airBaltic Launches the Fifth Season of its Leadership Academy – ALFA
airBaltic.com | 2024.09.26
The Latvian national airline airBaltic has celebrated the launch of the fifth season of its internal leadership program, airBaltic Leaders for Future (ALFA), which has now evolved into a broader studies structure – airBaltic Leadership Academy. Driven by the job market dynamics, this year's event focused on leadership in the era of AI and big data. Joined by professionals of other local and international companies, who shared their experience and insights, the event was organized for airBaltic employees – program participants, trainers, and internal coaches, bringing together more than 200 guests.
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Alīna Aronberga, SVP Human Resources at airBaltic: “The ALFA program has become a cornerstone of our culture at airBaltic, fostering continuous learning, knowledge-sharing, and personal growth. As we celebrate the program's fifth year and its transformation into the airBaltic Leadership Academy, we are thrilled to engage in meaningful exchanges of ideas and experiences with our employees and guests. Through this initiative, airBaltic is deeply committed to investing in its people, upskilling our current leaders for an ever-evolving business environment, while also equipping the next generation with the skills and confidence to face future challenges.
The event was also complimented by the presence of high-profile international guest speakers. Jane Hoskisson, Director of Talent, Learning, Engagement & Diversity at IATA, infused the occasion with her vast global experience in human resources and leadership development. Her thought-provoking insights, drawn from her extensive expertise in the aviation sector and beyond, resonated deeply with attendees. On the other hand, Michael Bell, Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry, captivated the audience with an in-depth discussion on how airlines are transforming their leadership models to leverage the full potential of AI and data analytics, offering cross-industry lessons that inspired innovative thinking.
Moreover, local professionals, such as Arvils Kupris, Director of Product and Innovation at Tele2 and a member of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Latvia shared insights on AI's role in driving innovation and business transformation, but Dainis Bērziņš, Chief Information Officer at airBaltic, discussed the benefits of digitalization in aviation, drawing from his leadership experience at Rimi Baltic and Swedbank. Furthermore, Agnis Jakubovičs, founder of APPLY, highlighted how AI and computer vision can enhance innovation and efficiency across industries. Also, Ilze Medne, HR Podcast host and leadership coach, outlined the top three skills leaders need to thrive in the AI era, and Pauls Jansons, Director of AI Development at TET, offered strategies for integrating AI into company operations to drive innovation and business value.
A dedicated panel discussion, featuring Kupris, Bērziņš, and Jakubovičs, explored AI’s impact on leadership, the challenges of large-scale integration, and AI-driven decision-making.
airBaltic Leadership Academy is a tailor-made internal airBaltic learning and development program, created to enable the airline employees to sharpen their skills and talents in order to reach their career goals and contribute to the future success of the company. Since its establishment in October 2020, the program has grown significantly. This year, a new group of 32 participants has joined, including 22 new managers and 10 high-potential employees. In total, the leadership program now includes 252 students, of which 195 are managers and 57 are high-potential employees, identified through a rigorous internal assessment process.
A team of 27 internal trainers and external experts, along with nine certified internal coaches and two team coaches, supports the program. This year also sees the first group of 70 students entering their final year of the four-and-a-half-year leadership journey.
airBaltic operates more than 130 routes from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere and, seasonally, Gran Canaria, offering connections to a wide range of destinations in the airline's route network in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region. A complete schedule of airBaltic flights and tickets are available on the company's homepage at www.airbaltic.com