By Rajesh Kurup

Tata Sons is in a hurry to find a head for Air India after former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci declined the offer. Unlike in the case of Tata Motors, which is being run by an executive committee, a global hunt for a CEO for Air India has already begun, while the company also evaluates internal candidates for the post.

Tata Sons, the holding company for all group firms, has asked management consulting and executive search firm Egon Zehnder and other head-hunters to find a replacement quickly, sources close to the development said.

Egon Zehnder was involved in the search that had led to Ayci being finalised as CEO.

“There is an urgent need to appoint a CEO for Air India as many issues regarding the divestment are to be ironed out. With Tatas looking to turn Air India profitable, it needs to urgently appoint pilots and upgrade the existing fleet of aircraft and chart maps for its co-existence with the group’s other aviation ventures,” one source said.

India’s largest business conglomerate was named the winning bidder for the ailing Air India in October 2021, after Tata Sons, through its wholly-owned unit Talace, submitted a bid of Rs 18,000 crore.

On Tuesday Ayci, hailed for turning around Turkish Airlines, declined Tata Group’s offer to be Air India’s CEO and managing director, citing an “undesirable” narrative by a section of media. Ayci is close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is believed to be close to Pakistan.

No CEO for Tata Motors yet

On the contrary, Tata Sons is yet to appoint a CEO for Tata Motors. The automaker’s German CEO and managing director Guenter Karl Butschek stepped down from the post on June 30, 2021, but decided to continue as consultant till the end of the financial year.

A six-member executive committee reporting to Tata Sons’ chairman N Chandrasekaran has been managing the company for the past eight months. It includes group chief financial officer PB Balaji; president (commercial vehicles business unit) Girish Wagh; president (passenger vehicles business unit) Shailesh Chandra; president and chief technology officer Rajendra Petkar; Tata Motors’ president and chief purchasing officer Thomas Flack; and president and chief human resources officer Ravindra Kumar GP.

Chandrasekaran is also involved in Tata Motors’ operations and business.