Vik draws on more than 20 years of consulting experience across multiple functional areas in travel, logistics, and infrastructure to advise organizations as they design networks, improve pricing sophistication, drive better on-time performance, and schedule crews efficiently.
Examples of his recent client work include the following:
- identifying process and cost-improvement opportunities for a major Latin American low-cost airline to achieve top-tier cost performance
- evaluating an airline target for potential acquisition for a major private-equity fund, which included assessing the target’s business plan, case for growth, revenue, partnership and network optimization potential, and cost-reduction opportunities
- assessing the US aircraft ground-handling market for a prospective private-equity investor, including growth potential, customer priorities in handler selection, and airport dynamics
- leading an outside-in review of a potential $15 billion-plus investment program on behalf of the board of directors of a large aerospace OEM
- assessing the implications of production rate changes on customer dynamics and cash flow for an aerospace OEM
- developing a resource-deployment and utilization plan across the organization of a global top ten hub airport to improve customer experience and prepare for future demand growth
- developing a plan to improve operational throughput and collaboration for the primary hub airline of major Asian airport group, driving 30 percent higher slot capacity at peak departure times
- identifying opportunities to expand the duty-free business for a Middle Eastern airport operator
Video
“The path to recovery for US hospitality,” McKinsey & Company, June 2021
Published work
"Ready for takeoff: The airline retailing opportunity,” McKinsey & Company, October 2024
“The evolving role of experiences in travel,” McKinsey & Company, September 2024
“Demand for efficient airplanes persists: An interview with Darren Hulst,” McKinsey & Company, September 2024
“Aircraft MRO 2.0: The digital revolution,” McKinsey & Company, July 2024
“What AI means for travel—now and in the future,” McKinsey & Company, November 2023
“Checking in on the aviation value chain’s recovery,” McKinsey & Company, October 2023
“The hotel of the future,” McKinsey & Company, July 2023
“Travel startups: Disruption from within?,” McKinsey & Company, March 2023
“Planning for uncertainty in commercial aerospace,” McKinsey & Company, February 2023
“The snap back of travel: Airlines’ ability to keep pace,” McKinsey & Company, November 2022
“Logistics disruptors: Replicating Uber’s success in the trucking industry,” McKinsey & Company, October 2022
“Accelerating the transition to net-zero travel,” McKinsey & Company, September 2022
“Why rising fuel prices might not be as bad for the airline sector as it seems,” McKinsey & Company, July 2022
“The six secrets of profitable airlines,” McKinsey & Company, June 2022
“Trying to boost corporate travel sales? Five questions for airline executives,” McKinsey & Company, May 2022
“Taking stock of the pandemic’s impact on global aviation,” McKinsey & Company, March 2022
“Turning on the revenue tap: How US airports could make the most of additional liquidity,” McKinsey & Company, February 2022
“Growth in a crisis: Lessons from hospitality CEO Omar El Hamamsy,” McKinsey & Company, November 2021
“A playbook for newly minted private equity portfolio-company CEOs,” McKinsey & Company, September 2021
“A travel boom is looming. But is the industry ready?,” McKinsey & Company, July 2021
“The comeback of corporate travel: How should companies be planning?,” McKinsey & Company, July 2021
“Will airline hubs recover from COVID-19?,” McKinsey & Company, November 2020
“For corporate travel, a long recovery ahead,” McKinsey & Company, August 2020
“Hospitality and COVID-19: How long until ‘no vacancy’ for US hotels?,” McKinsey & Company, June 2020
“Coronavirus: Airlines brace for severe turbulence,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020
PAST EXPERIENCE
Oliver Wyman
Partner, global aviation sector lead
EDUCATION
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
MBA, operations and information management, strategic management (Palmer Scholar)
Dartmouth College
BA, economics