American Airlines Reports Leadership Changes Supporting Its Restructuring Plan [Professional Services Close - Up] - InsuranceNewsNet

Celebrating 20 years of being the industry’s number one news source!

InsuranceNewsNet

Sign in
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home Now reading newswires
Topics
  • Life Insurance
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Property & Casualty
  • Advisor News
  • Washington Wire
  • Sponsored Content
  • INN Exclusives
  • Newswires
  • INNsider
  • INN Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
Sign in or register to be an INNsider.
  • INN Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • ★ Regulation News
  • Magazine
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Staff
  • Contact
  • Susbcribe

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Google+
Insider
newswires
newswires RSS Get our newsletter
Order Prints Share
December 9, 2011 newswires No comments Views: 0

American Airlines Reports Leadership Changes Supporting Its Restructuring Plan [Professional Services Close – Up]

Proquest LLC

American Airlines announced the retirements of two company officers, as well as a series of changes to the company's global leadership team.

In a release, the Company noted:

-Robert W. Reding, Executive Vice President Operations, will retire Dec. 31

James B. Ream is named Senior Vice President Operations, assuming additional responsibility for Flight Operations, Operations Planning & Performance, Operations Finance & Planning, and the Safety, Security and Environmental Departments, in addition to his current role overseeing Maintenance & Engineering (M&E)

-Mark L. Burdette, Vice President Employee Relations, will retire Dec. 31

Denise Lynn, currently Vice President, Flight Service, will move to the role of Vice President Employee Relations

-Monte Ford, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), has resigned effective Dec. 31

Maya Leibman, currently President of the AAdvantage Loyalty Program, is promoted to Senior Vice President and CIO

-Beverly Goulet is named Chief Restructuring Officer, in addition to her continuing role as Vice President Corporate Development and Treasurer

"We are fortunate to have so many talented leaders to fill some big shoes during a very critical time," said Tom Horton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Airlines. "The changes we're announcing today will ensure continuity in each role, while enabling us to broaden our team's experience and capabilities something that will be important as we lead American through the restructuring and reaffirm its position of leadership in the global airline industry."

Operations Leadership is Realigned

Robert W. Reding, Executive Vice President Operations, will retire Dec. 31, after 12 years of service to the company. Reding, a 40-year veteran of the aviation industry, has served in a variety of senior leadership roles for American and American Eagle Airlines, including Chief Operations Officer for American Eagle. Reding previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Regional Airlines and Reno Air. Reding also served as Vice President of Flight Operations at Midway Airlines and held various senior management positions at Air Florida. He was an officer and pilot flight examiner with the U.S. Air Force and has accumulated 10,000- plus hours as a commercial pilot.</p>

"I've had the distinct honor and pleasure to work with Bob for many years. He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to American and its employees, and we have benefitted from his counsel, insight and wisdom throughout a very difficult and challenging decade with the company," said Horton.

Reding's role will not be filled. Instead, some of his responsibilities will be assumed by James B. Ream, who is named Senior Vice President Operations. Effective upon Reding's retirement in December, Ream will take over additional responsibility for the Flight Operations, Operations Planning & Performance, Operations Finance & Planning, and Safety, Security and Environmental departments, in addition to his role overseeing M&E. Ream will report directly to Horton. Tom Del Valle, Senior Vice President Airport Services, currently reporting to Reding, also will report to Horton.

"Under Jim's guidance, we've begun retooling many aspects of our M&E organization, making it a smarter, more efficient operation that is grounded in a rigorous culture of safety," said Horton. "We have much work to do as we continue strengthening our domestic and global network, and begin implementing our transformational fleet strategy. We're confident Jim can tackle these challenges head-on while ensuring the safe operation of our 3,300 daily flights worldwide."

Burdette Retires; Lynn Takes On Crucial Role Overseeing Employee Relations

Also retiring Dec. 31 is Mark L. Burdette, a 20-year veteran of American who most recently served as Vice President Employee Relations (ER). Burdette has had an extensive career in the ER organization, holding a variety of strategic positions. He has served as primary liaison between the airline and the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American's pilots, and served as point person between the airline and the company's ground workers.

Horton said, "Mark has led many successful union negotiations over the years. His wealth of experience and his collaborative approach to bargaining made him a great asset to the company."

Replacing Burdette is Denise Lynn, who is named Vice President Employee Relations. Lynn will lead an ER team responsible for relations with all of American's employee groups. Lynn will provide support to American's 74,000 employees, as well as lead collective bargaining efforts with the company's unionized work groups.

"Denise is a real 'people person' and a great leader who has a deep commitment to developing people and creating a respectful and productive working environment," said Horton.

Appointment Ensures Smooth Transition of American's IT Operations Separately, Monte Ford, Senior Vice President and CIO, has resigned effective Dec. 31. Widely regarded as a leader in the field of information technology (IT), Ford has been honored by many publications and technology industry organizations for his insight and accomplishments. According to Horton, Ford joined American at a time when the airline needed to regain its position as a technological leader in business.

"Since joining American in 2001, Monte has been relentlessly focused on restoring American to the forefront of technological innovation, and he's made it happen. Monte's commitment to customer- enabling technology and persistent motivation to see that technology effectively implemented in our business will have a lasting effect," said Horton. "Monte is a visionary and it's understandable that having accomplished what he set out to do he's ready to move on to another technology turnaround challenge worthy of the specialized expertise and dedication he has to offer."

Succeeding Ford is Maya Leibman, who is promoted to Senior Vice President and CIO. In her new role, Leibman will lead the company's IT strategy and operations, including the continued deployment of next-generation technology to improve customer service and efficiency. She will report to Horton.

"Maya's diverse experience with American, coupled with her enthusiasm for tackling tough challenges and her insatiable appetite for innovation make her the perfect candidate to lead our IT organization," said Horton. "Maya brings a unique perspective to the CIO role, having worked so closely with American's best customers in her position as President of AAdvantage. She is both passionate about our customers and experienced in leveraging technology to serve them best."

Goulet to Spearhead Restructuring Efforts

In a related announcement, American named Beverly Goulet Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO), a role she will serve in addition to her current position as Vice President Corporate Development and Treasurer. As CRO, Goulet will head the development and implementation of the company's restructuring efforts, including procedures and processes designed to immediately improve the core business, as well as cohesive strategies aimed at ensuring the long- term survival and success of American. Goulet will continue reporting to Chief Financial Officer Bella Goren.

"Bev's experience handling complex, business-critical transactions during the past 18 years made her selection as CRO an easy one," said Horton. "While restructuring will help us to improve our financial position and make us more competitive, it will require an unprecedented level of coordination across functional and geographic areas of our business. Bev understands this and has the focused intensity and leadership skills necessary to get the job done right."

Biographical Data James B. "Jim" Ream, Senior Vice President Operations: Ream joined American in 2010 as Senior Vice President of Maintenance & Engineering, responsible for all of American's maintenance operations worldwide. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of ExpressJet, a company with 244 aircraft flying under the Continental Express brand, as well as corporate and charter flights. Prior to that, Ream served as President and Chief Operating Officer for Continental Express Airlines. From 1987 to 1995, Ream worked at American Airlines in various positions of increasing responsibility in the corporate purchasing, financial planning, capital planning, and finance groups. Ream served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic and crew chief.

Maya Leibman, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer: Leibman has been President of the AAdvantage Loyalty Program since 2010. Prior to that, she served as Vice President Information Technology Services (ITS). During her time in ITS, Leibman managed the deployment of the Self-Service and Curbside Check-In systems, which handle more than 70 percent of American's daily flight check-ins and together are responsible for over $100 million in operational savings for the airline. Leibman also led the development of a new real-time Passenger Service System, which serves as the technical foundation for Reservations, Airport, Revenue Management, Sales and other critical AA business functions. Leibman joined American in 1994 and has served in a variety of roles in the Revenue Management, Interactive Marketing and Employee Technology departments.

Denise Lynn, Vice President Employee Relations:

Lynn assumes this role after having served as Vice President, Flight Service, overseeing American's 17,000 flight attendants, as well as having been Vice President, Diversity and Leadership Strategies for American. Previously, Lynn was Vice President, People for American Eagle Airlines, where she was responsible for all human resources and labor matters for the regional airline. She joined American in 1989 as a financial analyst and quickly moved to the Human Resources department, where she held various benefits and productivity planning, analysis and management roles. Prior to joining American, Lynn was a consultant to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) on the redesign of its bus network. Lynn is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Airlines Federal Credit Union, and the Board of Trustees of Paul Quinn College, a historically black college located in Dallas.

Beverly Goulet, Vice President-Corporate Development and Treasurer and Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO):

Goulet has served as Vice President-Corporate Development and Treasurer since June 2002, a role in which she is responsible for American's debt and equity financings, derivatives programs including fuel hedging, banking, corporate insurance and risk management, and fleet transactions. She is also responsible for American's corporate development initiatives including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic investments. Goulet is responsible for arranging approximately $12 billion in financings for American since 2009, and was instrumental in the $500 million sale of American Beacon in 2008 and the 2000 spin-off of The Sabre Group. Prior to joining American in 1993, Goulet practiced corporate and securities law in Dallas for 13 years.

More Information:

www.AA.com

((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected]))

Copyright:  (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.
Wordcount:  1675

Older

Aon Benfield Rolls Out November Catastrophe Study [Professional Services Close – Up]

Newer

Professionals Prepare for Upcoming Oil & Gas Summit [Professional Services Close – Up]

Advisor News

  • RIAs Getting Bigger Slice Of $7 Trillion Pie
  • Charitable Giving Has No Seat At America’s Holiday Table
  • Smaller Stocks Gain On Bigger Players As 2019 Closes
  • Securities America Says Goldstein & Associates Has Joined Its Hybrid RIA Platform
  • PA Dumps Dozens Of Hedge Funds In Cost-Cutting Move
More Advisor News

Annuity News

  • Annuity Sales Down 8.4% In 3Q; Up 7.5% Year-To-Date: Report
  • Wink Unveils Beefed Up AnnuitySpecs Tool
  • Plaintiffs Abandon Lawsuit Targeting Security Benefit Proprietary Index
  • NAIC Regulators Move Annuity Sales Model Forward
  • Robert Kerzner Joins PHP Agency’s Board Of Directors
More Annuity News

Health/Employee Benefits

  • Ex-NFL Players Charged With Trying To Defraud League Health Care Plan
  • Corporate Pensions Head For Extinction As Nature Of Retirement Plans Changes
  • Trump Says He’ll Expand Child Care, Paid Leave For Workers
  • Legal & General Retirement America Surpasses $1B In Premiums For 2019
  • HealthyWomen/WebMD Study: Women Don’t Discuss Health Concerns
More Health/Employee Benefits

Life Insurance

  • New York Life Is Going To The Super Bowl
  • Ladder To Launch In New York Via Relationship With Allianz Life
  • Sproutt Launches; Uses Data To Reward Healthy Life Insurance Customers
  • Caregiver Took Out Life Insurance On Florida Man, Then Killed Him, Police Allege
  • Nationwide Named Official Insurance Partner Of Minor League Baseball
More Life Insurance

Featured Offers

Text Ads

Press ReleasesAll press releases

  • Symetra Awarded ISO 27001 Certification for Cybersecurity
  • Equisoft Partners with Refinitiv to Deliver a Powerful Solution for Wealth Managers
  • Life Health Insurance, Investment and Retirement Planning Powerhouse AmeriLife® Expands its Platform of Advanced Life Insurance Services with Acquisition of Agent Support Group
  • Brookstone Capital Management Expands Darryl Ronconi’s Role, Naming Him President and Chief Operating Officer
  • WoodmenLife Launches Unified Selling Experience for Agents with iPipeline
Add your Press Release >

Topics

  • Life Insurance
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Property and Casualty News
  • Advisor News
  • Washington Wire
  • Regulation

Top Sections

  • INN Exclusives
  • INN Insider

Our Company

  • About
  • Editorial Staff
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Sign up for our FREE e-Newsletter!

Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox.

select Newsletter Options
Facebook Linkedin Twitter Google+
© 2019 InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • AdvisorNews

Sign in with your INNsider Account

Not registered? Become an INNsider.