WORKING WEEK
ightglobal.com 5-11 June 2018 | Flight International | 43
MacRae cites an eager adoption of the brand as key to her successKeeping up in an ever-changing world
Alex MacRae knows all about the speed of digital evolution as head of marketing for Avinode Group,
the Sweden-based parent company of charter market platforms Avinode, Paynode and SchedAero
WORK EXPERIENCE ALEX MACRAE
place around us – universal ac-
cess to services is increasingly ex-
pected by all customers.
How do you stay ahead?
I follow blogs and digital market-
ing sources to keep up to date, as
the digital sphere is changing so
quickly. It’s all about producing
and distributing content as quickly
as possible to stay at the leading
edge. We’re also always keen to try
new things, which enables us to
provide ever-improving services.
What can your customers expect
over the next decade?
We believe we need to provide an
interconnected set of solutions to
our members, which will enable
them to drive their operational
agility to fit the speed of today’s
digital economy. Interconnectivity
between services is growing rapid-
ly, but it is not yet the norm. Open
APIs (application programme in-
terfaces) will lead to an ecosystem
of connected customers, partners
and suppliers sharing information
to better deliver their services. Ar-
tificial intelligence will be woven
into this enmeshed world of con-
nectivity, informing and stream-
lining repetitive tasks and decision
making. The Avinode Group is
going to be delivering this integrat-
ed world for business aviation. nHow did your career begin?
I began my career at 21, as a digital
producer working with big brands
like Burger King, Scania and Sony
Mobile. From there, I became a key
account director before starting my
own digital agency. Digital is at the
core of everything I bring to my cli-
ents, so when I started working for
the Avinode Group as a consult-
ant, the team’s innovative attitude
towards technology instantly reso-
nated with me. I immediately
adopted the brand and took it on
as my own from a marketing per-
spective – which led to me becom-
ing head of marketing full time in
July 2017.
What have been the highlights?
When you work at the forefront
of technology – not only using it,
but finding ways to mould it for
your clients – the most exciting
moments are around new prod-
ucts and platforms, and I’ve been
lucky enough to put together cut-
ting-edge digital projects for a
very diverse selection of brands.
Gaining detailed knowledge of
so many different industries,
from business aviation to retail to
tech, has been invaluable in de-
veloping my understanding of
how variable markets can be.
This knowledge is essential in
marketing, and it is a constant
learning process. My career has
therefore been full of highlights –
it’s difficult to pinpoint just one!
What does your job involve?
As head of marketing for the en-
tire Avinode Group, I look after
three different brands – Avinode,
Paynode and SchedAero – each
with offices on different conti-
nents, so I’m always on the go. At
Avinode, each of the three servic-
es integrate seamlessly when in
use. In a similar way, I create mar-
keting strategies for each brand
separately, but always ensure
they work harmoniously as one.
What do you enjoy most?
Meeting our members is always a
pleasure, so I enjoy getting face-to-
face time at trade shows and
events. After all, we’re in B4B
(business for business), so we
need to keep a finger on the pulse.
I also love seeing an idea forming
into an activity, and then seeing it
go live. At Avinode, we practice,
do, measure, learn, so all develop-
ments in the company as a whole,
and in marketing, are data driven.
This allows us to listen closely to
our customers, and progress in an
efficient and productive manner.What are your challenges?
There’s no lack of ideas in this
company – so we could use an
extra day between Wednesday
and Thursday! With so much in
the pipeline, the trickiest part is
focusing on just a few key devel-
opments at a time.
How is the marketplace evolving?
The digital marketplace is now a
key part of our daily lives. While
digital platforms help me succeed
in my job, they also manage my
personal life – we pay bills
through a mobile app; schedule
the family through a shared calen-
dar; even buy our food online.
When this pattern is so easily in-
corporated into home life, cus-
tomers expect the same process at
work. It also evolving through de-
mocratisation. There’s a sharing
economy slowly settling intoAvinode GroupIf you would like to feature in
Working Week, or you know
someone who does, email
your pitch to kate.sarsfield@
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