Mohammed Ahmed (businessperson)

Captain Mohammed Ahmed is an Ethiopian air travel industry veteran. He was the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines from 1980 to 1991 and later served as the secretary general of the African Airlines Association.

Background and education
Mohammed Ahmed was born in 1932 to a Harari family. In his early career Mohammed had a brief stint with the Ethiopian Air Force. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical engineering, obtained from Saint Louis University and an Executive Program certificate at Stanford University.

Airline Career
Mohammed Ahmed began his career as the chief aeronautical engineer at Ethiopian airlines in the 1960s. Upon obtaining a leading role in the airlines as CEO in 1980, he is known for overtly defying the communist Derg regime's policies thereby ensuring the airlines independence from government influence. Prior to his appointment, Ethiopian airlines was facing operation difficulties amid the Ethiopian inserruction, Mohammed was able to swiftly extricate the flag carrier. The airlines quality had degraded since the 1970s due to having excess labor, Mohammed resolved this issue by reducing personnel by one-tenth. During the Cold War the Ethiopian government suggested substituting American manufactured airlines planes with the Soviet union's in order to gain favor with the USSR, the Ethiopian Airlines led by Mohammed Ahmed thwarted this scheme. By 1989 Ethiopian airlines began to prosper under his leadership.

According to American writer Paul B. Henze, who met Mohammed Ahmed in 1990 at the Ethiopian Airlines headquarters in Addis Ababa, he described him as among the top entrepreneurs in the developing world who remains loyal to his homeland of Harar. Mohammed would go on to serve as the secretary general of the African Airlines Association in 1992.

Awards & accolades
Mohammed was presented with the African aviation award for his contribution to the advancement of Africa's airlines business in 1999.