Jetrader

At a Glance: Rudolf Zivcic of RMSP Consulting

Jetrader spoke with Rudolf Zivcic, founder of RMSP Consulting and instructor for the ISTAT Professional Development Program (PDP), about what he enjoys most about teaching and working with the next generation of aviation professionals, what advice he would give to someone just starting out in the industry, and more.

Jetrader: What do you like most about working in the aviation industry?

Rudolf Zivcic: The very first thing that comes to mind is the industry itself, highly technologically advanced with a very nice goal of connecting the world. It doesn’t stop to amaze me how quickly long distances can be covered versus other modes of transport. Places you can visit, people you can meet and also cargo that can be transported — long distance is just not that long anymore.

Another thing I like about working in aviation is the type of people you work with — the people around you. Honest, knowledgeable, hard-working, accountable — the integrity of people in the industry just makes the work so much more enjoyable.

Jetrader: How did you get your start in aviation?

RZ: It might not be the usual “as a kid I spent weekends around the airport,” as the closest proper airport was still quite far. But nonetheless, we were building flying aircraft models and went to competitions at a nearby airfield where sometimes you could see a small propeller aircraft, but that was about it.

The proper start came when, as a university student, I took a flight with a low-cost carrier for a summer job in Scotland, and upon return kept checking their page for flight offers. Once, I read the job offer for a revenue manager on the same page — comfortable with numbers, analytical thinking, etc. —  it felt like a job where I ticked all the boxes. So, I applied. And of course, I did not get it. But months later, I got contacted to ask whether I would still be interested in joining the team as an analyst. Since then, with only a small excursion into the hotel business, I have been working with airlines and software providers for passenger and cargo revenue management. Thank you, Vanni, for giving the opportunity to a 22-year-old student back then.

Jetrader: What has been the most rewarding part of your career so far?

RZ: Being in this industry can be quite rewarding by itself; it is fast-paced, advanced with tools and systems used, complex and connected. At the same time, with the safety mindset, it might not be seen as the most progressive one when it comes to trying or adopting new approaches, even on the commercial side of airlines.

And so in this area, specifically in revenue management or pricing, sharing some best practices or lessons learned with others in the same field is very rewarding. This basically allows for their progress without making all the mistakes you already made and learned from earlier. Also, as this is a field constantly evolving, together with travel habits of passengers, their purchase preferences, etc., it is good to know that we are “never done” and there will be some new patterns to uncover.

Similarly, connecting the dots across different business areas can be fascinating: which aspects of passenger pricing are applicable to cargo and which are not; what can the usage of certain systems tell about an airline’s capability to offer connecting itineraries; to what degree is a frequent-flyer program distorting ancillary purchases and many more. Wherever you look, there is something new to be discovered.

Jetrader: As an instructor for the ISTAT Professional Development Program, what do you enjoy most about teaching and working with the next generation of aviation professionals?

RZ: ISTAT PDP is a great example of “sharing the knowledge” we mentioned earlier; it is just done on a much wider scale, with people from various parts of the industry. It is a perfect opportunity to connect between generations and build a knowledge base.

What is different in PDP, compared to my other teachings, is that participants in this program are already working in the industry and have their own hands-on experiences and expertise, and are up to date with developments in the field, together with being ambitious and enthusiastic about learning even more. This allows for much deeper and more open discussion, and we can cover more than just the usual “Revenue Management 101.” As an example, in our recent U.S. module just a few weeks back, we were able to spend time on the topic the fairness of AI-driven pricing and the customer perception of this — very relevant and recent topics.

As such, lecturing at ISTAT PDP feels more like discussion among colleagues with various backgrounds and knowledge, rather than “one-way” topic delivery. It’s always a very enjoyable experience.

Jetrader: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry?

RZ: Probably similar to other industries: Be knowledgeable and keep expanding your knowledge, meet people, talk to people, learn from them and challenge yourself.

What I find different in the aviation industry, however, is the general respect toward other people’s work, other opinions and other experiences. As an example, in revenue management you might be dealing with pricing in multiple countries; your pricing experts might be having various recommendations about what works in this area, what might not work, what will resonate with different types of customers, etc. In this case, at least in my experience, teams will listen and try to compromise and find a mutually beneficial solution, rather than just pushing their own opinion, “because I said so.” Or, well, maybe I’ve just been very lucky with people around me, hehe.

Jetrader: What is something people in the industry might be surprised to learn about you?

RZ: Well, I’m not sure if this is something to be proud of, or rather ashamed, but in those 20+ years in the industry, flying with many low-cost carriers and working for a few, I to this day have not yet flown with Ryanair. For no special reason, it just somehow did not yet happen. And likewise, I have not yet been to one of the most popular and visited countries, Spain. Thinking about it, there is a very simple fix to both of these!

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