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| Tobias Wessels Senior Vice President, Business Development ADARA Tobias Wessels is ADARA's Senior Vice President of Business Development and is responsible for global data partner expansion. Tobias and his team have established more than 90 data partnerships with the largest travel companies across the globe.giving ADARA access to more than 400 million monthly unique traveler profiles and making ADARA one of the largest travel data companies in the world. Prior to joining ADARA, Tobias was CFO at GoogleX which is Google's incubator for moonshot projects. Tobias holds an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia and a Master of Arts in Economics from the Universite de Fribourg, Switzerland. | |
| Mr Zhihang Chi Vice President and General Manager North America Air China As Vice President and General Manager for North America, Dr. Zhihang Chi manages all aspects of Air China’s business in the region from the company’s headquarters in Los Angeles. He manages more than 175 US-based Air China employees and oversees the marketing and operations for the rapidly growing passenger flights between North America and China. Dr. Chi’s extensive airline industry experience and his visionary leadership and passion in promoting a closer, mutually beneficial Sino-American relationship are credited for Air China’s expansion and steady growth in North America, even during the severe economic downturn that adversely affected the travel industry. 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. His keynote speech on US-China bilateral relations delivered at a Town Hall Los Angeles event in Nov. 2014 is featured in the March 2015 issue of Vital Speeches of the Day. Also featured in the same issue are speeches delivered on various high-profile world forums by President Barack Obama, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, US Senator Joni Ernst, President Joachim Gauck of Germany and United Kingdom’s Minister of Parliament, the Hon. Jon Cruddas. Dr. Chi is a recipient of the prestigious China Business Leadership Award from the US-China Policy Foundation. Each year the non-profit, non-partisan, non-advocacy Washington, D.C.-based organization honors individuals who have made valuable contributions for the promotion of greater understanding between American and Chinese policymakers and government officials. As a result of Dr. Chi’s determined efforts and commitment to maximize and utilize every available resource in enhancing the local economy while at the same time increasing Air China’s marketing competitiveness and penetration—international travelers –especially business passengers between Los Angeles and Beijing, have more options with Air China’s double daily service between Los Angeles and Beijing. A third service for this route will be added at four times weekly on May 2, 2015. This will increase to daily service on July 1, 2015. Air China continues its historic expansion in North America under the leadership of Dr. Chi. The Houston (IAH)-Beijing service that was launched on July 11, 2013 made Houston the first destination Air China added in North America in more than three decades. Less than a year after its launch, Air China made an unprecedented move of expanding this nonstop service from four times a week to daily on March 30, 2014. Only a day later, the frequency of Air China’s nonstop New York (JFK)-Beijing service was increased to double daily. Air China’s Capital-to-Capital service, linking Washington, DC and Beijing, China’s capital, was launched on June 10, 2014. The U.S. capital is Air China’s seventh gateway in North America. In January 2014, Air China inaugurated its nonstop service between Honolulu and Beijing. Air China is the only airline with nonstop services between Los Angeles, New York, Houston and Beijing. Dr. Chi’s experience, training and educational background have prepared him well for the challenges of his position as the head of Air China in North America. He had worked in a number of increasingly responsible positions for Northwest Airlines from 1994-2003. During his years at Northwest, he developed and managed a number of strategic alliances with other international airlines, especially with the Chinese carriers. He joined Air China in 2004 and has led the company’s unprecedented growth and significant investments in and contribution to the local and state economies of the cities serviced by Air China. Prior to his promotion to Vice President for North America, Dr. Chi was General Manager for Western USA for two years until November 2006. He was responsible for Air China’s Los Angeles operations before this. Dr. Chi’s zealous advocacy of U.S. visa liberalization for Chinese visitors has made him a familiar figure to senior leaders of the US Congress, State Department and the US Homeland Security—all of whom he has personally met. He is an impassioned proponent of a closer US-China relations and a bilateral exchange based on mutual trust. Fluent in English and Chinese, Dr. Chi’s background makes him uniquely qualified to speak on China and US-China exchange in the fields of diplomacy, trade and culture. He is adept at and has a proven record of narrowing and bridging together the cultural divide between China and the USA A naturalized US citizen, Dr. Chi was born in China. He earned his doctorate and master’s degrees from the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As well, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from one of the world’s leading institutions of learning, the Peking University in Beijing. | |
| David Krieger Managing Director Air Line Pilots Association International David Krieger is the Managing Director of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l. In that role he oversees ALPA’s Representation, Retirement and Insurance, Legal and Economic and Financial Analysis activities. David’s group is responsible for contract negotiations and related support for all of ALPA’s 30 member airlines as well for all litigation, grievances and other legal activities. Prior to his current role, David managed ALPA’s Economic and Financial Analysis Group where he oversaw a team of analysts that provided financial, operational, statistical, economic and labor agreement analyses and advice for all of ALPA’s bargaining and advocacy efforts. David has been the lead financial advisor to several pilot groups during their financial restructurings and mergers and has served as a financial advisor to both ALPA representatives on unsecured creditor’s committees and corporate board of directors. David has also testified numerous times as a finance and airline industry expert in both federal bankruptcy court and other proceedings. During his career David has also served as an advisor for pilots at Air France, KLM, TAP Air Portugal and the Australian and International Pilots Association. In addition to his experience at ALPA, David has held positions as the Director/Divisional Controller of Flight Operations at Atlas Air as well as Senior Analyst for Deloitte & Touche LLP. He has worked for ALPA for 18 years. | |
| Sharon Pinkerton SVP, Legislative & Regulatory Policy Airlines for America (A4A) Sharon Pinkerton was named senior vice president, legislative and regulatory policy for the Airlines for America (A4A) in February 2011, and leads policy development on legislative and regulatory matters, working with Capitol Hill and the administration. Ms. Pinkerton joined A4A as vice president, government affairs in April 2006, where she was responsible for overseeing all aviation-related issues before federal, state and local governments. Before joining A4A, she served as assistant administrator for aviation policy, planning and environment at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Prior to her appointment at FAA, Pinkerton was transportation counsel to House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John L. Mica (R-Fla.) and served on Capitol Hill for nearly 10 years. She began her professional career at Price Waterhouse. A native of Vero Beach, Fla., Pinkerton received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cedarville College in Ohio, and earned a law degree from the University of Florida. Pinkerton is also a Certified Public Accountant. | |
| Mr Tetsuya (Ted) Nozaki Member Board of Trustee Airlink Tetsuya "Ted" Nozaki began his career in aircraft leasing and financing in 1989 at ITOCHU Corporation in Tokyo. In 1996, he relocated to Greenwich, Connecticut, accepting an assignment at ITOCHU AirLease, Inc , a US subsidiary of ITOCHU, as General Manager. Ted joined Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) in 2002 to strengthen their aircraft leasing business. In 2004, MC Aircraft Management International Inc. (predecessor of MC Aviation Partners America Inc - MCAP) was established in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Ted accepted an assignment as General Manager. MCAP owns and manages more than 125 aircraft as of July 2014. Ted is currently the Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing at MCAM. Ted also has been helping Airlink, a non-profit organization, as a volunteer, from its inception in 2009. Airlink works with airlines worldwide to provide non-governmental organizations with passenger seats and cargo space for free or at discounted rates so that such non-governmental organizations can transport emergency rescue/medical personnel and humanitarian goods in case of natural and manmade disasters. Ted was appointed as a board of trustee of Airlink in 2013.
Ted graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering (naval architecture). He is a certified rugby referee in California and runs fields over the weekend. Ted speaks English and Japanese fluently. Ted also can communicate in Spanish and Portuguese. Ted resides in Irvine, California with In 1996 he moved to Greenwich, Connecticut his wife, daughter, age 15, and son, age 13.
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| Mr Tadashi Matsushita Vice President, Strategic Planning, The Americas All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) Tadashi Matsushita has served ANA for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the aviation industry. After engaging in the core corporate management and operations of ANA, he challenged industry conventions and initiated the discussion for the corporate side on the Open Skies policy in Japan, in an effort to secure growth opportunities for the industry as well as protect consumer interests. He worked in concert with a Japanese think tank and managed activities within political circles and government agencies both in Japan and overseas from March 2005 to January 2008. He then served as Director of Strategic Planning, Asia Pacific where he played a significant role in establishing ANA’s strategic base in Hong Kong and expanding its business across Asia. Having successfully led the launch of Japan’s first budget airline, Peach Aviation, he assumed the position of Director, International Government Affairs in July 2011 and has been responsible for overseeing ANA’s government and regulatory affairs in the US. He now holds the additional portfolio of Vice President of Strategic Planning, The Americas and is simultaneously responsible for formulating and executing medium-term business plans in North America. His current endeavors in this role include leading the way to broadening ANA’s presence in North America, both by rethinking marketing strategies towards increased brand awareness and assimilating further into local communities. Matsushita received his B.A. in Economics from Kobe University and an M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He currently resides in Connecticut with his wife and three children. | |
| Jude Bricker SVP Planning & COO Allegiant Travel Company Jude Bricker has been Senior Vice President of Planning at Allegiant Travel Company since April 30, 2012, its Treasurer since 2010 and serves as its Secretary. Mr. Bricker served as Vice President of Corporate Finance of Allegiant Travel Company. He joined Allegiant in May 2006. Prior to joining Allegiant, he served in various positions with American Airlines and the US Marine Corps. He holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas. | |
| Bob Coffman Chairman, Government Affairs Allied Pilots Association Robert (Bob) Coffman was appointed Spring 2008 as Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), and consults with their Scope, Industrial Relations and International Alliance Committees. APA is the collective bargaining agent for the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines (NYSE:AAL).He is also the Director of Government Affairs for the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association.Bob additionally functions as a member of the US Delegation for Air Services Agreements, comprised of members from the Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, other US Government departments and agencies and US airline industry, in negotiations between the United States and the European Union, and foreign states in the formation of international aviation agreements (ie. “Open Skies”).His previous APA experience includes, peer support, communications, government affairs, contract compliance and implementation. Hired by American Airlines in 1988, Bob Coffman has been based in New York, Chicago, Dallas and currently in Miami.He is an international captain on the Boeing 767/757 fleet and has flown the B727 and the B777. Bob’s previous flying experience is through both civilian and military channels.He became a certified flight instructor in general aviation before being accepted to US Air Force flight school with the Louisiana Air National Guard.Bob flew the F-4C as a Weapons System Officer and piloted the F-15A before retiring from the military with 20 years of reserve service in 1996.He continues to keep his instructor rating current and is a certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, with an Inspector Authorization. Before American Airlines, Robert Coffman was a physicist and was employed by Hughes Aircraft Company as a Systems Analyst.Bob held positions as a member of the technical staff – physicist, and project engineer, working for the Spacecraft and Communications divisions on several projects. A graduate of the University of Denver in Physics in 1979, Bob Coffman now resides in Palm Coast, Florida. | |
| Captain Rick Dominguez Executive Administrator ALPA Captain Rick Dominguez serves as ALPA’s Executive Administrator, directly supporting the ALPA President, representing over 52,000 pilots at 31 airlines in the US and Canada. Dominguez is a B-767 captain flying for a major US airline. Dominguez previously served as ALPA’s International Affairs Committee Chairman and has fulfilled the duties of MEC International Affairs and Alliances Committee Chairman and Code Share Committee Chairman, as well as Executive Administrator for his pilot group. In addition to his time operating the B-767, Dominguez has flown the B-727, L-1011, MD-88, and B-737 aircraft. He was a U.S. Air Force officer for nine years where he flew the T-37, T-38, and F-15. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University, with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and currently resides in Washington, DC. | |
| Eduardo Iglesias Executive Director ALTA Aviation professional with a successful career in matters related to air transport regulatory, legal, and government affairs. His most recent position before joining ALTA was Legal Vice-President of Avianca. Previously, Iglesias served as General Counsel and Legal Vice-President of TACA International Airlines and Group TACA in Central and South America. Mr. Iglesias holds Law Degrees from Spain and Puerto Rico, a Master's Degree in Air and Space Law from McGill University and also holds a B.A. in Political Science. Eduardo Iglesias is Executive Director of ALTA, the Latin American & Caribbean Air Transport Association since September 2013. He leads the 30 year old non-profit association in a gamut of efforts and initiatives to make Latin American and Caribbean aviation safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. He was born in Puerto Rico, has lived in Spain, Canada and El Salvador, and currently resides in the United States. | |
| Mr John Dabkowski Airline Commercial Amadeus IT Group SA John became Vice President Airline Commercial in October 2013. He is responsible for commercial activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas. John is based in Amadeus’ headquarters in Madrid. Prior to joining Amadeus, he was the managing director at Navitaire, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Accenture, based in the USA, providing technology and business solutions to the airline industry as an outsourced service. John’s career in the technology industry stretches back more than 30 years to when he joined GEC Avionics in the UK direct from university in Australia. Since then he has worked in several locations, from London, with the IT group Logica, to Dallas where he held numerous roles with Sabre, including Senior Vice President of the airline solutions division. John holds a degree in Engineering/Computing from RMIT University Melbourne. | |
| Doug Parker CEO American Airlines Doug Parker was named chairman and chief executive officer in 2013. He oversees American Airlines Group and American Airlines, its principal subsidiary company. Previously, Parker was chairman and CEO of US Airways. Before the merger of US Airways and America West Airlines in 2005, he was chairman, president and chief executive officer of America West. Parker became the CEO at America West just 10 days before Sept. 11, 2001, and led the carrier through the crisis. Under Parker’s leadership, US Airways achieved record revenue growth, operational performance and profit margins that outpaced most industry peers. Parker has been a vocal proponent of airline industry consolidation, which provides a more stable and competitive industry for employees, customers, communities and stockholders. Parker’s experience prior to joining America West in 1995 includes four years with Northwest Airlines as vice president, assistant treasurer and vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis. From 1986 to 1991, he held a number of financial management positions with American. Parker received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Albion College in 1984 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Vanderbilt University in 1986. | |
| Sara Nelson International President Association of Flight Attendants Sara Nelson took office as the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO on June 1, 2014, having served International Vice President from January, 2011 through May, 2014. Sara became a United Airlines Flight Attendant in 1996 and has been a union activist since nearly the beginning of her flying career. Much of Sara’s union activism has been focused on mobilization, communications and strong union contracts. Early in her union career, Sara served in a variety of positions including CHAOS™ Strike Co-Coordinator, and Local Council Vice President, Local CHAOS Strike Coordinator and Council Rep. (United Airlines, Boston). In those roles she learned first hand how to build the union’s power through collective action. Before her election to international office, Sara spent over eight years directing communications and PR efforts for the union's United Airlines unit. In that role she represented the union in all the major news media in the U.S., including news coverage on all the major networks, CNN, PBS, NPR, as well as the BBC and BBC radio and various overseas news outlets, major newspapers and wire service reports both here and abroad. Sara also has extensive government relations experience having testified in Congressional hearings, written congressional testimony, coordinated congressional press conferences, and personally lobbied members of Congress. She led the “No Knives on Planes” effort in 2013, changing national security policy in just 90 days. Whether it's at the bargaining table, in organizing, in communications, or on the picket line, Sara is passionate about her union and what it can mean to the Flight Attendant profession. She believes that building a strong Flight Attendant union is important for workers’ rights around the globe, as the message of workers’ rights and collective bargaining travels throughout the world with every member of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. As International President, Sara sits on several representative bodies to expand AFA’s voice and increase influence with key decision makers. She serves as a Vice President on the AFL-CIO Executive Council; the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO; The Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Civil Aviation Steering Committee; Member of the Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and Trade Policy (DOL and USTR). Sara grew up in Corvallis, Oregon and earned a bachelor's degree from Principia College with majors in English and Education before joining United Airlines as a Flight Attendant. She resides in the DC area with her husband and son. | |
| Alex Blake SVP, Global Head of Travel Insurance Chubb Alexander J Blake (Alex) has extensive experience in the global travel insurance field. He built Chubb’s travel insurance business from the ground up; transforming it into the leading industry player it is today. He was instrumental in driving Chubb’s technology strategy, demanding a global multi-channel platform that could power all aspects of distribution. He joined Chubb Limited (formerly ACE Group) in 2009 after over 10 years with an international insurer where he honed his skills in travel insurance and was involved in one of the first airline integrated travel insurance solutions in Asia. He continues to leverage his expertise in airline ancillary income to drive conversion and maximize partner revenues. | |
| Ms Rosemary A Vassiliadis Director of Aviation Clark County Department of Aviation Rosemary A. Vassiliadis was named Clark County Director of Aviation in March 2013. She had previously served as Deputy Director of Aviation since December 1997. She oversees all operations at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, as well as general aviation airports in North Las Vegas, Henderson, Jean and Overton, Nevada. Vassiliadis is the eleventh person to lead Clark County’s aviation system since McCarran was establish in 1948, and is the first woman to serve as Director. McCarran annually ranks among the world’s busiest airports, serving more than 45 million passengers in 2015. Under Vassiliadis’ leadership, the airport has developed an industry-leading security program while maintaining a strong commitment to world-class customer service. Vassiliadis manages the work of nearly 1,500 employees, ensuring that the airport system’s operational plans are efficiently and effectively implemented. Vassiliadis works with several national organizations that are critical to the U.S. and global travel industries. Since February 2011, she has overseen McCarran’s efforts as an Executive Board Member of the U.S. Travel Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group that promotes American travel interests both domestically and worldwide. In February 2014, Vassiliadis was elected by member vote to serve as the Association’s Board Treasurer. Since 2009, Vassiliadis has been an advisory board member for the International Aviation Law Institute, a premier source for research, analysis, and study of international aviation law and policy based out of the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. In September 2011, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval appointed Vassiliadis a member of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission, which is responsible for setting goals and programs to counteract or prevent potential acts of terrorism or related emergencies; she had previously served in this role from August 2004 through July 2007. Vassiliadis has been a member of the United Service Organizations’ Las Vegas Advisory Council since April 2010, and was proud to participate in the opening of Nevada’s first USO Center at McCarran on Veterans Day 2010. Vassiliadis came from the Clark County Department of Finance, where she amassed 16 years of progressive government experience. As director of finance for Clark County, she was responsible for a $2.2 billion operating budget and a $2.4 billion capital improvement plan. Before joining Clark County, she worked for the City of Las Vegas Finance Department, beginning as a financial analyst and progressing to manager of finance and budget. A native of Chicago, Vassiliadis earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from DePaul University. She and her husband have two children and enjoy a variety of community activities. | |
| Mr Richard Quest Anchor/Correspondent CNN Richard Quest is CNN's foremost international business correspondent and presenter of Quest Means Business; the definitive word on how we earn and spend our money. Based in New York, he is one of the most instantly recognizable members of the CNN team. Quest Means Business, which airs weekdays at 1600ET/2200CET on CNN International, destroys the myth that business is boring, bridging the gap between hard economics and entertaining television. CEOs and global finance ministers make a point of appearing on QMB. Guests of the show have included world leaders such as David Cameron and Petr Necas of the Czech Republic; the biggest names in banking such as Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase and Robert Zoellick, the former President of the World Bank; European policy makers including IMF boss Christine Lagarde, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, and former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn; and some of the most influential names in corporate America including DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and Ford CEO Alan Mulally. Quest’s dynamic and distinctive style has made him a unique figure in the field of business broadcasting. He has regularly reported from G20 meetings and attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland each year. Quest has covered every major stock market and financial crisis since Black Monday in 1987 and has reported from key financial centers globally including Wall Street, London, Sao Paolo, Tokyo and Hong Kong. In addition, Quest is the established airline and aviation correspondent at CNN. He currently presents the monthly CNN Business Traveller show, the definitive authority on making the most of doing business on the road - moving from A to B on company time. As a business travel specialist, Quest has become a voice of authority on subjects like the launch of the Airbus A380. In 2012 Quest covered the US Election campaign with his own series, American Quest, in which he travelled across the country interviewing a diverse range of voters. Quest is also the face of CNN’s coverage of major UK events. In 2012 he guided an international audience through the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations live from the banks of the River Thames and used his expert knowledge of the British Royal Family to front the channel’s coverage of the 2011 marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. His coverage of breaking news, which has spanned two decades, has seen him report on a range of stories from, the death of Yasser Arafat, the Lockerbie Pan Am 103 crash to the death of Michael Jackson. Quest is more than just business; there are few journalists who have had guests as varied, from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama to actress Joan Collins to founder of Playboy Magazine, Hugh Hefner. Prior to joining CNN he worked at the BBC, where he was the North America business correspondent, based on Wall Street for 12 years. Quest is British, holds an LLB (Hons) degree in Law from Leeds University, and was called to the Bar. | |
| Helane Becker Managing Director Cowen and Company Helane Becker joined Cowen and Company in 2013 as part of the acquisition of Dahlman Rose. Ms. Becker is a managing director and senior research analyst who covers air freight, leasing, and airlines. She was previously a managing director at Jesup & Lamont. Ms. Becker has more than 30 years of experience on Wall Street, holding positions within the research, trading, and investment banking departments of several broker/dealers including the former Citi, Lehman Brothers, and Smith Barney. She has been frequently ranked as the #1, 2, or 3 analyst by Institutional Investor magazine, as well as in the top 5 analysts by The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Becker holds a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University and a master’s of business administration from New York University. She is a member of The International Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma. | |
| Peter Carter EVP & Chief Legal Officer Delta Air Lines Peter Carter joined Delta from the international law firm of Dorsey & Whitney in Minneapolis where he served as chairman of the board and as a trial partner. He also previously led a trial group of more than 100 lawyers. Carter has handled complex litigation issues for top Fortune 500 companies and has managed a wide range of legal matters including governance issues, regulatory affairs, securities matters and international affairs. At Dorsey & Whitney, Carter played a significant role in leading the firm's strategic direction as the chair of the board and co-chair of its Securities Litigation & Enforcement practice group. He has substantial trial experience and extensive experience in advising boards of directors. Carter graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1985 and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1991. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized by numerous organizations and publications including being named one of the Best Lawyers in America for Bet-the-Company and Commercial Litigation, one of "America's Leading Business Lawyers" by Chambers USA, Antitrust Lawyer of the year in 2013 by Best Lawyers in America and a "Minnesota Super Lawyer" for several years. A native of Milwaukee and long-time resident of Minnesota, Peter has relocated to Atlanta. | |
| Nancy Sparks Managing Director, Regulatory Affairs Federal Express Nancy Sparks joined FedEx in 1984 and has held various positions with the Company in Memphis, Tennessee, Brussels, Belgium and Washington DC. Her undergraduate work was at the University of Pennsylvania and she received her law degree from the University of Virginia.At the present time, she supervises legal support for postal and aviation regulation and other transportation-related regulations within the FedEx legal department as well as international and domestic environment, export controls and economic sanctions and restricted commodities matters.Additionally, she leads on international compliance programs related to the international operations. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including receiving the Federal Express' Five Star Award, its highest award for employee excellence, four times.She is a member of the board of directors of the International Aviation Club (Washington) and of the Women in Logistics and Delivery Services. She is also the chair of the Industry Affairs Committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). | |
| Mr Rush O'Keefe Senior Vice President and General Counsel FedEx Express Corporation M. Rush O’Keefe, Jr. is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company. After several years in private law practice, O’Keefe started with the Federal Express Legal Department in 1986, serving as both a staff attorney and Managing Director in the Labor and Employment Group before being named the Vice President of Regulatory and Industry Affairs in 1998. While Vice President of Regulatory and Industry Affairs, O’Keefe was responsible for international aviation matters worldwide, including aviation bilateral treaties and traffic rights issues for the world’s largest cargo airline. He assumed his current position in August 2002. He has won three times Federal Express’ Five Star Award, its highest award for employee excellence. A native of Batesville, Mississippi, O’Keefe graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1975 with a degree in accounting, and from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1979. He is licensed to practice in Mississippi and Tennessee, and has appeared before a wide variety of state and federal courts, as well as U.S. and foreign government agencies. FedEx Express is one of four business units of FedEx Corporation, a $46-billion global transportation and logistics holding company. FedEx Express invented express distribution and remains the industry’s global leader, providing rapid, reliable, time-definite delivery to more than 220 countries and territories, connecting markets that comprise more than 90 percent of the world’s gross domestic product within one to three business days. Unmatched air route authorities and transportation infrastructure, combined with leading-edge information technologies, make FedEx Express the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable services for more than 3.6 million shipments each business day. | |
| Mr Wei Hou Senior Vice President China Hainan Airlines Co. Ltd Hou Wei, vice president of Hainan Airlines, which is one of the biggest airlines in China, and the first Skytrax five-star airline of China. Hou entered Hainan Airlines in 2005, and he has worked as the Deputy General Manager of the Sales and Marketing Department and the Chief Marketing Officer of Hainan Airlines, and for instance, he is mainly in charge of the marketing management. The 10 years working experience in Hainan Airlines contributed to his extensive knowledge in Marketing and Sales, Pricing & Revenue Management, E-commerce, Airport Operations, External Relations, Alliances and Strategical Partnerships. | |
| Brian Casebolt Vice President, Global Merchandising & Ancillary Revenue Hertz Global Holdings As the youngest officer of Hertz Global Holdings, Brian leads the global merchandising and ancillary revenue team. Comprising over 5000 front-line employees across Hertz’ portfolio of brands including Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly at over 200 major airports and 3000 off-airport locations, Brian is responsible for the fastest growing revenue division within the company (~$2B in revenue in 2015). Leveraging the customer journey across all in-person and digital touch-points, Brian is helping Hertz Global Holdings deliver increased choice, value and personalization to customers through innovative products and add-on solutions. In 2015, Brian was named to the Financial Times’ Global Top 100 Leading LGBT Executives list. Prior to joining Hertz in 2014, Brian resided in New York City and worked at McKinsey & Company. Brian earned his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and completed his Bachelor’s degree at Texas Christian University. | |
| Peter Cerdá Regional Vice President, The Americas IATA Peter Cerdá is the Regional Vice President in the Americas for IATA, the trade association whose 240 member airlines transport more than 84% of total air traffic. He leads a multinational team of professionals which proactively pursue IATA’s industry priorities with governmental authorities and industry stakeholders to make the air transport industry safer, more secure, efficient and profitable. Peter possesses a wealth of senior industry experience acquired over a long and successful career in aviation. Most recently, he served as Regional Director for Safety, Operations and Infrastructure for the Americas and Atlantic until 2013. Fluent in English and Spanish, Peter was born in Spain and received his Master’s Degree in Aeronautics and Aviation Management from Embry Riddle University and a Bachelor of Business Administration at Florida International University. | |
| Mike Tretheway Chief Economist & Chief Strategy Officer InterVISTAS Consulting Inc Dr. Tretheway is Chief Economist and Chief Strategy Officer with the InterVISTAS Consulting Group. He is a co-founder of the InterVISTAS Consulting Group and has served as its Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Tretheway earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin and served for 14 years as Associate Professor of Transportation and Logistics in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, where he continues as an Adjunct Professor. He is frequently an expert witness in regulatory hearings, court cases, competition tribunal hearings and in arbitrations. He is a member of the Board of Experts of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Before co-founding InterVISTAS Consulting he served as Vice President of the Vancouver International Airport Authority and served on the Minister of Transport’s Airport Transfer Task Force advisory board and was Director of Research of the Ministerial Task Force on International Airline Policy. Dr. Tretheway has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Air Transport Management, the Quarterly Journal of Finance and Accounting, and Logistics & Transportation Review. He is noted for his research on aviation costs and productivity, airport economics, aviation policy development and analysis and antitrust issues in aviation. InterVISTAS Consulting is owned by Royal Haskoning DHV. Dr. Tretheway is a 2015 Leading Professional of the Royal Haskoning DHV Group, a designation awarded to those who are knowledge leaders inside and outside of RHDHV. | |
| Mr John Byerly Consultant John R. Byerly, Consultant John Byerly advises clients on the full range of international aviation issues, including negotiations, economic and environmental regulation, aviation safety and security, government relations, and strategic planning. John graduated with highest honors from the University of North Carolina, studied European and German law on a Fulbright Scholarship in Berlin, and received his JD from Yale in 1979. Upon graduation, he joined the State Department, serving thirty-one years in positions addressing American foreign policy, national security, and international economic relations. For almost a decade (2001-2010), John was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for market-opening air transport agreements with over 70 countries and led U.S. delegations in talks that secured Open Skies with Germany, France, the European Union, and Japan. He was active in the economic, legal, and environmental work of ICAO and helped implement the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. | |
| Mr John Jackson Vice President of Passenger Marketing and Sales for the Americas Korean Air With more than two decades in the travel industry and over 15 years specifically with airlines, John Jackson is vice president of passenger marketing and sales for Korean Air's North and South America regions. He's the first non-Korean to hold this executive position in Korean Air's 45+ years of operating between Asia and North America. Jackson grew up in the airline industry with his mother a flight attendant and his father a marketer for Delta. He actively 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 where he was promoted through the sales and marketing ranks in KAL's offices in Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles. In 1999, Travel Agent Magazine chose John as one of its 'Rising Stars of the Travel Industry', a list of people under 35 predicted to make an impact on the industry. After nearly five years with Korean Air, he was recruited by Advanstar Communications and moved to New York where he was responsible for sales in the Asia/Pacific region, along with global sales for a directory of luxury hotels & resorts. Using his travel and aviation expertise, John then started RB Media, a company that represented magazines, newsletters, and published a monthly community newspaper. While he enjoyed success as a publisher, John'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. He oversees those functions in the USA, Canada, and Central/South America. His primary responsibility is to increase Korean Air's market share in the lucrative corporate and luxury leisure travel markets. He also oversees all passenger marketing and sales functions including loyalty programs, corporate and agency sales, internet sales and marketing, advertising, public relations, alliances, and pricing. In addition he coordinates Korean Air’s sales offices and network of general sales agents (GSAs). John attended the University of Denver School of Law and Warwick University (UK) Graduate School of Business. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Pacific Asia Travel Association and is married with two children. | |
| Rossi Ralenkotter President & CEO Las Vegas Convention & Visitor Authority As President/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Rossi Ralenkotter is responsible for marketing and branding Las Vegas and Southern Nevada as the world’s most desirable destination for leisure and business travel. Under Mr. Ralenkotter’s leadership, the LVCVA launched the most successful branding campaign in tourism history, which is best known for its oft-repeated tagline, “What happens here, stays here.™” It was selected the No. 1 campaign by the voting public and was inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2011. The LVCVA owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With Mr. Ralenkotter’s oversight, Las Vegas remains the world’s trade show capital, hosting 54 of the largest 250 trade shows. Mr. Ralenkotter began his career at the LVCVA in 1973 (43 years ago) as a research analyst. Prior to becoming President/CEO in 2004, he was the Authority’s Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President of Marketing. Before joining the LVCVA, Mr. Ralenkotter worked for a local telephone company and served in the United States Air Force.He has been a resident of Southern Nevada for more than 60 years. As President/CEO of the LVCVA, Mr. Ralenkotter has launched the Las Vegas Convention Center District, a transformational project that will further establish Las Vegas as a leading business destination in the world by reinventing and expanding the Las Vegas Convention Center and the surrounding area. Mr. Ralenkotter is a technical advisory committee member of NV Governor Brian Sandoval’s Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee. He is a member of the board of directors for Brand USA and a past Chair of the Board of Directors and current board member for the U.S. Travel Association. Mr. Ralenkotter recently completed his term as Chair of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board for the U.S. Department of Commerce and remains on the Board. He is also a member of the American Society of Travel Agents, Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), the American Society of Association Executives and the Hotel Sales Marketing Association. Mr. Ralenkotter was named “Employer of the Year” by the Employee Service Management Association in 2006, one of the “25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” by Meeting News in 2005, and in 2004, he was selected “Co-Brand Marketer of the Year” by Brandweek magazine. In 2013, International Association of Exhibitions and Events honored him with its “Pinnacle Award” in recognition of extraordinary achievement in the exhibitions and events management field, and he was inducted into both U.S. Travel’s “Hall of Leaders” and DMAI’s “Hall of Fame” in 2014. Additionally, he served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Tourism. Mr. Ralenkotter earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Arizona State University in 1969 and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1971. He was honored with UNLV’s Distinguished Nevadan Award in 2009 and UNLV Alumni of the Year in 2008. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force with the 468th Medical Service Flight.He is a member of the Las Vegas Ad Club, which inducted him into the Las Vegas Advertising Hall of Fame for lifetime marketing achievements. He also received Lifetime Achievement honors from the American Marketing Association and the Travel and Tourism Research Association, and was most recently inducted into the UNLV Lee Business School’s Nevada Business Hall of Fame. | |
| Will Coleman Partner McKinsey & Company Will is a Principal in McKinsey & Company’s Dallas office and leads McKinsey’s Pricing and Revenue Management Service Line for the Travel, Transportation, and Logistics practice in North America. Since joining McKinsey in 2007, Will has served travel and logistics clients on a broad set of functional topics including pricing and revenue management, marketing, sales and distribution, and growth strategy. Will holds a BBA in Management Information Systems and a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin | |
| Glenville Morris Director of Consulting & Digital Insight MTT Glenville has ten years’ experience as a m-commerce and e-commerce professional in the travel, entertainment and retail sectors. Prior to joining MTT, Glenville worked at easyJet, the leading European airline, for three years on the airline’s mobile strategy where he was the product owner for easyJet mobile and its multi-award winning app. In MTT, Glenville advises airlines on optimum mobile strategies to ensure their apps are successful, where they should focus next investments in mobile and how they can achieve quick results from their mobile channel. | |
| Mr Martin Warner Principal MW Travel Consultancy Limited Martin Warner has 35 years experience in Travel Distribution, is Principal at MW Travel Consultancy Limited providing advisory services to the travel and associated industries. He is a Founding Partner of KuriusSolutions with Martin Cowley, a global business that develops ideas and provides to solutions to opportunities to travel and related industries. Formerly Executive Vice President, Market Strategy & Segmentation at Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) a global leader specializing in business travel management, responsible for devising and implementing the Marketing Strategy of the business including Corporate Travel, focused on creating value based travel management solutions for corporate customers. From 2008 to 2011 Martin was COO, Asia Pacific at CWT with responsibility for all Asia Pacific Operations of the business. He served as a member of CWT's Executive Team for 10 years, reporting to Group CEO. He served in non-Executive board positions in the companies Jt-Ventures in China, Japan, India, Indonesia & South Africa, and Executive board member of subsidiaries in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. From 2003 he served as EVP, Global Account Solutions at CWT responsible for the companies top 100 multinational client business, a US$4Bn top line business unit. Martin is based in London and Miami, spending time with clients in markets around the world. His recent engagements include – WEX, Travelport, ATPI, CAPA, Majid al Futtaim, Abacus, ComBTAS. In addition to his strategic advisory work, he is a much sought after facilitator, moderator and speaker. | |
| Mr Jim Young President and CEO NewLeaf Travel Company Jim Young is President and Chief Executive Officer of NewLeaf Travel Company Inc., an integrated enterprise focusing on creating Canada’s first Ultra-low Cost Airline. As an established leader of large, worldwide organizations, Jim consistently generates and optimizes profitability in legacy environments as well as new, ground-up ventures. During his 25-year career, Mr. Young has held various senior and executive management positions in the airline and hospitality industries including President of Canada Jetlines and Senior Vice President New Markets and Products for airline onboard payment processor GuestLogix in Toronto.
Past successes include the renewal of Frontier Airlines from the throes of Chapter 11 restructuring to the height of profitability via substantial restructuring of marketing, sales, distribution and reservation systems; a transformation which effectively attracted new investment and enabled Frontier to re-launch as a viable ULCC airline in 2014.
Other achievements to Jim’s credit:
He was the 2007 Executive in Residence at the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Management as well as a published Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
In 1999, and again in 2004, Business Travel News and Travel Agent Magazine recognized Jim as one of the most influential people in the consumer travel industry. | |
| Vicki Jaramillo Senior Director Marketing & Air Service Development Orlando International Airport Vicki Jaramillo, Senior Director Air Service Development & Marketing for Orlando International Airport is one of the leading airport marketing officials in the U.S., with 24 years of aviation marketing experience in Orlando and Miami, as well as 13 years of tourism and economic development experience in Florida. Ms. Jaramillo joined Greater Orlando Aviation Authority in January 1994. She is responsible for air service development, strategic planning for new routes, airline relationships, passenger marketing and advertising, aviation research, and website presence and social media. Ms. Jaramillo has successfully worked on bringing dozens of new nonstop routes to MCO including Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Bogotá, Santo Domingo, Lima, Oslo, Dublin, Cancun, Panama, Mexico City, Seattle, San Diego among many others and most recently Dubai.During her 22 years with MCO, passenger traffic has risen from 22.4 million passengers to over 39 million annual passengers. Ms. Jaramillo previously worked as Chief of Aviation Marketing for Miami International Airport. She is the former International Business Manager for the Beacon Council of Miami, for which she assisted in attracting foreign investment and joint venture opportunities to Miami Dade County. In addition, she was an International Sales Representative for the Florida Division of Tourism and is a former Walt Disney World Ambassador, representing Disney worldwide at key domestic and international events. Ms. Jaramillo currently serves on the international committee of Visit Florida.She previously served as Chairperson of Airport Council International – U.S. International Air Service Program; is past president of the Central Florida Business Travel Association and the Miami American Marketing Association.The Hispanic Chamber of Greater Orlando recognized Ms. Jaramillo in 2013 as one of the top 25 Influential Hispanics in Central Florida.She led the MCO team that won the 2015 Routes Americas Excellence in Airport Marketing Award in the over 20 million-passenger category. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Multinational Business from Florida State University. | |
| Terry McClintock Manager, Pricing & Revenue Management Consulting Sabre Terry McClintockhas over twenty years of airline industry experience including eight years within the Sabre pricing and revenue management consulting organization, with a background in pricing, O&D revenue management, sales and online travel. Starting his career in the revenue management department at Continental Airlines during the Gordon Bethune era, he has managed air, car and cruise products for Orbitz as well. | |
| Mr Johnny Thorsen Senior Director Value Services SAP Mobile Services Johnny is Senior Director Value Services with SAP Mobile Services. Prior to that he was the global product and strategy owner for Concur Messaging based in San Francisco, California since Concur acquired conTgo in March 2013. Prior to Concur Johnny spent 6 years as the co-founder and CEO of conTgo Ltd, being at the forefront of the mobile travel technology revolution, focusing on “point of experience” software for corporate travellers, while maintaining his strong links to the travel procurement and security areas.. Prior to launching conTgo, Johnny has held a range of senior positions in the travel technology industry with major players such as Travelport, Sabre, HRG and CWT. In January 2011 Johnny was named one the 25 most influential people in the global business travel industry by the US-based BTN magazine, reflecting the developments conTgo experienced since the major break-through during the ash cloud crisis in April 2010. | |
| Naomi Hudson Senior Director, Labour Relations Southwest Airlines Naomi Hudson As Senior Director of Labor Relations, Ms. Hudson is responsible for negotiating collective bargaining agreements impacting nearly half of Southwest’s 49,000 employees. Southwest Airlines is the most unionized airline in the country with more than 85 percent of its employees represented by a labor union. A seasoned leader, Ms. Hudson oversees three of the carrier’s Labor Relations team whose primary responsibilities are to serve as advocates for Southwest in minor labor disputes, contract interpretation, and ensuring compliance with certain Human Resource regulatory requirements. During her 25 years at Southwest Airlines, Ms. Hudson has served as Corporate Recruiter, Base Manager, and Director of Strategic Planning, among other roles. Ms. Hudson spearheaded the company’s first ‘Women in Leadership Conference’ hosting 100 of the company’s established Managers and Directors providing workshops and panel discussions focusing on optimizing Leadership skills, serving employees, and preparing for the company’s future. Ms. Hudson currently serves on the board for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund; TMCF helps students acquire a high-quality college education at an affordable cost; develops leaders of tomorrow; and connects high-performing students with top tier employment opportunities. Ms. Hudson is also a board member for the Texas Labor Management Conference, a not for profit organization committed to enhancing Management/Union relationships. An Illinois native, Ms. Hudson attended Western Illinois University and Chicago State University. Southwest Airlines, one of the most honored airlines in the world, is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. Southwest proudly operates a network of 97 destinations across the United States and seven additional countries with more than 3,900 departures a day during peak travel season. | |
| Mr Chris Engle Vice President Americas, Air Commerce Group Travelport Chris Engle manages all commercial relationships with airlines throughout the Americas region (United States, Canada, Latin and South America). Mr. Engle and his team help airlines take advantage of Travelport’s retailing innovations, such as Rich Content and Branding, within the Travelport Merchandising Platform. Mr. Engle joined Travelport in 2013 from Xerox Services (formerly ACS) where he served as vice president, new market development-Brazil. Previously Mr. Engle served as vice president of sales, global travel and transportation solutions. Mr. Engle began his career in the travel industry, first as a sales executive for American Airlines and then with Sabre Corporation. At Sabre, he was one of the sales leaders for the company’s first generation of corporate booking tools, Sabre Business Travel Solutions. Mr. Engle has a B.A. degree from the University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business, with an emphasis on marketing and international business. He lives in Florida and is fluent in Portuguese. | |
| Mr Ian Heywood Vice President Product & Marketing, Air Commerce Travelport Ian has recently been appointed to the new role heading up Product and Marketing for the Air Commerce line of business. This role involves owning the overall responsibility and being fully accountable for end-to-end product life cycle management for all Air line of business products, from Conception (including customer research, commercial team input, R&D work and competitive analysis), Launch and Adoption (including customer operations and ongoing marketing/positioning), Ongoing growth and Product retirement/sunset. Ian joined Travelport 3.5 years ago where a key part of Ian’s work has been the launch of the Travelport Merchandising Platform with ‘Aggregated Shopping’ ‘Ancillary Services’ and ‘Rich Content and Branding’ which enables airlines to adapt their business models to whichever competitive/economic environment they operate in and for travel agents to access enhanced airline content in their normal workflow. Prior to Travelport, Ian spent the majority of his working life at British Airways, where he joined as an apprentice and held a number of commercial roles in the UK and overseas. He has also worked for Qatar Airways as SVP Global Sales and Distribution. | |
| Rachel Morowitz Manager Product Development UATP Rachel Morowitz leads the development of new business opportunities at UATP, including strategic global partnership initiatives with master merchants and alternative forms of payment. She has 15+ years of consulting and finance experience and holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University | |
| David Duval Associate Professor University of Winnipeg David is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Winnipeg. David holds appointments as an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Business at the University of Otago, a Senior Visiting Fellow in the School of Aviation at the University of New South Wales and as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management at the University of Manitoba. He holds higher degrees from the University of Manitoba and York University. In addition to commissioned work in 2015 for the Secretariat of the Canada Transportation Act Review (Transport Canada), David's academic work focuses on the economic regulation of commercial air transport. He is the Editor of Air Transport in the Asia Pacific (Ashgate Publishing) and has published in journals such as the Journal of Air Law and Commerce and the Journal of Air Transport Management. | |
| Mr Tom Engle Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation US Department of State Tom Engle became deputy assistant secretary for transportation affairs 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. His Washington assignments have mainly focused on international finance and transportation policy issues. 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 an M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in sociology from Davidson College in North Carolina. | |
| Erik Hansen Senior Director Domestic Policy US Travel Association Erik Hansen serves as the Senior Director of Domestic Policy for the U.S. Travel Association where he leads the development of the Association’s domestic policy agenda and represents the travel community before the Executive Branch and Congress. Mr. Hansen focuses on issues related to aviation security, surface transportation, emergency preparedness, and government travel.Before joining the U.S. Travel Association, Mr. Hansen worked for five years on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and for the office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.Prior to his work on Capitol Hill, Mr. Hansen served as Field Director for the reelection campaign of Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) and worked in the government affairs office of Prudential Financial. | |
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Las Vegas, 11-12 April |
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