Anni Ridsdill Smith MSc BSc FCIPD – Director.

Anni is the founder of airate.  She has a Master of Science degree (with distinction) in Training and Performance Management from The University of Leicester (UK) and she has conducted research into the role of Emotional Labour in front-line passenger contact work at Heathrow Airport.  She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in the UK and a qualified Crew Resource Management (CRM) instructor.  Anni spent much of her career with the Human Resources team at American Airlines, where she was the Human Resources Manager for Northern Europe and she has studied, lived and worked in the UK, USA, Hong Kong and Taiwan.   She is passionate about customer service excellence and helping employers equip their employees to cope calmly and professionally with passenger anger and frustration.  She has trained airline, airport, ground transportation and immigration employees from many different locations.

Anni is a Trustee and keen supporter of the Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance Trust, in the East of England.  Two helicopters and a fantastic team of pilots, doctors, paramedics, staff and volunteers.

Will Herschel-Shorland  DipM  MCIM  MAQR  BSc –  Senior Research Associate.

Will has 20-year’s experience in marketing and market research across famous brands and those yet-to-be famous.  He works in partnership with airate to provide clients with a sophisticated research capability, enabling them to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges their employees face when dealing with angry passengers.  He is the founding director of insight track, a specialist market research company.

Katharine Ng – Senior Training Associate.

Katharine’s aviation experience ranges from line operations to senior management levels and she has successfully launched and managed two start-up businesses; OneCrew, a corporate and aviation training consulting company, and Viva Macau Airlines, a long haul low-fare airline. These experiences have all served to provide her with invaluable industry knowledge and a world-class aviation safety, security and customer service background.  As a recognized Crew Resource Management specialist in the aviation psychology and safety & security arenas, Katharine has pioneered, developed and delivered Crew Resource Management (CRM) training services to airlines such as Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Viva Macau Airlines and Sky Shuttle Helicopters.   OneCrew is a strategic training partner of airate.