<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published March 20, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>SIA's Stephen Forshaw leaving for Microsoft
Seasoned aviation journalist Nicholas Ionides succeeding him as spokesman
By VEN SREENIVASAN
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STEPHEN Forshaw, the outspoken communications chief at Singapore Airlines is leaving the company, and will be replaced by seasoned aviation journalist, Nicholas Ionides.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>Old voice, new voice: Mr Forshaw (above) and Mr Ionides (next). Mr Forshaw, an Australian, says his most memorable moments at SIA were his verbal battles with Australian regulators over the transpacific route </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Mr Forshaw, 38, has been an articulate - and often forceful - voice for the airline during the past five years here, and prior to that, as the airline's public relations manager in Sydney.
Before joining SIA, he was political adviser within the Australian government.
He is moving on to a senior communications role at software giant Microsoft in Singapore.
'Today, I am feeling mixed emotions,' he told BT. 'I love what I do at SIA, but am also thrilled about the new opportunity at Microsoft. It is pleasing to be remaining in Singapore while joining one of the world's biggest corporations.'
At SIA, Mr Forshaw developed a very close working relationship with his boss, and SIA chief executive, Chew Choon Seng.
The media-savvy Australian's most memorable moments at the airline were his verbal battles with Australian regulators and the Australian carrier Qantas, who steadfastly opposed allowing SIA to operate the Australia-US transpacific route.
Responding to then- prime minister John Howard's remarks in 2005 about SIA being a government-supported carrier, Mr Forshaw shot back: 'Let me say absolutely, Singapore Airlines does not, and never has, received subsidy from the government of Singapore. That's just Qantas spin which isn't backed by fact. Let's be clear: in this debate, the airline that benefits financially the most from support from government is Qantas, because of its protection from competition on the Australia-USA route. That protection effectively amounts to a hidden subsidy.'
Later, he once joked with this reporter: 'One of these days, they are going to cancel my Australian passport!'
Mr Ionides, 37, comes to his new job on May 4 with an impressive aviation resume.
As the Singapore-based managing editor (Asia) at Reed Business Information - publishers of Flight International and Airline Business magazines and the Air Transport Intelligence and Flightglobal news websites, he has deep and broad knowledge of the industry.
Prior to his Singapore posting 12 years ago, the Canadian was the aviation editor for Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper.
Mr Ionides has a bachelor's degree in Arts (Journalism) from Ryerson University in Toronto.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>SIA's Stephen Forshaw leaving for Microsoft
Seasoned aviation journalist Nicholas Ionides succeeding him as spokesman
By VEN SREENIVASAN
<TABLE class=storyLinks cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD align=right width=20>
</TD><TD>Email this article</TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD align=right width=20>
</TD><TD>Print article </TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD align=right width=20>
</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>STEPHEN Forshaw, the outspoken communications chief at Singapore Airlines is leaving the company, and will be replaced by seasoned aviation journalist, Nicholas Ionides.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>Old voice, new voice: Mr Forshaw (above) and Mr Ionides (next). Mr Forshaw, an Australian, says his most memorable moments at SIA were his verbal battles with Australian regulators over the transpacific route </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Mr Forshaw, 38, has been an articulate - and often forceful - voice for the airline during the past five years here, and prior to that, as the airline's public relations manager in Sydney.Before joining SIA, he was political adviser within the Australian government.
He is moving on to a senior communications role at software giant Microsoft in Singapore.
'Today, I am feeling mixed emotions,' he told BT. 'I love what I do at SIA, but am also thrilled about the new opportunity at Microsoft. It is pleasing to be remaining in Singapore while joining one of the world's biggest corporations.'
At SIA, Mr Forshaw developed a very close working relationship with his boss, and SIA chief executive, Chew Choon Seng.
The media-savvy Australian's most memorable moments at the airline were his verbal battles with Australian regulators and the Australian carrier Qantas, who steadfastly opposed allowing SIA to operate the Australia-US transpacific route.
Responding to then- prime minister John Howard's remarks in 2005 about SIA being a government-supported carrier, Mr Forshaw shot back: 'Let me say absolutely, Singapore Airlines does not, and never has, received subsidy from the government of Singapore. That's just Qantas spin which isn't backed by fact. Let's be clear: in this debate, the airline that benefits financially the most from support from government is Qantas, because of its protection from competition on the Australia-USA route. That protection effectively amounts to a hidden subsidy.'
Later, he once joked with this reporter: 'One of these days, they are going to cancel my Australian passport!'
Mr Ionides, 37, comes to his new job on May 4 with an impressive aviation resume.
As the Singapore-based managing editor (Asia) at Reed Business Information - publishers of Flight International and Airline Business magazines and the Air Transport Intelligence and Flightglobal news websites, he has deep and broad knowledge of the industry.
Prior to his Singapore posting 12 years ago, the Canadian was the aviation editor for Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper.
Mr Ionides has a bachelor's degree in Arts (Journalism) from Ryerson University in Toronto.
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