Dear American and US Airways Team Members,
Today I am pleased to announce the senior leadership team that has been selected to lead the new American Airlines. The team we are naming today is comprised of senior leaders from both American and US Airways. As individuals, they each have outstanding industry expertise and experience. Collectively, they form the best team in the industry. The team will be comprised of:
- Scott Kirby: President
- Elise Eberwein: Executive Vice President, People and Communications
- Bev Goulet: Chief Integration Officer
- Robert Isom: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer of US Airways, Inc. post-close
- Steve Johnson: Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs
- Derek Kerr: Chief Financial Officer
- Maya Leibman: Chief Information Officer
- Will Ris: Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Scott, Elise, Robert, Steve and Derek will join the new American from US Airways. Bev, Maya and Will join from American.
I also wanted to let you know that Dan Garton will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer of American Eagle Airlines later this year. We will name a successor prior to Dan’s departure.
I could not be happier about this team. They are an intelligent, results-oriented and energetic group who enjoy working collaboratively. They are experienced airline executives who understand and love our business. They care about our customers and are dedicated to providing industry leading customer service with an unwavering commitment to safety. They understand they work for the shareholders of the new American and that their job is to reward the shareholders’ confidence in all of us.
And…they know that the only way they can accomplish all of those things is by engaging, motivating and respecting the more than 100,000 hard-working team members of the new American. Our job is to support all of you – to give you the tools and information you need to do your jobs and then let you do it as the exceptional and experienced group of aviation professionals you are. This team was built to do just that.
Mergers unfortunately result in departures, and there are some on both teams, but I want to use this opportunity to specifically thank some of the outstanding senior executives at American. The American restructuring is far and away the most successful in aviation history and it would not be possible without the exceptional and dedicated work of people like Dan Garton, Bella Goren, Gary Kennedy, Denise Lynn, Jim Ream, Jon Snook and Virasb Vahidi. We are grateful for their phenomenal work and dedication and are committed to building on the foundation they have put in place.
It is time to move forward and this announcement is a key step on the path. The merger is progressing well and we continue to expect it will close in the third quarter of this year. We anticipate naming additional officers in the weeks ahead and will have the entire officer team selected by the time the merger closes, if not sooner. Looking ahead, I am confident that the new American will continue to provide great leadership opportunities for managers from both companies. In the meantime, please keep up the great work in support of our customers.
I am excited about today’s announcement but even more excited about the years ahead and the opportunity to work with all of you. In fact, I can’t wait to get started. Thank you so much for your support and your commitment to the new American Airlines – we will be one team soon.
Doug