THE 24TH ANNUAL

Phoenix International Aviation Symposium The Most Exclusive Gathering in the Industry

Speaker Biographies

Ron Abel

Bruce Ashby

Randy Babbitt

Captain Ron Abel has been an airline pilot for more than 35 years and has served in numerous roles at the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA). Currently, he is chairman of the ALPA International Affairs Committee (IAC), which develops strategy and makes recommendations on issues related to international air transportation. The IAC monitors and recommends Association action on international air services negotiations, airline alliances and other such activities that have the potential to influence the piloting profession. He is also chair of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) Professional & Government Affairs Committee, which develops strategy in the areas of freedom of association, pensions, air service negotiations, globalization, contract enforcement and dispute resolution, and job security. Abel has written extensively on a variety of international and globalization issues for Air Line Pilot, ALPA’s official journal. He started his airline career with Air Wisconsin in 1978 and moved to United Airlines in 1995. He is currently an Airbus A320 captain based in Chicago. Bruce Ashby has been the CEO of the oneworld alliance since December 2010. His airline industry experience began in 1987 as a consultant, and then in 1989 he became Manager of Operations Research with United Airlines. He later held several positions with United, including Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis and Vice President of Finance and Treasurer. He then moved to Delta Airlines as Vice President of Marketing Development. In 1996, he joined US Airways as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis. In his nine-year tenure with the airline, he held a number of senior positions, including serving as Senior Vice President of Alliances and President of US Airways Express, and finally as its Executive Vice President of Marketing. In late 2005, Ashby moved to India to launch IndiGo as its CEO. After more than three years leading the Indian airline, he was recruited in late 2008 to serve as CEO of Saudi Arabia’s SAMA Airlines where he lead the company until 2010. Randy Babbitt is Senior Vice President of Labor Relations for Southwest Airlines, the world’s largest low-cost carrier. Babbitt is responsible for all negotiations, communication and ongoing relationships between the Dallas-based airlines and the various unions that represent airline employees. Prior to joining Southwest in 2012, Babbitt led the FAA from June 2009 through December 2011. He also spent more than eight years on the FAA Management Advisory Council. Babbitt is a veteran pilot, flying 25 years for Eastern Airlines and he was elected President of the Air Line Pilots Association Union, serving for eight years. He founded and led Eclat Consulting as President for seven years and remained there when it merged with Oliver Wyman Consulting as a senior partner for several years.

Michael J. Bell

Enrique J. Beltranena

Ian Brown

John Byerly

Capt. Tim Canoll

Michael Bell is a consultant in Spencer Stuart’s Miami office and co-leads the firm’s global aviation, aerospace and defense practice. He provides top-level executive search consulting services to a broad range of clients in aviation, spanning the airline, airport and aerospace sectors. Bell has led senior-level searches for numerous aviation organizations around the globe. In addition to his primary focus on the aviation industry, he serves the executive recruitment needs of clients in related sectors such as tourism, hospitality and transportation. Bell is a regular speaker at aviation industry conferences, including those hosted by Airports Council International, Air Transport World/Global Aviation Associates, IATA, Latin America & Caribbean Aviation and Unisys Transportation. He also has authored several industry studies on leadership, including Crafting the Airline Leadership Team for the 21st Century, The New Breed: Profiling the Next Generation of Airline Leaders in Latin America and Crafting the Airport Leadership Team for the 21st Century. Enrique J. Beltranena is General Director and CEO of Volaris, Mexico’s low-cost airline. He has been involved in the aviation industry since becoming General Director and CEO of Aviateca, the Guatemala-based airline, in 1995. He also worked at Grupo TACA from 1997 until joining Volaris in 2006. Beltranena has been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame in Monaco in 2012, Entrepreneur of the Year in Mexico in 2011, and considered one of the “300 Leaders in México” by Líderes Magazine from 2007-2014. Recently, he was awarded with the National Order of Merit (Badges of the Knight) by the president of France. Ian Brown is the Chief Executive Officer for Rentalcars.com, the world’s largest car rental price comparison and booking platform. With customers in more than 180 countries, Rentalcars.com’s global customer base is supported in over 40 languages online and in 24/7 contact centers. Rentalcars.com is part of Priceline Group, the world’s leading travel company, alongside Booking.com, Priceline.com, Kayak, Agoda and OpenTable. Brown joined Rentalcars.com in 2014 as chief operating officer. He previously spent 16 years at Oliver Wyman, where he led the Travel & Leisure and Commercial Effectiveness practices globally.  Brown holds a master of engineering in Engineering, Economics & Management from The Queen’s College, Oxford.   John Byerly, who is recognized as the “father of open skies in the United States,” advises U.S. and international clients on a full range of international aviation issues, including negotiations, economic and environmental regulation, aviation safety and security, government relations, and strategic planning. He draws on more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Department of State; extensive contacts in the private sector, international organizations, and governments around the globe; and a record of successfully establishing Open Skies as the global template for air transportation. While at the U.S. State Department, he oversaw the negotiation of market-opening air transport agreements with more than 70 countries and led U.S. delegations that secured Open Skies accords with Germany, France, the European Union and its Member States, and Japan. Byerly is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, studied European and German law as a Fulbright Scholar in Berlin, and has a law degree from Yale Law School. Captain Tim Canoll (Delta) is the tenth president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), which represents more than 51,000 professional airline pilots in the United States and Canada, and is the largest nongovernmental aviation safety organization in the world. He was elected by the union’s Board of Directors and began his four-year term on January 1, 2015. As ALPA’s Chief Executive and Administrative Officer, Captain Canoll oversees daily operations of the Association and presides over the meetings of ALPA’s governing bodies, which set policy for the organization. He is also the chief spokesman for the union, advancing pilots’ views in the airline industry before Congress, Parliament, government agencies, airline and other business executives, and also the news media. Captain Canoll is a Delta MD-88 captain based in Atlanta. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a former Navy Reserve F/A-18 strike fighter squadron commanding officer.

Dr. Zhihang Chi

Jon Cobin

Jim Compton

David Cush

As Vice President and General Manager for North America, Dr. Chi manages all aspects of Air China’s business in the region from its headquarters in Los Angeles. He manages more than 175 US-based Air China employees and oversees the marketing and operations for the growing number of passenger flights (60 every week) between North America and China. He is a much-sought after speaker on topics ranging from US-China relations to trade, tourism and aviation. His incisive analysis and understanding of issues affecting the United States/China and the travel industry, coupled with his exceptional ability to articulate scholarly ideas into easily comprehensible language, makes him a top choice for TV and print journalists seeking an informed opinion on these matters. Dr. Chi’s experience includes a number of increasingly responsible positions for Northwest Airlines from 1994-2003. He joined Air China in 2004. Dr. Chi was born in China and earned his doctorate and master’s degrees from the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Jon Cobin serves as Executive Vice President of Gogo’s Global Airline Business Group, leading the group that manages Gogo’s relationships with commercial airlines and acquires new airline partnerships. In addition, he leads Gogo’s strategy group. Cobin joined Gogo in 2010 as Senior Vice President of Project and Operations Management. Prior to joining Gogo, Cobin served as the Vice President of Strategic Planning at Centennial Communications and was instrumental in formulating the company’s overall strategy as well as planning and executing major growth initiatives and milestone transactions. Prior to Centennial, Cobin held positions of increasing responsibility as a strategy consultant at Dean & Company and in investment banking at J.P. Morgan. He received his master’s degree in business administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a bachelor of arts, magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College. Jim Compton is Vice Chairman and Chief Revenue Officer for United Airlines. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s domestic and international operations, sales, corporate development and alliances, network pricing and revenue management, and network planning. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Continental Airlines. At Continental, he was instrumental in launching EliteAccess, the airline’s priority service for its most valuable customers. Before joining Continental, Compton worked at United Parcel Service of America from 1993 to 1995. Prior to that, Compton served as Manager of Forecasting and Revenue Analysis for United from 1984 to 1993. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois – Chicago. David Cush is President and Chief Executive Officer for Virgin America, a position he was appointed to in December 2007. Under his leadership, Virgin America has experienced recordsetting growth and has swept all the major reader-based travel industry best-in-class awards. Cush has more than 22 years of management experience at some of the world’s biggest airlines, holding key leadership positions in finance, sales and marketing, customer service and operations. Prior to Virgin America, he served as Senior Vice President of global sales at American Airlines after serving as Vice President of International Planning and Global Alliances with the airlines. In addition, he was Chief Operating Officer for Aerolíneas Argentinas, the national carrier of Argentina. Cush has bachelor’s degrees in broadcast/ film and psychology, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Barry Eccleston

Tom S. Engle

Tamie Fisher

William A. Franke

Barry Eccleston is President of Airbus Americas and joined Airbus in August 2005. He oversees all efforts of Airbus in North America, and Canada, including sales and marketing, engineering, service and training. Eccleston joined Airbus from Honeywell’s Engines, Systems and Services division, where he served as Vice President and General Manager of the Propulsion Systems Enterprise. He held that position for nearly two years, with responsibility for the $1.4 billion business aviation, turboprop, regional fan, and military engines businesses. Prior to that position, he served as Honeywell’s Vice President of Commercial Aerospace for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Eccleston’s career in aviation and aerospace began at Rolls-Royce where he started as a flight test engineer and held increasingly senior positions with the company for 29 years, including President and CEO Rolls-Royce in Canada, and culminating in his role as President and CEO of International Aero Engines, where Rolls-Royce is one of the major shareholders. Tom S. Engle became Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs at the U.S. Department of State in July 2014. A career Senior Foreign Service officer, he also served in this area in 2005-07 as lead U.S. negotiator on civil aviation agreements, and concluded bilateral liberalization accords with China, Mexico, Canada, Thailand and other countries. Prior to his current position, Engle was Director of the Office of Monetary Affairs, responsible for sovereign debt issues, financial and macroeconomic policy issues, and efforts to combat international trade-related bribery. In that capacity, he was the lead U.S. representative to the Paris Club of creditor nations. Since joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1986, Engle has held overseas assignments in Beijing, Tokyo, Islamabad, Singapore, Berlin, and Kabul, serving as economic counselor at the U.S. embassies in Germany and Afghanistan. Before joining the State Department, Engle worked in Washington for the U.S.-China Business Council and as a radio journalist for the Voice of America. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Davidson College in North Carolina. Tamie Fisher, Acting Aviation Director with the City of Phoenix Aviation Department, has more than 25 years of experience in business management, real estate development, property management, economic development, and community relations. She has overall management responsibility for the Phoenix airport system, which includes Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix Deer Valley, and Phoenix Goodyear airports. Fisher has been a city of Phoenix employee since 1995. She joined the Aviation Department in 2003 to lead the development of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Rental Car Center. Prior to this assignment, Fisher led economic development associated with the city’s light rail project and played a key role in the development of the municipal court facility. She is a Phoenix native and holds a bachelor of science in design from Arizona State University and a certificate in aviation management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. William A. Franke is the Managing Partner of Indigo Partners LLC, a private equity fund focused on air transportation investments. The fund currently has major investments in Volaris Airlines (Mexico), Wizz Air (Hungary) and Frontier Airlines (U.S.). Franke’s business career has included serving as CEO of a Fortune 500 forest products company, of a large U.S. convenience store company, and of America West Airlines (now American Airlines). Also, Franke was managing partner of Newbridge Latin America, a private equity fund focused on Latin America, which made investments in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina in a variety of businesses including retail, manufacturing and insurance. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from Northern Arizona University, whose business college is named after him.

Sadiq Gillani

Henry H. Harteveldt

Bob Hazel

Ben Hirst

Sadiq Gillani has been the Chief Strategy Officer for Lufthansa Group since 2011. He is responsible for corporate strategy, portfolio strategy, innovation, business development and sustainability and has implemented several major strategic projects. Previously, he was the Chief Commercial Officer of a startup Brazilian low-cost carrier based in Rio de Janeiro and has a decade of consulting experience. Gillani is recognized as one of the travel industry’s leading thinkers, delivering the first airline Ted-Talk with over 100,000 views, serving on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council for Travel and teaching one of the most popular MBA classes at Stanford University on the travel and airline industry. Gillani completed a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School and holds a bachelor’s degree and master of philosophy degree in management studies from Cambridge University. He has visited more than 115 countries and lived on six continents. Henry H. Harteveldt is one of the world’s most well-known, respected, and sought-after airline and travel industry analysts. After nearly 12 years as Forrester Research’s travel industry analyst, Harteveldt began Atmosphere Research to provide independent, objective and trustworthy research on travel industry marketing, product distribution, digital commerce and future trends. Before joining Forrester, he spent more than 15 years in marketing, planning, and distribution leadership roles at companies such as American Airlines, TWA, Continental Airlines, Trump Organization, Fairmont Hotels Management Company, and GetThere. In May 2014, Skift named Harteveldt as one of its 30 “movers and shakers,” reflecting his influence with both travel industry leaders and global media. Bob Hazel is a partner at Oliver Wyman, a global management consulting firm that represents clients in all sectors of aviation. His diverse expertise includes business planning and commercial improvements, market analysis, economic and regulatory issues, and airline-airport issues. He has completed projects for airports, airlines, other aviation firms, and investors around the world. Prior to becoming a consultant in 2001, Hazel worked for US Airways as Vice President - Properties and Facilities and in several other positions, including as the airline’s lead lawyer for aircraft acquisitions and corporate finance transactions, as well as senior regulatory counsel. He has authored or co-authored numerous publications on the topics of airport and airline economics. Hazel holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton, a law degree from the University of Chicago, and an MBA from George Washington. Ben Hirst is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Delta Air Lines overseeing the airline’s legal and government affairs teams. Under his leadership, Delta has played a key role, alongside the industry association Airlines for America (A4A) in advocating for U.S. policy changes to allow the nation’s airlines to compete effectively in a global marketplace. Before joining Delta in 2008, Hirst served as Northwest Airlines’ Senior Vice PresidentCorporate Affairs and General Counsel. He began at Northwest in 1990 as Senior Vice PresidentGeneral Counsel and in 1994 assumed responsibility for Corporate Affairs. In 1999, he left Northwest to become General Counsel of the Minnesota Twins, before being named Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Burger King Corporation and later Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of KB Home. In 2007, Hirst returned to Northwest to oversee the company’s legal affairs and internal and external communications. Before joining Northwest, he was Vice President-General Counsel and Secretary at Continental Airlines from 1986 to 1990. He also has served as assistant to the director of International and Domestic Aviation for the Civil Aeronautics Board during the deregulation of the airline industry. Hirst graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Paul Houghton is President, SITA Americas Region. In this capacity, Houghton leads a team responsible for all sales, installation and operations of SITA’s innovative solution portfolio to customers throughout North and South America. Working with airlines, airports, aerospace companies and government agencies, SITA’s goal is to increase performance of core business processes and play a leading role in growing the air transportation industry.

Paul Houghton

John Jackson

Jonathan Keane

Scott Kirby

Mike Korens

With more than two decades in the travel industry and more than 15 years with airlines, John Jackson is Vice President of Passenger Marketing and Sales for Korean Air’s North and South American regions. He’s the first non-Korean to hold this executive position in Korean Air’s 45-plus years of operating between Asia and North America. Jackson grew up in the airline industry with his mom a flight attendant and his dad a marketer for Delta. He started his airline career as a campus sales representative with Continental/Eastern Airlines in the 1980s at the University of Georgia. After graduation, he worked with Delta in planning and maintenance scheduling before joining Korean Air. After nearly five years, he was recruited by Advanstar Communications, where he was responsible for sales in the Asia/Pacific region. Jackson then started RB Media, a company that represented magazines, newsletters, and a monthly community newspaper. While he enjoyed success as a publisher, Jackson’s true calling is the airline industry and he rejoined the Asian powerhouse in 2005 to lead its North American passenger marketing and sales teams. Jonathan Keane is a partner in Oliver Wyman’s global transportation practice based in London. Keane has worked extensively with airlines, hotels, tour operators, and travel agents across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East to define and deliver programs of significant business change. His experience spans the commercial, customer, operations, cargo and corporate functions. His recent assignments include the development of an airline’s ancillary revenue capability, the creation and implementation of a global hotel staffing optimization model, and the management of a significant IT-enabled airline change program. Previously, he worked within Accenture’s global travel and transportation services consulting practice. Keane holds a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Nottingham and heads Oliver Wyman’s London office. Scott Kirby is President of American Airlines Group and its principal subsidiary company, American Airlines. Kirby oversees American’s operations, planning, marketing, sales, alliances and pricing/yield management. Previously, Kirby served as President of US Airways, where he oversaw the airline’s operations, including flight operations, safety and regulatory compliance, maintenance, inflight services, airport customer service and reservations. He also oversaw the airline’s sales, marketing, alliances, pricing/yield management and scheduling. Prior to being named President in 2006, Kirby was US Airways’ Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, a position he held at America West Airlines prior to the two carriers’ 2005 merger. Before that, he held various leadership positions in areas such as planning and revenue mangement. Prior to joining America West, Kirby worked for American Airlines Decision Technologies (AADT), a subsidiary of AMR Corp., and worked at the Pentagon prior to AADT. Mike Korens is an independent consultant who advises aviation-related clients on public policy and government relations matters.  His clients include U.S. and international passenger and all-cargo carriers, several U.S. large hub airports, the world’s largest commercialized air traffic control provider and a leading commercial space company.  After practicing law at the Washington, D.C. office of Arnold & Porter, Korens was appointed majority counsel for the Senate Aviation Subcommittee from 1995 to 1997.  During this time, his duties included serving as the Senate’s official observer for U.S.– United Kingdom and U.S. – Japan bilateral aviation negotiations, staff lead for the Senate’s oversight of the ValuJet 592 and TWA 800 tragedies, and helping author and shepherd the 1996 FAA Reauthorization Law through Congress.  Korens has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., and a law degree from Georgetown University. 

Irene Larkin

Scott Laurence

Irene Larkin is an Acting Assistant Aviation Director for the city of Phoenix Aviation Department. Prior to this, she was Deputy City Auditor for the city of Phoenix where she supported City Management in meeting organizational objectives, operational efficiency and ethically managing public assets for all city departments. She spent nearly four years of that time leading Aviation projects including revenue, expenditure, CIP, fiscal, rates and charges, process improvements, management services and regulatory compliance audits that require knowledge of airport operations and the ability to interpret federal, state and local regulations relating to airport operations and maintenance. Before this, she served various positions within the city of Phoenix including Personnel Fiscal Specialist and Internal Auditor. Larkin holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Arizona State University and received two advanced professional certifications from the Institute of Internal Auditors as a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Government Auditing Professional. Her role in an investigation for the Family Investigation Bureau (Crimes Against Children Unit) earned her the prestigious Knighton Award presented by the Association of Local Government Auditors. At JetBlue, Scott Laurence is Senior Vice President, Airline Planning, where he is responsible for all aspects of the airlines network strategy and operational planning. He also oversees JetBlue’s airline partnership portfolio – currently comprising more than 35 airlines across the globe – as well as international operations, charter, operations engineering, manpower planning and continuous improvement. Laurence joined JetBlue in 2008, where he has served as Director and Vice President of Network Planning. Prior to JetBlue, Laurence spent nine years at United Airlines in various planning, revenue management and finance positions. His airline career was launched at US Airways, where he worked for three years in planning and revenue management positions. Laurence is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Grant Martin is head of marketing and product strategy at Avegant, a mobile media display company. In addition to his role in the consumer electronics space, he works as a contributing editor and writer at numerous travel publications, including Skift, Forbes, The Economist and Travel + Leisure.

Grant Martin

Chad Makovsky

Scott Mayerowitz

As Assistant Aviation Director with the Phoenix Aviation Department, Chad Makovsky is responsible for administration, human resources, facilities and services, operations, and technology divisions at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. He also oversees aviation police and fire operations and general aviation airports Phoenix Deer Valley and Phoenix Goodyear. Makovsky has spent his career in the aviation field, beginning in 1992 when he served as an aircraft fueler in St. Cloud, Minn. He graduated from Saint Cloud State University with a degree in aviation operations and then worked for America West Airlines. He has also held operations positions at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. Makovsky is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives. He has served on Airport Cooperative Research Program panels and is active in several AAAE and ACI committees. He holds a private pilot license and an MBA from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. Scott Mayerowitz is an enterprise airline reporter with the Associated Press. He has written about the best time to buy airfare, how safety advances have improved crash suitability, how travel has changed since 9/11 and new fees charged by airlines. Prior to arriving at the AP, Mayerowitz covered travel and business at ABC News and state politics and the gambling industry for the Providence (R.I.) Journal. He has won several journalism awards, including one for breaking news coverage of the American Airlines bankruptcy, another for coverage of the Boeing Dreamliner and one for a feature on lost luggage. Mayerowitz holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wesleyan University.

Scott McCartney

Douglas McKeen

Deborah Ostreicher

James D. Parker, Ph.D.

Scott McCartney writes a weekly Wall Street Journal column on airlines and travel called “The Middle Seat,’’ which is one of the paper’s most-read and most-emailed fixtures. McCartney has been on the airline and aviation beat since 1995 and makes numerous radio, national television and online video appearances. He was part of the Journal’s team that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting for coverage of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. McCartney is the author of four books, the most recent of which is “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel: How to Arrive with Your Dignity, Sanity, and Wallet Intact.” He is also an on-air contributor to the PBS television series, “The Travel Detective with Peter Greenberg.’’ A native of Boston and graduate of Duke University, McCartney spent 11 years with the Associated Press before joining the Journal in 1993. He is an instrument-rated, multi-engine private pilot, and lives in Dallas. Douglas McKeen is Senior Vice President of Labor Relations for United, the world’s leading airline. He is responsible for development and implementation of the labor strategy, negotiation and administration of all labor agreements governing United’s represented employees, including the coordination of international bargaining. Prior to joining United in March 2008, McKeen was Senior Vice President of Employee Relations and Communications at ASTAR Air Cargo from 2006 to 2008. Before joining ASTAR, McKeen held several labor relations leadership roles at US Airways, Northwest Airlines and America West Airlines. He also was a partner with Eclat Consulting, providing labor relations strategy and counsel to several airlines negotiating contracts with pilots, mechanics, fleet service and agent personnel. McKeen received a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Iowa and holds a juris doctorate from Hamline University School of Law. Deborah Ostreicher is a Deputy Aviation Director and has been with Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport since 1996. She is responsible for air service development, media, public relations and customer service. Prior to joining Sky Harbor, she spent a decade working in Europe and the Middle East, holding positions including Marketing Director for MicroAge Computers Central Europe and Marketing Manager for Business in the Community in the U.K. under the direction of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland and her MBA in international business from the American University in Washington, D.C. James D. Parker, Ph.D. has led the airline research team at Raymond James® since 2000 and has covered the sector since 1982. Parker is a 14-time All-Star Analyst in The Wall Street Journal annual analyst survey with eight first-place finishes and the only analyst across all sectors to have made the team for 13 years in a row. He has arguably done more than any other Wall Street analyst to define and promote the investment thesis for low cost and regional carriers in the U.S., Europe and Latin America long before they were commonly accepted in the investment community. In addition, Parker is one of the very few analysts in The Wall Street Journal’s Analyst Hall of Fame and was named one of the “30 Smartest People in Investing” by SmartMoney magazine. He holds a doctorate in marketing from the University of Georgia.

Will Ris

Chuck Schubert

Brett Snyder

Marty St. George

Will Ris is Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, for American Airlines Group and its principal subsidiary company, American Airlines. In this capacity, he is responsible for global government and regulatory affairs and public policy. An attorney with broad experience in government and transportation, Ris has been American Airlines’ principal government affairs executive since July 1996. Ris joined American in 1996 from the Wexler Group, a Washington, D.C.-based government relations firm, where he had been Executive Vice President, representing American as outside counsel for 13 years. Before Wexler, he served as a trial attorney for the United States Civil Aeronautics Board and in 1978 was appointed counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and its Aviation Subcommittee. Ris graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in Advanced International Studies from Johns Hopkins University School. In addition, he earned a doctor of laws degree from University of Denver College of Law and a master’s of laws degree from Georgetown University College of Law. Chuck Schubert was named American Airlines’ Vice President – Network Planning in December 2011. He is responsible for the planning and development of American’s worldwide route network, including scheduling 6,700 daily flights to cities throughout Asia, Europe, North America and South America for American and American Eagle, as well as the development of the company’s long-term network strategy. Schubert previously held various managing director positions within American, most recently as Managing Director, Network Planning – Schedules where he was responsible for optimizing the airline’s short to mid-range schedules, ensuring that each was consistent with the company’s network goals and the needs of customers. Before joining American in 2000, he spent eight years with Boeing Co. in a variety of finance roles. Schubert holds a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri – Columbia. Brett Snyder is the author of the award-winning airline industry blog, “The Cranky Flier,” and president and chief airline dork of Cranky Concierge air travel assistance, for which he has been named one of the Top Travel Specialists for the past three years by Conde Nast Traveler. He is a contributing editor for PlaneBusiness Banter. Snyder previously worked in pricing, marketing and strategy roles with several airlines, including America West and United. In 2005, Snyder created the travel search site for leading comparison shopping company PriceGrabber. com. Snyder graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor’s in business and master of business administration from Stanford University. Marty St. George, Executive Vice President of Commercial and Planning for JetBlue, leads the airline’s commercial and airline planning teams, including marketing, e-commerce, sales, revenue management, product, network planning and partnerships, loyalty, cargo, operational planning, as well as JetBlue Getaways, its vacation packaging subsidiary. He also teaches innovation classes at JetBlue University in Orlando, Fla. St. George joined JetBlue in 2006 as leader of the network strategy and partnership team.  As such, he has experienced record profits, occasional losses, ice storms, new airplane types, all while growing JetBlue to more than 90 cities in North, Central and South America.  Regardless, St. George is proudest that JetBlue has won 10 consecutive J.D. Power Awards for highest airline customer satisfaction in North America. Prior to joining JetBlue, St. George held various marketing, network and strategy positions at both United Airlines and US Airways. He is a native of Boston and has a degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Guy Stephenson

Guy Stephenson was appointed Chief Commercial Officer at London Gatwick Airport in November 2010. Prior to joining Gatwick, Stephenson was Commercial Director of the Coach Division at National Express Ltd. He also worked five years with the TUI Group as Commercial Director of Thomsonfly, where he was responsible for pricing and revenue management, network and capacity planning, business analysis, and product development. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Durham, and a master’s degree in business administration from Imperial College London.

Karen Walker

Karen Walker is Editor-In-Chief at Air Transport World. She joined the magazine in that position in August 2013 and oversees the editorial content and direction of the magazine, digital, print, data and events products. Walker has been covering aerospace, defense and the airline industry for 30 years. Her previous positions include chief editor at Armed Forces Journal, Americas’ editor at Air Transport Intelligence and executive editor at Airlines Business. Walker studied in the United Kingdom, earning a degree in journalism. She is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and United States, has lived and worked in both countries, as well as in Singapore, where she was Asia editor for Flight International.

Andrew Watterson

Bobbi Wells

Scott Wilson

Andrew Watterson is Senior Vice President of Network and Revenue Management, a position he assumed in February 2015. He joined Southwest Airlines as Vice President of Network Planning and Performance in October 2013. Prior to that, Watterson was Vice President of Planning and Revenue Management at Hawaiian Airlines. Before Hawaiian, Watterson was with the consulting firm Oliver Wyman in Dallas for 12 years, serving as a partner in the aviation, aerospace, and defense practice; and three years with Ernst & Young in Atlanta and Paris serving clients in various industries as an operations management consultant. His background also includes four years of service in the U.S. Army. Watterson holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree in business administration from Vanderbilt University. Bobbi Wells is Managing Director for Air Operations Planning and Analysis for FedEx Express Air Operations, where she is responsible for planning and asset utilization for the company. In her capacity, Wells oversees creating the framework for the airline strategic plan and associated objectives. She is also responsible for effective fuel management through the execution and sustainment of air operations efficiency improvement projects. Wells, who joined FedEx in 1993, has held several senior leadership roles within the organization. In 2000, 2006 and 2013, Wells received the Five Star Award, FedEx’s highest recognition for achievement. In addition, she serves on the board of directors for the International Aviation Women’s Association. Before joining FedEx, she served 10 years in the U.S. Army as a logistics officer, earning several awards along the way. Wells holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Memphis. Scott Wilson is Vice President, eCommerce and Merchandising for United Airlines, the world’s leading airline. He is responsible for the strategy, development and management of United’s digital touch points (website, mobile, kiosk, signage, onboard) and the ancillary product portfolio. Prior to his current position, Wilson was the Vice President of Ecommerce for United after first joining the company as the Managing Director of eCommerce. Before United, Wilson held various leadership positions in marketing, strategy and digital at companies such as Marriott International, Boston Consulting Group, AOL and American Airlines. Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in business administration from Carnegie Mellon University. Wilson is also the co-chair of Digital Collective Chicago and a member of Forrester’s eBusiness and Channel Strategy Council.

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