Snapshot
The Manager: Kamen Kitchev
The Job: Regional Manager, Austrian Airlines in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
In Brief: Born in Sofia in 1968, Kamen Kitchev graduated from Sofia Technical University. After spending five years in the US, Kitchev returned to Bulgaria in 1995. In 1996 he became the sales manager for Austrian Airlines office in Sofia, which has been in Bulgaria since 1961. Later, he became the first non-Austrian to head this office. In 1998, Kitchev started developing Austrian Airlines offices in Macedonia and in 2004 he became regional manager for Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo. He is on the management board of the Bulgarian Convention and Visitors Bureau.
War is a nasty business, but its still a business. Though an unpleasant reality, it has served Austria Airlines development not only on the Balkans but elsewhere too. Hence Kamen Kitchevs business card says: Austrian Airlines, Regional Manager, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
The story of Austrian Airlines evolution in the Balkans proves that business is always one step ahead of politics. Austria recently recognised the independence of Kosovo. But Austrian Airlines got there first and Kitchev was partially responsible.
Serendipity, as it does often, played its part. I started work for Austrian Airlines in Sofia as a sales manager in 1996. I had just returned from five years spent in the US for my wifes studies. Two years later I was given the opportunity to head Austrian Airlines office in Macedonia. It was not an easy step; he had to compete for the position. In my favour was the closeness of the Bulgarian and Macedonian languages. So they thought Id have little problem understanding. Yet it was harder than he thought. Most Bulgarians think they can speak Macedonian or even Serbian, but this isnt true, he says.
Once in Macedonia, Kitchevs new job brought its fair share of challenges. Back in 1998, Macedonias aviation market was under-developed. Bulgaria was not that different but the Macedonian market was taking its first tentative steps. In such a "virgin" environment, Kitchev adopted a personal approach. It was a question of knowing the market, knowing the right criteria and, most of all, knowing the people. Youre not there to simply establish rules and order employees around. Youre there to enforce them in the most diplomatic way so that they dont show you the door.
Kitchev describes his Macedonian period as a successful one. You may think that business would quickly flee a country in periods of crisis but this didnt happen in Kitchevs case. The distance between Prishtina and Skopje is just 78km provided the borders are open of course!
Thanks to the huge international spotlight on Kosovo and Macedonia at that time, many media outlets opened head offices in the Macedonian capital Skopje to cover the situation in Prishtina. Macedonia was their observation point, a base for crews from the BBC, CNN, Reuters and many others. All these people had to be ferried in and out of Skopje, and this was our big chance, says Kitchev. Austrian Airlines faced little competition. All Macedonia offered in those days was a couple of regional carriers from other former Yugoslavian republics. Austrian Airlines biggest asset was that, as a Western European carrier, the company had convenient connections to and from the US. Macedonia started to pay off as a destination, a situation noted by Kitchevs bosses.
Just three years later came a new job offer, one that posed fresh challenges. The crisis on the Macedonian-Kosovo border erupted in 2000-2001. This was when we decided to develop Kosovo as a destination. Ironically, the Kosovo situation proved advantageous. Kosovo started to develop on its own and Skopje was no longer capable of handling both destinations. Immediately after the war ended, we opened a Kosovo bureau because the UN is always the first to open an office in a post-war destination. And, naturally enough, a UN office leads to business. Indeed so; it would seem that business strategy can be forged by looking at a map and noting the war zones. Recently, we re-launched our route to Erbil in Iraq. Were the only carrier operating there. We also wanted to open a connection to Afghanistan but were unable to secure the insurance necessary. Yes, unfortunately, I must agree that war is potentially a very lucrative business, although its also highly risky.
The 2000-2001 events in Macedonia almost made him leave the country. It was a very critical period. I used to travel to Kosovo and change vehicles as we reached the border, with different escorts every time either Macedonian or Kosovar depending on which side of the border I found myself in. This could be done only by someone who understands how people in Kosovo and Macedonia think. Ive been through a lot. In 2001 a civil war broke out in Macedonia while I was there. At one point the UN advised all foreigners not to travel and I was sitting at home awaiting developments. I had a suitcase packed and I was very close to leaving for Thessaloniki, my safe-house destination.
The US embassy in Skopje was attacked and it was a very tense time. However, my Macedonian colleagues told me they were staying put and I decided to remain with them, he recalls.
Once the conflict was over, Kitchev and Austrian Airlines were back in business. In the beginning we flew soldiers to and from Kosovo, followed by peace-keeping forces. After that came the UN administration and then we started transporting Albanian businessmen from all parts of the globe. Now, of course, Kosovo is independent.
As a brand new destination, Kosovo had its peculiarities. When Austrian Airlines opens a new office, the manager is either Austrian, or someone highly experienced from a nearby country as was the case with Kitchev. The other staff are nearly always local people. Usually its only the manager who is a foreigner, except in my case because I was the first non-Austrian to head the companys Sofia office. Kitchev was also the first non-Austrian to develop a new office. Globalisation has enabled a non-Austrian to develop a new market for Austrian Airlines, he notes.
As someone who had spent time in Kosovo, Kitchev has much to say about "Kosovo myths". Kosovo is very similar to Bulgaria. Its a picturesque place with many opportunities for winter sports. But, sadly, when travelling around Kosovo you encounter many mass graves, a legacy of all the wars. This doesnt exactly engender cheerfulness. Perhaps surprisingly, Kitchev notes that you can see more bodyguards and Mafia-types in many areas of Bulgaria than in Kosovo. You seldom see people driving in black 4x4 vehicles with dark windows in Kosovo.
Business culture in Kosovo, however, was in its infancy. We were the first carrier to employ a Kosovar. Kitchevs more personal approach again reaped dividends. Through him I was able to enter business circles in Kosovo because they accepted me as one of their own. I never travelled around Kosovo with foreigners or with Austrian KFOR like many of my colleagues at that time. I didnt pretend to be a foreigner who travels in an armoured vehicle with a helmet. I didnt stay in the hotel asking people to come and see me. I used to travel with Albanians and I was treated as an Albanian. We drunk tea and ate together. He also scored points by learning the language.
So what did it mean doing business in such an environment? At my first meeting with Kosovars I was surprised to see that they had no demands whatsoever. They were just asking me what they should do. So I simply had to explain the rules to them and how to follow them. The downside was that if they disliked certain rules they tried to play tricks by pretending they didnt understand them. As a whole, I have a high opinion of Kosovars, he says. As things developed he was stunned how Kosovars followed their duties, set by the manager. Obeying the boss is always their priority, he notes.
Most businesses in Kosovo are family-run. Everybody is someones brother, daughter, grandchild or nephew. The family culture is an essential part of business. This leads to a very clear family structure. If you have the right approach you never hear the words this is too expensive. Kosovo is not about money but about attitude. Of course, this will probably change and might have already but this was the situation at the beginning.
Kitchev believes his American sojourn helped him a lot. The experience taught me how to do business. Capitalism is not a fair game and thats what I try to explain to colleagues here. My return to Bulgaria was a bit of a culture shock for me. I had forgotten what a social life was in the US.
"Back in Bulgaria I started re-visiting the cinema, theatre and opera. In the US this is not that easy because of the vast distances involved and their lifestyle that demands everything be well planned in advance. Kitchevs first action on returning to Bulgaria was to take a long holiday at the Black Sea. I remember calling my former boss in the US while driving to the coast. When I told him that I would spend 35 days there he said that was the total amount of time hed spent at the seaside in his lifetime!
