With more and more leadership announcements going on with respect to those who will have a position in the new American Airlines Group when US Airways and American Airlines merge, I see a pattern.

That pattern is that US Airways leadership is being used to provide cohesive leadership structure and certainly leave no doubt as to who is in charge of this merged company:  Doug Parker.  I’ll admit that my fears that Chairman Tom Horton will attempt to interfere are unchanged.  I think that there will be a number of attempts to direct the merged company.

Now I think they will fail.  Doug Parker is building a leadership team that clearly has its loyalties in the right place.  American Airlines leaders are being used to fill functional roles whereas US Airways leaders are being used to fill leadership roles.  There is nothing wrong with this approach.  I like it.

This is a group of leaders who will have incentive to work together and to succeed (or fail) together.  I see little opportunity to breed divisions in these ranks and I think that will only benefit the airline.  The right, successful people are in charge.  The ones who comes from a company with a winning and profitable track record will be the leaders and that is only right.

I would contrast this with the Continental United merger where it seems that Jeff Smisek willing took on way too many United loyalists.  That ship has been slow to change and correct directions when necessary and I still don’t see a cohesive team in place at United.

So, well done Mr. Parker.  This is looking like a merger with the potential to meet or exceed expectations on all fronts at this time.

Filed under: Mergers and Bankruptcy by ajax
No Comments »