United Airlines Appoints James T. Olson as SVP of Corporate Communications

United Airlines has appointed James T. Olson as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications.

Jim has over 25 years of public relations and employee engagement experience with several of the world’s most admired and innovative companies, including Starbucks, US Airways and Nissan. He will join United on 1 February 2016 and will report to Michael Bonds, executive vice president of Human Resources and Labor Relations.

“It was clear to us that Jim possesses the leadership, forward-thinking and global perspective to create the state-of-the-art communications capability necessary to help position United for the long runway of opportunity ahead of us,” said Bonds. “His combination of airline, consumer brand and digital experience will make Jim an immediate and impactful addition to United’s senior leadership team. We look forward to welcoming Jim aboard United and welcoming his family to Chicago.”

Jim currently serves as vice president Global Corporate Communications at Starbucks Coffee Company where he has led the company’s reputation-elevating corporate news agenda and brand protection capability since 2011. Additionally, he architected Starbucks’ next-generation digital news and employee storytelling platform, as well as orchestrated public affairs for the company’s Asia Pacific and Latin America regions.

Prior to Starbucks, Jim was vice president Corporate Communications at US Airways where he led the airline’s internal, external and crisis communications functions, which included managing the response to the 2009 Hudson River emergency water landing of Flight 1549. He spent most of the first decade of his career in the automotive industry, including seven years as a strategic communications and digital media consultant to Nissan North America.

“I am humbled and excited about joining United at this important and transformative moment in their journey,” Jim said. “As a storyteller at heart, I am looking forward to giving the world a window seat to the vision, customer experience innovations and employee teamwork that are accelerating one of the world’s most iconic airlines into the future.”

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science in public relations from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He has also served as a long-time board member of The LAGRANT Foundation, which is devoted to achieving greater diversity in the marketing and communications fields.

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