Gordon Bethune
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Gordon M. Bethune (born August 1941) is the chairman of the board of Aloha Airgroup, parent company of Aloha Airlines.[1] He is the former CEO of Continental Airlines from 1994 until his retirement at the end of 2004. From 1996 on, he also served as chairman of the board at that airline. He also serves on the boards of Honeywell, Sprint Nextel, Prudential Financial, and the Willis Group. Prior to joining Continental, he was an executive at Boeing.
Bethune holds a commercial pilot certificate with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3, Boeing 757, and Boeing 767. Bethune was known for ensuring that he received some time as pilot when taking delivery of a new Continental Airlines Boeing 767 from Boeing and repositioning it from Seattle to Houston. He is also a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic.
Bethune released his book, From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental's Remarkable Comeback, in 1999.
While at Continental, Mr. Bethune created the Go-Forward plan, to fix the problems with the airline, which included employee morale, the quality of the product, and the route structure, among others. He is credited, along with his management team, with saving Continental from extinction.
The son of a crop duster, Bethune holds a science degree from Abilene Christian University and is a 1992 graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
Bethune was honored with the 2006 Lloyd P. Nolen Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award by the Wings Over Houston Airshow. The award is given to individuals, organizations, or companies dedicating their efforts to the advancement of aviation. In 2003, he received Tony Jannus Award for outstanding leadership in the commercial aviation industry.[2]
[edit] Personal
Bethune lives in Houston, Texas. He is separated and has three adult children.
[edit] References
- ^ Aloha Airgroup, Inc. (August 30, 2006). "Aloha Airgroup Names Gordon Bethune Chairman of the Board". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ Tony Jannus Award past recipients. Tony Jannus Society. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by (Chapter 11 bankruptcy) |
CEO of Continental Airlines 1994 – 2004 |
Succeeded by Larry Kellner |
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