Workouts, cooking and family sustain BA high flyer

British Airways area commercial manager says exercise, cooking, travel and his young family help keep him grounded during his time out from work.

Paolo De Renzis finds cooking enjoyable and very relaxing. Sarah Dea / The National

Paolo De Renzis is the area commercial manager for the Middle East and Central Asia at British Airways. The 49-year-old Italian moved to Dubai five years ago after stints working with British Airways in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. He is married with three young children.

What are your favourite things to do on weekends?

My business week is extremely busy and I am on the road most of the time. The trend continues over weekends as well. I have three young kids and they do make sure that we have a busy weekend schedule too. It is really enjoyable and great fun. At the same time, I keep time for workouts and cooking.

What do you consider your favourite hobby?

I have many hobbies. I love running and jogging. I try to do it at least five times a week. When I travel, I try to carry my running shoes with me. I love swimming and I also used to be a good tennis and squash player. Lately I haven’t had much time to play. Cooking is also a hobby for me here, because I find it enjoyable and very relaxing. I would say running and cooking are my favourite hobbies.

What can’t you live without?

In addition to my family and close friends, good Italian food and exercise. On top of this, I enjoy travelling and of course I am very lucky because working for British Airways I don’t have to live without travel.

What do you consider the secret to your success?

I’d say passion for the business, enthusiasm and a high level of energy. I also believe that the airline industry is one of the most exciting industries to work in. At the same time, it is the most competitive and constantly evolving. There is never a dull moment, therefore anticipating customer requirements is very important. I also encourage people to always challenge ways of doing things, because business today and travel in particular is changing constantly. I believe in focusing on my team and their work environment, so supporting and developing your team and creating a high-performance work environment is fundamental.

What advice would you offer others people starting out in your business?

First of all, I would tell them choose a job that you truly enjoy. Put passion, enthusiasm and determination into whatever you do. Working hard for something that you don’t like causes stress, however when you work hard for something you love it becomes a passion. Also, talent is very important, but there is a truth to the statement that a successful person is 10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration. Nothing comes without effort. Be real, be honest, and approachable. It doesn’t matter if you deal with employees or customers, people always trust you if you are genuine and authentic. Last and not least, always be honest with yourself and focus on your manager, your peers, your team and their feedback. It is also important to focus on areas of improvement. There’s always room to learn and develop further.

How do you achieve a work-life balance?

This is a real challenge and it is not easy of course, especially when Friday, our day off in Dubai, is a working day in London. Additionally, our flights from the 12 stations in my region – which is the Middle East and Central Asia – are flights that arrive and depart seven days a week, day and night. Having said that, I do whatever I can to spend quality time with my family and friends, exercise and find time to pursue a hobby, which helps me maintain a healthy balance. It also helps me to be more efficient and give my best at work. I strongly believe in the correlation between success at work and a joyful, happy personal life.

How do you relax after the working day?

I spend quality time with my wife and children and if I have time, I try to exercise and read a good book. I read Swedish, Italian and British authors. Sometimes I read business books.

If you weren't with British Airways, what else would you be doing?

I think I would have opened a restaurant in the countryside in Europe, preferably with my own vineyard.

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