Delta Air Lines announced the semi-expected retirement of its CEO, Richard Anderson, today. Ed Bastian will succeed Anderson as CEO, and Glen Hauenstein will be elevated to President of Delta. I met Richard just once, and I found him to be remarkably affable. While I’m sure he has his CEO moments, he honestly struck me as someone that would be OK to sit down and have a beer with. That’s about the nicest thing I’ve ever said about any airline CEO. Though I still wish I had asked him these two questions.
Change is hard, and the last few years have seen a lot of remarkable change in the airline industry. I’d opine that Richard Anderson has played a major role in that. Delta is on a roll, and it doesn’t surprise me that he is retiring on top. I know I would.
-MJ, February 3, 2016
