SEATTLE, Feb. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group's
(AAG) Board of Directors announced today that Lead Independent
Director Patricia Bedient will
replace Brad Tilden as chair of the
company's Board of Directors, effective May
5, 2022. Ms. Bedient will serve as independent non-executive
chair, while Mr. Tilden served as executive chair. The announcement
is part of a leadership succession plan that involved Tilden
retiring as CEO in March 2021 and
passing the helm to Ben
Minicucci.
"The transition to Ben as CEO has been seamless, the leadership
team is operating as one and the company is coming out of the
pandemic in a position of strength," said Tilden. "From having the
most caring employees in the business, to consistently delivering
industry-leading guest satisfaction scores, to being among the most
financially solid of the nation's airlines, the company has the
foundation it needs for profitable growth. The time is right for me
to take the next step and retire from the board, leaving it in
Patty's extremely capable hands."
Bedient, a member of AAG's board since 2004, has served as lead
independent director since 2016, and is on the board's audit and
governance, nominating and corporate responsibility committees.
Bedient's leadership on emerging issues such as sustainability and
governance as well as her deep business, finance and strategy
expertise have been hallmarks of her 18 years with the airline.
"I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to continue my
work on the board as chair and I am profoundly grateful for Brad's
leadership and service over the past 30 years," said Bedient. "I
look forward to working with Ben and the experienced and diverse
leadership team we have on the board to lead this great airline
into the next era."
Bedient served as CFO and executive vice president of
Weyerhaeuser Company from 2007 to 2016, when she retired. While at
Weyerhaeuser, she had several other leadership roles including
senior vice president of finance and strategic planning and vice
president. Previously, she spent 27 years with Arthur Andersen LLP
and served as the managing partner for its Seattle office.
Bedient earned a bachelor's degree in business administration,
with a concentration in accounting and finance from Oregon State University. The Wall Street Journal
named Bedient one of the Top 25 CFOs in the S&P 500 in 2012 and
the Puget Sound Business Journal named her Director of the Year in
2019.
In connection with Bedient's election as independent board
chair, the Board of Directors appointed Kathleen Hogan chair of the board's governance,
nominating and corporate responsibility committee. Hogan is chief
people officer and executive vice president of human resources at
Microsoft.
AAG is the holding company for Alaska Airlines, the fifth
largest U.S. passenger airline, and regional carrier Horizon Air.
AAG's independent board members are 42 percent female and 50
percent ethnically/racially diverse.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120
destinations across the United
States, Belize,
Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize Next-Level Care for our
guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer
service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of the oneworld
global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline
partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more
than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to
locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at newsroom.alaskaair.com and
blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are
subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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SOURCE Alaska Air Group