was a case of Catch Me If You Can. We all knew it would catch up to him soon.
Ivander is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivander-sebastien-93267a149/recent-activity/comments/
Tim Dunn is a slightly better disguised fake account of Ed Bastian than Sabastien Ivander is of Arik De.
I just find LinkedIn way over the top. I seldom ever go on there. I've had a past employer who tried to make all of us in leadership put one of a few certain banners there, mandate we post X number of times a week with great stuff our departments/stations were doing, etc. I refused to participate. As I told my boss (who was in complete agreement with me!), I only update LinkedIn when I'm...
I just find LinkedIn way over the top. I seldom ever go on there. I've had a past employer who tried to make all of us in leadership put one of a few certain banners there, mandate we post X number of times a week with great stuff our departments/stations were doing, etc. I refused to participate. As I told my boss (who was in complete agreement with me!), I only update LinkedIn when I'm applying for jobs.
So much on there is just blowing smoke. See and be seen "Oh what outstanding forward speak insert business jargon BS here you've brought to this role! Such an inspiring leader!"
It's also, in many ways, become another social media toxic dumpster fire. Like, if we want to be depressed, we'll just look at Facebook.
The prevailing culture is weird to me - it seems that only positive thing are considered acceptable.
Etihad has been marketing to bloggers well. This I will grant you. I flee them Ord to Auh and it was borderline mediocre. Food was abysmal. Wines were not loaded per the menu and they offered red or white. Ha! And the pajamas? Nowhere to be seen. The lounge in auh is mediocre - with a buffet - sneezing passengers and loud voices “ chefs”. Please. It is a below par airline - do t...
Etihad has been marketing to bloggers well. This I will grant you. I flee them Ord to Auh and it was borderline mediocre. Food was abysmal. Wines were not loaded per the menu and they offered red or white. Ha! And the pajamas? Nowhere to be seen. The lounge in auh is mediocre - with a buffet - sneezing passengers and loud voices “ chefs”. Please. It is a below par airline - do t go for the hype created by the bloggers - or at least they should label paid promotion ( or awards that open up!). lol
Tim Dunn, is that you?
Everybody involved in this sounds absolutely insufferable. They also have way too much time on their hands
This especially. An executive at that level should not have this much time on their hands whether doing it directly or using their resources to direct someone else to do it.
Also the dangerous type of insecurity that leads to publicly overconfident executives who privately are extremely unsure of themselves, which can lead to disastrous actions, not reacting productively to feedback (from the market or their teams), etc.
He is an incorrigible narcissist. He can't help it. All insecurity inside - everything eles is trying to compensate.
Having a narcissistic boss is really unforgettably bad.
I think the user of the fake LI account (whoever it is) is the person who is insufferable - nothing wrong with Boulter calling out unacceptable behaviour and simply putting the information out there.