Rolls-Royce: Innovation is what is transforming HNA Group into a world renowned brand

BEIJING, July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The pleasant weather that accompanies the beginning of summer provides the right backdrop to HNA Group's celebration of its 24th year of serving the public. Based on Hainan Island at the southernmost tip of China, the group has gone from a local air transport company to a Global Fortune 500 conglomerate with businesses spanning tourism, finance, logistics and ecological technologies, among several others.

On the occasion of the anniversary, HNA's partners have expressed their recognition for the group's outstanding progress as well as support for its continued growth and success in the future.

Paul Freestone, Senior Vice President, Civil Aerospace, at UK-based Rolls-Royce, said "HNA Group is a very important customer. We are committed to building a strong and lasting partnership with the group."

Rolls-Royce and HNA Group seeks win-win cooperation

The cooperation on widebody aircraft installed engines between Rolls-Royce Group and HNA Group started in 2007, when HNA Group's subsidiary Hainan Airlines received its first Airbus A330 equipped with the Rolls-Royce Trent 700. Even before the tie-up in 2007, HNA Group operated Gulfstream and Embraer's business jets powered by Rolls-Royce's engines.

In October 2015, with the heads of the UK and Chinese governments as witnesses, HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng and Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East signed a civil aircraft engine and service agreement worth up to US$2.4 billion. HNA Group became one of the operators running the world's largest A330 fleet powered by Rolls-Royce's Trent 700 engines.

Up to now, more than a half of HNA's wide-body aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce's engines.

With ongoing strategic business cooperation and further leadership development, HNA Group and Rolls-Royce are committed to the long-term partnership going forward.

HNA Group continues to seek the next breakthrough

On the occasion of HNA Group's 24th anniversary, the group's partners sent their regards and congratulations.

As HNA's long-term global strategic partner, Rolls-Royce Greater China Vice President Troy Wang also said: "we're in an era of evolution and change, the ties between different countries have never been closer as a result of how the global economy has developed, how the skillsets of business leaders have become more diversified, and how the whole of society has become ever more digitalised. Given this backdrop, HNA Group, as a pioneer among Chinese firms, continues to move forward by aggressive business expansion through recruiting, training and retaining a highly talented workforce. For these reasons, the future of HNA Group is looking brighter than ever."

As a large-scale comprehensive cross-sector enterprise, HNA Group has created more than 410,000 working opportunities globally. At the same time, the group has made a contribution to the human resources development through the establishment of a comprehensive induction and in-service training plan for new hires, as well as through the creation and implementation of a complete training system for the management team and staff members. The professional and highly dedicated employees working together in HNA is the reason to the group's success.

As a preeminent engineering company focused on the power systems for land, air and sea, Rolls-Royce Group has been actively brining in some of the most experienced and seasoned executives across the aviation sector. "Our relationship with HNA Group goes beyond providing products and services to its airlines and leasing companies. We are also partners in the field of training and leadership development, as we share the same vision for people. In the future, we will continue supporting for HNA Group's talent development programme," Mr. Wang added.

The Leadership Acceleration Training Plan, a joint management education programme between the HNA Group and Rolls-Royce Group, has successfully trained 15 groups of executives. In March 2017, the latest 10-day programmes was conducted at Rolls-Royce's Learning and Development centre in Derby, UK, and 25 executives from HNA Group attended the occasion. In scenic Derbyshire, the HNA Group executives acquired an understanding of Rolls-Royce's corporate culture and undertook an in-depth analysis of the firm's development strategies while also gaining a substantial knowledge base on organisational management and leadership development.

World brand starts with innovation

HNA Group started as a traditional air transportation company on a small island South of China in 1993 to a multi-national corporation with presence in financial business providing leasing, insurance, internet services, finance as well as securities services now. Continuous innovation has been playing a vital role in the group's rapid and massive development as it moved into unfamiliar fields and environments.

Mr. Wang captured the essence of what HNA is seeking to achieve with his comment, "Innovation has always been at the heart of the development of HNA Group, and driven it to be a one of the world's leading brands."

In the new digital era, HNA Group seeks to enable sustainable development system where the company can continue to grow through business expansion and industry integration.

Building a "large air corridor" to promote connections and exchanges

Even before the term "Brexit" had entered the English vernacular, economic and trade relations between China and the UK had already entered a "golden age" as the two countries recognised how their complementary advantages could lead to a powerful combination. At present, China is the UK's fourth largest trade partner, while the UK is China's second largest partner in the EU and its largest investment destination.

The favourable political, economic and cultural environment provides an excellent opportunity for HNA Group and Rolls-Royce to build best-in-class executive teams and jointly explore global markets along with other initiatives. The international cooperation forum for the Chinese government's Belt & Road initiative held in May 2017 demonstrated again how the revitalisation of the ancient overland and maritime Silk Road trade routes is destined to promote the free flow of capital, technology and talent as well as reinvigorate the manufacturing sector, enhance the sharing of commodities, resources and achievements, while creating an environment for stimulating development and prosperity across the Euro-Asian landmass.

In line with the Chinese government's twin initiatives - the Belt and Roald Initiative and the programme to encourage Chinese firms to engage in international development opportunities, HNA Group is aggressively building a new traffic hub for the "Silk Road in the air".

As of the end of 2016, HNA Group operated 200 international routes, of which 65 routes link to the countries and regions targeted by the "Belt & Road initiative". The group continues to develop new international routes in an effort to build a "large air corridor" that bridges the countries and regions that encompass the initiative.

Mr. Wang congratulated HNA Group as he said: "HNA Group realised some excellent achievements over the past 24 years, and we sincerely look forward to its next a quarter of a century being even more brilliant and sustainable."

SOURCE HNA Tourism Group