Stelios Haji-Ioannou
Stelios Haji-Ioannou
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannouis a British entrepreneur of Greek-Cypriot origin, resident in Monaco. He is the scion of a wealthy ship owning family, but is best known for founding easyJet, a low-cost airline and the Stelmar shipping line, with start-up funds provided by his father. easyJet's foundation in 1995 marked the beginning of a series of ventures marketed under the "easy" brand, managed by easyGroup and chaired by Sir Stelios...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth14 February 1967
airlines average change fascinated travel
I wanted to be my own boss. I was fascinated by airlines and how I could change travel for the average person. Then I wanted to diversify.
organised
I like organised things. I don't like the corruption and slowness of Greece.
below current feeling food gap market niche operators
I have a feeling that there is a gap in the food retail market - a niche below some of the current budget operators such as Aldi and Lidl.
decided life lives products services
I decided very early on that the way to make a difference in my life and in other people's lives was to give them services and products that are actually for the many and not for the few.
time
I've always been conscientious and hardworking. I've never wasted time.
good internet largest morning opened square
When I opened the world's largest Internet cafe, certified by the 'Guinness Book of Records,' in Times Square in New York, I was live on 'Good Morning America,' and for me, that was an achievement.
running stress mean
Passengers don't like changing planes. That means waiting time, stress, running around. There's a joke that the hub principle is supposed to have been invented by cargo firms. The baggage doesn't care where and how it's pushed around.
europe roots america
America has its roots in a tradition of risk-taking pioneers. In more conservative Europe, if you fail in business or actually end up going to jail for it, you're finished as a businessman for good.
unique luck mixtures
Successes are always unique and hard to copy. The fact that easyJet became a success is due to a mixture of talent and luck.
parent roles stories
Unfortunately I have no rags-to-riches story to tell. Money never played a big role for me. My parents just had it.
son thinking entrepreneur
I think that my original drive as an entrepreneur was precisely that desire to get away from the image of the shipping magnate's son.
father long challenges
Even if someone is competent, it's so damned easy to crucify him as long as he's only working on his father's account. So at the beginning I certainly wanted to prove myself to my father and the rest of society. That quickly turned into a greater challenge. My lifestyle hasn't changed as a result.
luxury people needs
I didn't want people to say: Stelios does everything on the cheap at work, and in private he lives in the lap of luxury. That's not me. I don't need those status symbols. I don't need a private jet either when I can go everywhere with Easy.
believe two long
You can divide airlines into two camps: expensive and cheap. But I believe that we will only distinguish between long-haul and short-haul airlines in the future.