Delta appoints Senior Team to Lead Airline following Delta-Northwest Merger

Delta Air Lines has confirmed the senior team responsible for leading the company after the closing of its merger with Northwest Airlines.

The team of officers will be led by Delta CEO Richard Anderson, an 18-year industry veteran, and will be comprised of highly experienced operational, corporate and strategic leaders selected from both companies to represent the respective strengths of Delta and Northwest.

The Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) will have overall responsibility for the strategy of the airline, including major decision-making and overall supervision of the merger process. The CLT, which will be effective upon the closing of the merger, includes:

Richard Anderson, CEO – Delta Air Lines
Ed Bastian, President and CFO - Delta Air Lines; CEO and President - NWA 
Mike Becker, EVP, Chief Operating Officer - NWA
Mike Campbell, EVP - HR, Labor & Communications
Steve Gorman, EVP - Operations
Glen Hauenstein, EVP - Revenue & Network
Ben Hirst, SVP - General Counsel
Laura Liu, SVP - International
Theresa Wise, SVP – Chief Information Officer

“We have assembled an incredibly talented officer team,” said Anderson. “Their diverse backgrounds and extensive experience, both in and out of the airline industry, provide a solid foundation for building a world-class airline focused on taking care of our people, serving our customers, and giving a good return to our shareholders.”

Upon closing, NWA, Inc. will be an operating subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. Ed Bastian, who is Delta’s current president and CFO, will also become CEO and president of Northwest. Mike Becker, who is currently senior vice president of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Northwest, will become the new executive vice president and chief operating officer of Northwest during the transition period. Northwest’s current president and CEO, Doug Steenland, will leave to assume his seat on the new Delta Board of Directors.

Each of the officers of the new NWA structure will be officers of both NWA and Delta upon closing. “The officers named for both Delta and NWA are leaders of the new Delta,” said Bastian, who will have leadership roles in both organizations. “The final organizational structure will evolve over time, as the transition to a single operating certificate is achieved. We will not sacrifice revenue or cost-synergies by moving too quickly to integrate. Combining these two great airlines will be a well-planned, deliberate process.”

In April, Delta announced that it is combining with Northwest in an all-stock transaction to create one of the world's biggest airline groups. The new Delta will be headquartered in Atlanta and will maintain a significant presence in Minnesota that includes both operation and staff functions beyond the 12-24 month transition of Northwest operations into Delta.

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