Diemacher, LLC was described in its archived website as an advisory venture led by Ben Baldanza, a former airline chief executive. This page summarises the themes the archive covered: how boards are governed, how companies lift their results, how smaller players compete against larger rivals, and how the airline business actually works. The summary is informational and draws only on the archived material.
Areas of focus
Independent board service
The first theme concerned service on boards of directors. The archive mentioned experience with current practice in public-company governance, mentoring executives who are new to the chief executive role, guiding a company through an initial public offering, and acting as the financial expert on an audit committee.
Improving company results
The second theme looked at operations and finances. Items listed included careful revenue management, cost control and budgeting, Six Sigma and lean methods, disciplined handling of growth and strategies for the challenges created by COVID-19.
Disrupting an industry
A third theme dealt with strategy for challengers. Its main ideas were to position creatively against bigger competitors, to win on terms of your own choosing, to define the target customer clearly and to act with conviction.
Speaking and media
The archive also described public speaking. Talks were meant to energise audiences, draw out lessons that apply to many organisations, address change in fast-moving settings and use humour to keep people engaged. Media work covered commentary on the airline and travel industries, explanations of business strategy in accessible language, and clearly stated views on business and policy, offered either in a studio or by video link.
Learning how airlines work
Much of the site pointed to teaching. It referred to an Airline Economics class at George Mason University, which explores how airlines make major decisions. According to the archive, more than a dozen students from the class went on to begin their careers in the airline industry. The ideas could be adapted to sessions lasting an hour, half a day or a full day, and they were said to interest audiences outside the airline world as well.
Related projects
- Airlines Confidential: a weekly podcast co-hosted with Seth Kaplan about the inner workings of the airline industry.
- Forbes.com: the archive noted that Baldanza contributed articles to the publication.
- Professional profile: a LinkedIn page was kept as the up-to-date record of his career.
Where to read next
For background on the person and the name, see the About page. A list of advisory roles appears under Portfolio, and further articles on related subjects can be found on the Blog.