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Mammen Tharakan, Director General of TIACA, accepted our interview with the sweetest note you could wish to receive: “Many thanks for reaching out with these questions that I enjoyed reflecting on, with that unmistakable FlyingTypers quality. Convey my appreciation also for their understanding as the first few weeks of stepping into the role have been wonderfully full and fast-moving. I still remember very fondly chatting with Sabiha at the KSIA suite during the last Miami ACF. It was such a warm conversation, and I am very much looking forward to seeing them in Miami in a few weeks. I am so grateful for what they do for the air cargo community.”
 After this ego-brushing introduction, let us not waste a minute to offer our readers the thoughts of the person who will lead TIACA for quite some time in future. We are witnessing a smooth transition from one exceptional individual, Glyn Hughes, (pictured here with Mammen), whose presence and advice we all have learnt to appreciate and treasure in these years, to another thoroughbred of aviation, who will have his first walkabout in Miami this week To put it mildly, our questions are slightly predictable in this connection, but there was no way to avoid it this time.
FT: What are the top priorities on your mind as you assume command at TIACA as DG?
MT: The mandate I received in my discussions with the Board was very clear . . . grow our membership, deepen the value we deliver to members, and strengthen TIACA’s visibility and profile globally. Those three things are closely connected. Growth comes from relevance and value. And if we are consistently representing our members’ interests and creating unique opportunities to connect, then visibility will also follow. With that in mind, my first few weeks have really been about connecting, listening and learning.
First and foremost, with the small but mighty TIACA Secretariat team (Rachael, Kenneth and Riley). They are the heart and soul of the association and ones who interact daily with our members. Also, of course with Glyn who has made himself very much available and supportive in our mutual goal of a seamless transition. Secondly, with our Chair and board members who are globally dispersed and very committed to our mandate. And additionally, with our many members in one-on-one conversations to understand what works, where we can help them with their priorities, and where the opportunities lie. It’s always been very important for me to have a strong, connected, motivated team internally, in order for us to deliver on our ambitions and mandate externally.
FT: Can you outline TIACA programs and your assessment of them in some detail . . . Blue Sky as example and some others? Please describe TIACA agenda near term and for the future.
MT: TIACA has a broad portfolio of programs and benefits for its members including of course BlueSky and many others like our global events, industry insights, awards and recognition programs, advocacy efforts and opportunities for knowledge-sharing across the community like the Training Library. It may be too early to provide a detailed assessment, but I come into this with an interesting perspective having experienced some of these programs as a member. I appreciate that TIACA has considered member feedback in the development of programs to be aligned with member business priorities and gaps. So I have seen their value not only from inside the association now, but from the perspective of someone engaging with TIACA as a stakeholder in the past. At the same time, one of the benefits of coming in with fresh eyes is the opportunity to revisit these with the lens of deepening the value, and ask some fairly simple questions like is this still aligned with what members need today? Is it delivering the value members expect? And is there opportunity to make it more relevant or more impactful? That fits with the agenda as mentioned previously of growing our membership base, deepening the program value for our members, and strengthening our profile globally. In the very near term, in addition to the activities discussed, the priority is the delivery of a successful Air Cargo Forum that is less than one week away.
FT: You have had a successful quarter plus century in logistics. What prompted your move to TIACA?
MT: I haven’t had it put that way before and that definitely makes me pause and think! Full disclosure however that although logistics has been a very long and important part of my career, not all of those years were solely in logistics. I’m truly grateful that I’ve had a career across technology, event production, infrastructure, aviation and logistics. As I look back, the idea of connection has been a constant thread through them all – or maybe I should say chain instead of thread in the spirit of supply chain references.
The air cargo industry in particular has given me so much in terms of friendship, learning, opportunities, experiences, exposure to different parts of the world and, frankly, a career I could never have mapped out when I started. At this stage, the opportunity to give something back was very appealing to me. I’ve always been driven and motivated by the idea of service. I see TIACA’s role and the DG role fundamentally as service roles. The association exists to serve the members and the broader industry community. That really appealed to me.
TIACA sits right in the middle, and right across this very diverse ecosystem of air cargo value chain players. It’s powerful to bring together airlines, airports, handlers, forwarders, sales agents, shippers, logistics and technology service providers, and many others, around the same table knowing that they will not always agree on everything, but there will always be areas of mutual alignment and understanding, and this is where progress happens. I’m a builder and connector by nature, and being a bridge between different stakeholders to lift them up, to create connections and to grow opportunities is something I enjoy. So in many ways, everything that TIACA represents feels very aligned with who I am and made the idea of moving here compelling.
Difficult to find a more accurate and complete description of the invaluable mission that TIACA members have selected for their association. TIACA is positively the only existing entity that does not limit itself to representing shippers, forwarders, ground handlers or airlines individually: it caters for all of these operators, trying to enhance the common interests with a view to improving the performance of the globally connected supply chains. We thought it was worth underlining this quite special feature for our readers’ attention.
Let us continue . . . we are getting ‘curiouser and curiouser’ . . .
FT: I know it’s been only a few days on the job, but . . . what surprised you as you moved to TIACA?
MT: There certainly have been some surprises, although all pleasant. First is the amount of goodwill and engagement around TIACA. Our community truly cares about the organization, and has views and ideas for the future, and are willing to invest time and energy to contribute. This is also true for our board members. Remember that these are industry veterans leading complex organizations of their own, yet they are remarkably engaged and generous with volunteering their time and perspective. The other is the commitment and passion of the Secretariat team. I am in awe of their impact. And given the timing of my joining with the Air Cargo Forum being less than 60 days away, I am seeing first-hand how much thought and attention goes into making sure this is not just another event, but an industry gathering that delivers value.
I welcome more of these surprises!
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FT: What motivates you, the fear of losing or the joy of winning?
MT: Interesting question, and to be honest, probably neither of those. I am not particularly fearful of losing, as I have had my healthy share of experiences where something did not work as planned, but the learnings from it inevitably led to a better decision or a different path.
At the same time, while I enjoy the thrill of winning as a team, I have never subscribed to a win-at-all-costs philosophy. Winning is only meaningful if you are building something worthwhile along the way. As mentioned, I’m a builder, and what motivates me is building . . . creating something better than what existed before, building people and teams up and seeing them grow, and helping others succeed. The opportunity to do that at the ecosystem level at TIACA is extremely motivating.
FT: Someone that has impacted your life in business for the better? Who was that and what happened?
MT: Gosh, there’s so many and I’m reluctant to name just one person. I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career to have had colleagues, bosses and mentors who helped shape me, challenged me and gave me opportunities that stretched me. I’m deeply grateful to all of them. If I think of what they all did that impacted me positively, it would be the generosity of their time, graciousness of extending connections and belief to push and challenge me. I never take that for granted. I also have to say that the people who have worked on my teams over the years have influenced me, just as much as the people I have worked for. I came to learn as a leader that one of the biggest privileges in business is being entrusted with the ability to positively influence someone else’s career and life - to open a door, create confidence, give someone an opportunity or help them see something in themselves they may not yet see.
Maybe one anecdote that has stayed with me was from the early 2000s, when I worked for KLM and was a load control officer at the time. I was told by my boss (Mr. Karan Deswal) that our KLM-Northwest Airlines (at the time) outstation in SFO needed a Station Manager to assume oversight of the operation. I remember being confused about the purpose of him sharing this information with me. He pushed me to accept the challenge which at the time was outside the realm of my comfort – to take over management and full pax/cargo handling of a U.S. station from a JV partner. As it turned out, I loved the assignment and especially as a 747 Combi station all the unique cargo we used to load. It also taught me that sometimes as a leader it’s your duty to see capability in someone else, before they may fully see it in themselves. Sometimes a single opportunity can change the direction of a career. I respect Karan immensely and I continue to stay in touch with him to this day. Beyond those I have known personally, many of my previous colleagues know how strongly I have been influenced by the explorer Ernest Shackleton’s story. What always resonated with me is that when circumstances made his original objective impossible, his team, and their safety, became the whole mission. There is so much to be learnt about resilience, remaining calm in adversity, maintaining confidence and hope, and never losing sight of your responsibility to the people entrusted to you. We are fortunate to be in an industry with incredible depth of experience and the leaders that have shaped this industry continue to be generous with their time. I’m seeing that spirit of generosity first-hand at TIACA with people opening doors, making introductions, offering advice and helping the next generation advance their careers and advance the sector.
Well, what can we say? In principle it is our job as journalists to receive the material, in particular interviews, and work on it to present the concepts in the best possible fashion to appeal to our readers. In this case our job is made unnecessary, because the replies are so rich and full of detail that we are transformed into readers of our own product . . . No way to stop us now!
FT: What do you want people in air cargo to know about you?
MT: Another interesting question. Perhaps the main thing I would want people to know is that I’m genuinely curious. I ask a lot of questions, listen carefully and enjoy understanding how things work – particularly in air cargo, where even a seemingly simple challenge can look very different depending on where you sit in the value chain. My own path through aviation and logistics has been quite varied. I started in operations, loading trucks and building cargo, and also worked in baggage, ticketing, crew scheduling, load control and flight dispatch coordination. Over time, I moved into commercial development, strategy, and partnerships. I’ve also had the opportunity to work across different markets and cultures. That experience has given me a real appreciation for how interconnected our industry is and for the contribution of every stakeholder, and the people within it. It has also taught me to respect the knowledge of the people closest to the operation and customer. Outside of that, I’ve pursued a few things that may surprise people, including high-angle rescue and sound engineering. Those experiences may seem unrelated, but they also required teamwork and an understanding that every role matters. I certainly don’t pretend to have all the answers. What I bring is an open mind with a genuine interest in connecting with people, learning from those who understand something better than I do and working together to help move the industry forward.
FT: What can people expect in Miami ACF? How will you gin up the excitement?
MT: TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum (ACF) really has all the right elements for the perfect global industry forum: the people, the content and the energy (and Miami Beach is a welcome backdrop as well!). The team has put a lot of effort into enhancements that reflect attendee feedback. For example, what stands out consistently in the post-event surveys is how highly people value the networking and connection opportunities that are unique to the TIACA ACF. So we have really leaned into that. Yes, there is the engaging content and displays expected in the core exhibition and plenary sessions. But around that, the team has created a series of opportunities for people to connect in different ways – tradeshow floor, meeting zones, golf, pickle ball, yoga, the Cargo Crawl, the Closing Reception, and plenty of informal moments in between. We have been active on social channels, via email, and through our media partners to amplify and intensify the communication efforts in the eight weeks remaining. We have seeing tremendous interest from airlines and forwarders, and the exhibition floor was filling up fast. I’m keen to see the many new innovations from new technology exhibitors in security, automation and others. We have many first-time attendees joining the seasoned ACF crowd, which is also exciting. What has impressed me enormously is the amount of thought, creativity and effort the TIACA team has put into making ACF an experience rather than simply an event.
So when you see any of the TIACA team around at the show, give them a high-five – they’ve earned it!
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FT: Let’s get to some slightly more curious questions, if you allow us. Why should someone move into air cargo? What do you feel are the main long term reasons that a career-minded individual chooses logistics?
MT: I am very passionate about this because I think this is an extraordinary industry in which to build a career – the words that come to mind are dynamic, global, technical, complex, people-centric, fulfilling, it’s constantly evolving and it’s connected to people and lives across the world. But most of all, it’s about impact. This is the business of improving lives. The work we do strengthens economies, enhances livelihoods and raises communities. It’s relevant in so much of modern life . . . whether it’s moving medicines, flowers, food, cash, jewelry, including the laptops or smartphones you’re likely reading this on. I’ve never been fond of the career ladder concept; I think a career is much more like a climbing wall. Sometimes you move up, sometimes sideways, and occasionally you move down to find a better route forward. Logistics is perfectly suited to that style of career growth. Our industry has logisticians, engineers, product developers, operations specialists, event planners, sales leaders, marketers, journalists, technologists, warehouse professionals, data scientists and so many more! I think you could spend an entire career in this industry and still keep discovering new parts of it!
And then there’s . . . the people. Air cargo has a remarkably strong sense of community. Relationships matter, people stay connected, and there is a real willingness to share experience and help one another. That is one of the great things about air cargo: there are so many different ways to build a meaningful career, and around wonderful people.
FT: What does the organization have to offer next generations and beyond?
MT: One of the things I really value about TIACA is how often we have given people an early opportunity to get involved, that has become the start of a rewarding career. TIACA’s events are a wonderful platform where someone early in their career gets seen, gets connected and gets a chance to contribute. We offer free entrance to young professionals and students, have a dedicated student day at ACF, and are actively promoting this in our university outreach. We are also introducing a Future Thinkers section to the website where we showcase academic achievers. It continues with our award programs that recognize next generation leaders, as well as one for inspirational leaders judged exclusively by a jury comprised of young professionals. Additionally, the training library offered by TIACA is an excellent resource of knowledge to continue building capacity and developing skills.
This is also one of the areas where I am truly grateful for the support of our trade media. Many of the journalists and publications covering air cargo have helped introduce new voices, profile emerging professionals and give people visibility early in their careers. FlyingTypers has a long history of doing just that and the archives are full of “next generation” leaders of their times.
I am confident that TIACA will continue to be a place where young people are given a chance to be successful in this industry, and we will continue to support global initiatives that promote this value.
FT: Please describe TIACA agenda near term and for the future.
MT: Over and above what I talked about already, ultimately, the aspiration is for TIACA to be a truly global convenor of the entire air cargo value chain, and as a voice for the air cargo industry focused on the future.
FT: We are getting there . . . Where do you reside? How do you relax?
MT: I’ve recently moved back to Toronto, Canada after a very rewarding and impactful chapter in Saudi Arabia, so I’m reconnecting with family and friends as much as possible. Being in the same time zone as the office in Miami certainly makes team coordination much easier.
Relaxing in the conventional sense is not on the agenda for the near term, as my family has recently welcomed a newborn. The best way for me to switch off is when I have the joy of playing with my kids – even if that means getting climbed on, getting wrestled with, or endless baby rocking.
I enjoy my morning coffee, and when I travel, one of my favorite rituals is finding a local café. It’s a simple way to reset, connect to where I am and take in the place, surrounded by locals.
Oh, boy, what a journey! After a long and winding road, with a lot of work done finding the comfort of coming back home for baby rocking and reconnecting with your inner self and family is probably best portrayed in a very, very famous Beatles’ song. Guess which one!
Geoffrey Arend/Edited By Marco Sorgetti |
Vol. 25 No. 44
Vol. 25 No. 45
Vol. 25 No. 46
“Florida International University (FIU) has a highly ranked and robust logistics and supply chain teaching program, which includes specialized training and experiential learning in air cargo operations, said Dr. Gregory Maloney, Faculty Advisor & PayCargo Program Director at FIU.
“The TIACA Air Cargo Forum provides students with an opportunity to engage directly with airline executives, freight forwarders, airport operators, technology providers, government representatives, and other industry professionals. These interactions help bridge the gap between academic education and the practical realities of international commerce.
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