William Hildred

He was Finance Officer for the Empire Marketing Board between 1926 and 1934, before being appointed Head of the Special Measures Branch at the Ministry of Agriculture (1934–35).

In 1940, he became a Principal Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Aircraft Production and the following year he was appointed Director-General of Civil Aviation, in which post he served until 1946.

[1] While at the Air Ministry, Hildred worked closely with the Brabazon Committee, which was drafting up plans for post-war British aircraft.

At Havana in 1945, representatives of various airlines decided to revive the International Air Traffic Association and they unanimously elected Hildred as their Director-General.

[4] The Times remarked that he "steered IATA with skill and determination along a course made turbulent by the often conflicting interests of what grew from 40 to 101 airlines of more than 50 nations ... he established himself as a skilfil negotiator, a sound administrator and an eloquent speaker".