You have decades of experience in the commercial aviation industry, starting at a commuter airline in Alaska. How will those roots translate to success in the islands?
Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines each have 90-plus years of service connecting people and carrying cargo within our home states and beyond through safe and reliable air transportation. Our rich histories and common purpose – a powerful fabric of our combined company – unite us and create a solid foundation to guide us on this exciting journey to integrate two beloved airlines and deliver more for our guests, employees and communities. I’ve had the privilege to serve in various roles throughout my career– starting as a customer service agent and pilot in the state of Alaska – where I gained a deep appreciation for our essential role as the lifeline for rural, air service dependent communities. I learned early on that airlines like Alaska and Hawaiian are an engine to support economic development in our states and across the geographies we serve, while being a key local employer that provides rewarding careers for our people.
What most excites you about taking the helm at Hawaiian? The people. We have over 7,000 dedicated professionals at Hawaiian Airlines. I feel grateful to join this incredibly talented team at Hawaiian. They have built a brand that is so admired by employees, our guests and our industry. With that also comes a strong sense of personal responsibility to honor and thoughtfully steer the Hawaiian brand. We will lean on our purpose and values and continuously learn from each other and our decades of expertise to become an even stronger airline.
How will Hawaiian and Alaska each benefit from the merger?
We will benefit by being able to do more for our guests. While we are in the initial stages of our combination, today our guests can already seamlessly transfer miles between HawaiianMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan. They now also have convenient access to a significantly expanded network of 141 nonstop destinations, including 29 international markets and over 1,200 cities globally through the oneworld Alliance. Next year, we plan to announce an industry-leading unified loyalty program for both brands that will match elite status and unlock more benefits for our guests. As an early testament to our commitment to becoming stronger together, in January we established the Hawai‘i Community Advisory Board (HICAB) to seek feedback on how our combined airline can best serve local communities statewide. I’m particularly excited about our Huaka‘i by Hawaiian program, which was shaped through the insightful input of our HICAB members. Members of Huaka‘i, a free program for Hawai‘i residents, will enjoy exclusive discounts and deals – including 10% off one booking per quarter and a free checked bag – to make it easier to fly between the islands. Members who are Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard holders will receive 20% off one interisland booking per quarter. We are also celebrating and rewarding hundreds of Hawaiian Million Milers for their long loyalty with us. For our team members, the combination brings tremendous opportunity for career development as we grow the business. With Honolulu becoming Alaska Air Group’s second largest hub after Seattle and a key regional headquarters, we are preserving and growing union-represented jobs across Hawai‘i and building upon both airlines’ career pipeline initiatives.
Customers have voiced concern about a dilution of the Hawaiian Airlines brand. What will change and what will stay the same? The Hawaiian Airlines brand is here to stay. It will not only endure but thrive, backed by the strength of our combination and the deep loyalty it has rightfully earned over nine decades. In fact, keeping and nurturing the Hawaiian brand that has been built through the hard work of generations of Hawaiian Airlines employees is indispensable to our success. Our brand is rooted in and celebrates Hawaiian culture; it is a vehicle through which we elevate fellow kamaʻāina companies and artists who partner with us on our onboard products, as well as cabin and uniform designs, and it evokes the warmth and genuine Hawaiian hospitality of our teams – the people who bring life to the brand with every guest interaction. The Hawaiian brand is what will continue to separate us from the competition as Hawai‘i’s hometown airline.
What challenges need to be addressed and will those solutions impact customers? Airlines are incredibly complex, and there is a lot of important work ahead to integrate our many systems and operations until we achieve a single operating certificate by the FAA, a process we expect to take about 12-18 months. During this time, we will continue to operate Hawaiian independently with a focus on safety and operational excellence as we integrate our airlines in phases through various milestones, among them combining our loyalty programs and adopting a shared passenger service system. While this is challenging work, it gives us a unique opportunity to learn from each other, our guests and communities to bring the absolute best of both airlines together. We will further enhance our loyalty programs, build upon our superior onboard service and offerings including our complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi, expand lounge spaces, and improve technology and self-service options both digitally and in our lobbies to streamline our guests’ travel experience. We are at the beginning of our journey, but as I meet more of my new Hawaiian Airlines colleagues throughout our airports and operations, I’m encouraged and energized by our shared desire and commitment to deliver greater value as we connect our guests with aloha.
THE BIO FILE
>> Age: 56
>> Education: Bachelor’s in aeronautical science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; master’s of business administration, University of Washington
>> Background: Alaska Airlines, 17 years in various positions; Horizon Air, four years as president
>> Hobbies: Hiking, plane watching
