Midweek Interview with Brett McDougall, Country Manager Australia, Royal Brunei Airlines

Midweek Interview with Brett McDougall, Country Manager Australia, Royal Brunei Airlines
By admin


The challenge for the industry is… Anticipating customer needs, embracing technological change, communicating effectively, being innovative and interesting.

The things I like about my job are… The great people I work with – in the RBA offices, in the travel agencies and most of all our really delightful customers.

And the frustrations… I am a very impatient person and expect everything to happen fast.

If I didn’t work in travel I would be a… Very unhappy person.

Qantas or Virgin? Both are great carriers and I travel on them frequently – but only because RBA doesn’t fly domestic services!

My proudest moment was… Watching my son excel in motor racing over the past 12 years, first in go-karts and now in race cars.

The naughtiest thing I ever did was… Not something I would ever mention in writing!

I try to relax by… Getting into the outdoors and breathing fresh air, bushwalking and living simply for a few days.

The last time I feared for my life… Jumping out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet above Sale in Victoria with the Australian Army Parachute Display Team.

If I can, I always try to avoid… Crowded trams.

I really wish I had… Bigger lights on my bicycle, it gets really dark in Melbourne some mornings.

The best advice I’ve ever received was… Handle everything once and apply absolute focus to the job at hand.

I don’t understand why… Photos are rectangular but camera lenses are round.

My greatest weakness is… Spending money on my son’s race car.

And my greatest strength… Is designing a plan for the future with our team and then working hard to make it happen.

If I was prime minister I would… Not have reintroduced Dames and Knights!

If I won $1 million on the lottery I would… Pay off all the mortgages of my extended family… but I don’t think $1m is enough.

If I could be someone else for one day I would be… Disappointed because I have a pretty good life.

I’ve always wanted to travel to… Adventurous places like Africa and Nepal on a major expedition but have never found the time.

My favourite holiday was… My last European trip which combined cycling in the Loire valley, great hotels in London and attending historic car racing at Goodwood where everyone dresses in period clothes.

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