[ad_1]
The African airline industry this week lost an iconic personality who served the continent for more than 34 years: Gobena Mikael Imiru. Gobena served Ethiopian Airlines for 27 years and RwandAir for six years. He was loved and respected by his colleagues at Ethiopian Airlines, who affectionately call him “Gena.” Gobena joined Ethiopian at the young age of 25. He also earned due recognition from Kigali, where he served with the national airline RwandAir since 2014.
Gobena was a founding member and principal partner of AFRI Aviation Plc, an Addis Ababa-based aviation consulting company.
Gobena passed away on Monday, September 21, 2020 at the age of 58 in Kigali, where he was hospitalized for a few days. RwandAir management and employees paid tribute to him before sending his body home on Thursday. A large number of senior Ethiopian Airlines officials, his family, relatives and friends received his body at Bole International Airport and buried it on the same day in the Church of the Holy Trinity.
Born to his father Lej Mikael Imiru, a close relative of Emperor Hailesillassie and was the last prime minister of the imperial regime, and his mother Almaz Teklehawariat, Gobena Mikael attended the American Community School in Addis Ababa and graduated from Addis Ababa University with a Bachelor of Mathematics. Gobena has a diploma in airline marketing and finance, a master’s in information science. Gobena has served RwandAir in Kigali as Managing Director / Commercial Director.
Prior to joining RwandAir, Gobena served Ethiopian Airlines with distinction in various capacities for 27 years. During his long service with Ethiopian Airlines, he held the positions of Pricing Manager, Sales Development Manager, Marketing Automation Manager, and Marketing Support Systems Project Manager. Gobena was then promoted to the positions of Director of Marketing Information Systems, Area Manager for France based in Paris, Regional Director for Southern Europe based in Rome, Regional Director for North and South America based in Washington DC.
After completing his assignments at the remote stations, Gobena returned to Ethiopia and was assigned to head the massive change management program at Ethiopian Airlines as Senior Director of Change Management. Having completed this assignment, Gobena joined the Ethiopian Airlines executive management team as senior vice president of global sales and ultimately as the airline’s commercial director.
As a seasoned aviation expert, Gobena had represented Ethiopian Airlines in numerous forums and addressed various meetings and conferences.
Longtime friend and colleague Girma Wake, former Ethiopian Airlines CEO, remembers Gobena as a young worker at Ethiopian Airlines in the early 1980s. “He joined Ethiopian after graduating from Addis Ababa University. I met him while working in the space control department. He was a dedicated and hard-working young man, ”Girma said. “It is not easily satisfied. I was detail-oriented, ”he added.
Girma, who was chairman of the RwandAir board, worked with Gobena in Kigali for three years. “He won the hearts and minds of our Rwandan brothers and sisters in a short period of time. He was disciplined and God fearing. Above all, what strikes me the most is his willingness to share his knowledge about the airline business. ”
Gobena liked the people of Rwanda and the country. The Rwandan people showed her their great esteem and respect during the tribute ceremony held at the RwandAir headquarters.
“We lost such a good person who was also part of RwandAir and it will never be the same again without him. We will all miss him immensely. He was an older brother rather than a colleague, ”said Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir.
Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremriam said Gobena’s sudden death was very shocking and sad. In a statement sent to The Reporter, Tewolde said that he had known Gobena for the past 34 years. “He was a kind, direct and direct person who spoke his mind at all times,” Tewolde said. “We miss him so much. May God bless his soul and give strength to his loved ones to handle the pain and pain of his death, “he added.
Over the years, Gobena had established a strong network in the African airline industry and had become a trusted source of information for industry players and aviation journalists.
Professor Wolfgang H. Thome, a renowned aviation and tourism writer, said that Gobena was a reliable source of information. “This is a very sad day. He had become a good friend over the years and a trusted source of aviation news from across Africa. I extend my deepest condolences and sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues “.
Ethiopia’s ambassador to France, Henok Teferra Shawl, said that Gobena was a good person and a great professional. “It was an honor serving with him in Ethiopian. My condolences to his family, who are in our prayers and thoughts, ”Henok said.
Gobena was in Addis Ababa last March to attend the Africa Aviation Conference, which attracted more than 900 delegates to the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel. He is survived by his son and his wife.
