BARB JOHNSTON, SENIOR
ASSOCIATE ACCOUNTS
MANAGER,
AIR CANADA CARGO
Barb Johnston’s career in cargo
began over thirty years ago,
as a cargo agent responsible
for cargo load planning and
customer service in Toronto
and then Calgary. “This quickly
evolved into station manager
for both airports and cargo at
a very remote community in
Northern Canada, which led
to a role responsible for global
processes and procedures and
quality for Canadian Airlines,”
Johnston explains. Since then,
she has been Cargo Security
Manager, and subsequently
Regulatory Affairs, with her
latest move taking her from
operations to commercial.
During her tenure, Johnston
recalls often having been one of
only a few women in the room,
although to a lesser extent
now than in previous years.
“However, it has never been
uncomfortable. I enjoy very
much working with all of those
I have had the opportunity
and pleasure to meet, and
have developed many strong,
supportive and collaborative
working relationships within Air
Canada, our industry, and from
all over the globe,” she says.
Johnston suggests a possible
reason for the notable absence
of women in the industry.
“Perhaps one of the challenges
of being a female in a maledominated
industry is the
constant requirement to feel
that you are contributing and
pulling your weight, but in the
end, seeing less experienced
or qualifi ed or effective male
colleagues promoted over more
experienced, qualifi ed and
effective women. It happens,”
she bemoans.
There’s no doubt in her
mind that air cargo would
benefi t from a more even mix.
“Diversity of any kind creates a more effective team, with different
experiences, perspectives, and suppositions to draw upon. But
really it is not about satisfying a formula, it is about assembling the
most qualifi ed, effective, and productive people, regardless of sex,
identity and race.”
While the industry has come a long way, there is still room to
grow, she notes. “Opportunities are there and there is absolute
willingness to support diversity, but improvements could be
made, such as the courage to promote women to decisionmaking
and team-leading roles,” she suggests. “I have actually
had women tell me they feel they have no future in cargo
because there are very few success stories. Promoting qualifi ed,
effective women will increase interest and attract other women to
this industry.”
For Johnston, opportunities have not been lacking. “I was
recently asked if I would be interested in joining the Commercial
Team after 30 years of being involved in the operational side of
the business. Being pulled away from my comfort zone was the
best professional move I have made in many years. Of course, I
am leveraging my operational expertise but at the same time, I am
now exposed to a whole new side of the business, which I have
been fi nding fascinating, challenging, invigorating, and rewarding.
I have been given an opportunity to prove myself all over again.”
She offers some advice for the industry at large: “To see women
not as weak but as sensitive, and that that is not a negative. There
are many different behavioural and management styles that can
be very effective. I stopped trying to manage like a man a long
time ago. I lead my teams as the best version of me, and that has
afforded me the ability to work in an industry that I am proud of,
where my contribution is strong, my teams have respected me,
and my integrity has been in check.”
Strong, effective women should not be seen as intimidating,
she concludes, “or an attempt to make a man any less a man. It is
not the case and it is not the intent.”
NUMBERS TALK
6%
of IATA’s 292
member companies
are run by female CEOs
12%
of CEOs in
industries
outside of
aviation are
female (versus
3% in aviation)
18
women held the title
of CEO, President or
Managing Director
at airlines around
the world as of 2018.
This fi gure remains
unchanged since 2010
(source: CAPA)
In December 2018,
Air France announced
Anne Rigail as its new
CEO. Rigail became
the fi rst woman
to lead the French
carrier, which was
formed in
1933
While a few regional
US airlines are run
by women,
NO
major US airlines
have ever
accommodated a
female CEO
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