It was a smart move. It was a shift from water to air, literally. In fact, after two years at sea pursuing marine navigation, Burjor P Randeria shifted to the skies where he struck anchor. He realised his place was far above the earth and that's where he could expect success. After joining Air-India in the commercial department, he joined Swissair in Mumbai, where he's been since. His more than three-decade-long career with Swissair has familiarised him with all aspects of the airline industry.

Completing various leadership and management courses of Swissair in Switzerland, Randeria has also served as an examiner for leadership cadre examinations for Swissair in the Far East. He was nominated as Facilitator for TQL of Swissair India. In 1991, he was appointed to lead and set up the Swissair-Tata Sons Limited joint venture in India, the pioneering work of providing IT enabled services. During the past 13 years, he has steered the company towards development.

It is primarily due to his inspiring leadership that the AFS has become one of the leading airline BPOs. Setting up back office functions in India to provide European airlines, Randeria's vision has got laudable results. Born in Mumbai in 1945, he had formal education in physics and chemistry before pursuing marine engineering. But today, he has mastered every aspect of the aviation industry and become a role model for many junior executives.

A little rest from his busy schedule means some photography or travelling to interesting destinations. On some other days, one can also catch him listening to music or playing squash. A respected name in the airline industry, Randeria has conducted leadership sessions in the International Management Symposium organised by the University of St Galen. He also participated in the CEO's conference in Beijing in 2002.