Alaska Airlines Announces Senior Leadership Changes

Alaska Air Group announced a trio of senior leadership changes last week, including a decision to split the president and COO role at Alaska Airlines.

Moving forward, Alaska Airlines president Ben Minicucci will be responsible for all commercial and operational duties including rollout and execution of the company’s strategic plan, including things like Alaska’s network, flight schedule, sales, revenue management, safety and operations, marketing and real estate, while Gary Beck will take over as the airline‘s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Finally, Joe Sprague has returned to the company, being named president of the group’s regional subsidiary Horizon Air. All of the appointments are effective immediately.

Minicucci was promoted to president and chief operating officer back in 2016 and has led the airline’s integration with Virgin America since 2017. Meanwhile, Beck has served as president and chief executive officer of Horizon Air for the past two years.

Sprague returns just two years after retiring from Alaska Air Group in 2017 after serving at the company for 17 years.

“Together, these talented executives bring more than four decades of expertise working across a wide variety of divisions at Air Group,” said Brad Tilden, chairman and CEO of Alaska Air Group, in a statement. “We’ve doubled in size in just the past five years. Their experience and leadership abilities will be crucial as we continue to grow and navigate new opportunities and challenges.”

“These new responsibilities are a natural step forward for Ben,” Tilden added. “He is driven to succeed, and committed to getting it right—whether it’s maintaining a strong safety record, improving our operational performance or making sure our guests have a great experience.”

“We’re fortunate to welcome Gary back to Alaska. He’s a proven, trusted leader with decades of airline experience who will be dedicated solely to our operational safety and success as we grow Alaska,” Minicucci said in a statement of his own. “Gary’s commitment to safety and to people—along with his energy—will be an asset as we continue to build on our foundation of operational rigor.”