Congratulations on winning Best Business-class Seat in the 2009 GT Tested Awards. How will you continue to offer premium products to business luxury travelers?

As premium carriers, SWISS and Lufthansa have to move up while proving to customers that we have a consistent product. Premium service is about the entire experience — it does not start in the air; it begins on the ground. Everything — from the hardware to the software, from online to the airport, from ground to flight to final destination — is about premium quality and consistency.

The merging of Lufthansa and SWISS has created the second-largest partnership since Air France and KLM. How will this expand your international network and affect European competition?

Both airlines have distinct strengths and their own loyal passengers. Lufthansa has about 35,000 staff while SWISS has 7,000. I think of SWISS as a boutique store and Lufthansa as a department store. At a boutique, the manager knows you, knows your taste. At a department store you have more opportunity, more products.

With growth in Asia, we will see competition with both Asia and Russia. We have a choice to consolidate Europe or recognize the diversity of the continent and keep the European brands separate. We have a relatively simple idea which will allow a single passenger the freedom to decide which route to take from point A to point B by selecting an airline and hub of choice. This will be a multi-hub, multi-brand system.

What led you to the airline industry?

My family moved quite often when I was a child — 25 times in my lifetime. Moving to a new place taught me to be sociable. I also became quickly bored once settled.

After university, I applied for a job with Lufthansa, then became head of marketing at a car rental service. I contacted Lufthansa again, and after three years we became their preferred car rental service. Then Lufthansa offered me a position in the product and service department, and I gladly accepted.

My initial first-class flight was in 1996. At the time, the symbol for first class on Lufthansa was a rose. The passengers didn’t know what to do with the small rose they received on the plate, stuffing them between the seats or in their pockets. That was when I came up with the idea to install a small vase on the arm of the seat.

The airline industry is special, a complicated and passionate industry. I am very happy to be part of such an emotional and exciting business.