Ed Bastian

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Ed Bastian
Ed Bastian Delta CEO.jpg
Bastian in 2017
Born
Edward H. Bastian

(1945-06-06) June 6, 1945 (age 78)
Education St. Bonaventure University (BBA)
Title Chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines
TermMay 2, 2016 – present
Predecessor Richard Anderson
Board member of Aeroméxico, Atlanta Committee for Progress, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Woodruff Arts Center, Virgin Atlantic, Greater Atlanta Christian School
Children4

Edward Herman Bastian (born June 6, 1957) is an American business executive. He is the ninth and current chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines, serving in this role since May 2, 2016. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Bastian grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, the oldest of nine children. His father was a dentist and his mother was a dental assistant. The couple operated a dental practice from within the family home. [2] He graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie in 1975. [3]

In 1979, Bastian received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York. [4]

Career

Bastian began his career as an auditor in New York City at Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). During a 1981 annual review, he uncovered a $50 million fraud scheme involving ad powerhouse J. Walter Thompson. [2] This prompted a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, leaving many PWC executives with marred careers. A few years later, Bastian was named partner at age 31. [2]

After PWC, he served as vice president at PepsiCo, where he managed international finances for its Frito-Lay snack division until 1998, when he joined Delta Air Lines as vice president - finance and controller. [5] In 2000, he was promoted to senior vice president – finance and controller. [6]

Bastian left Delta in 2005 to become senior vice president and chief financial officer at Acuity Brands. Six months later, at the request of then-Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein, he returned to the airline to serve as chief financial officer. [7] In 2007, he was appointed to president, a position he held until assuming the role of CEO in May 2016. [8] His transition to CEO was the first time Delta had chosen a chief executive officer from within the company since 1987. [9]

Personal life

A father of 4, [10] he splits his time between Atlanta, where Delta Air Lines is headquartered, and Florida. [11]

Awards and recognition

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References

  1. "Delta announces executive succession". Delta News Hub. Delta Air Lines. February 3, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Tully, Shawn (November 27, 2018). "Delta Buckles Up For Turbulence". Fortune . Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  3. "Edward Bastian '75". www.ollchs.org. Our Lady of Lourdes High School . Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  4. Belcher, Mark (February 4, 2016). "St. Bonaventure grad to take over for Delta Air Lines CEO Anderson as he retires". WIVB-TV . Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  5. Kelly Yamanouchi, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Delta CEO departing, successor named". ajc. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  6. Executive, Chief (2018-01-02). "Edward Bastian Restructures Delta Into The "Winningest" Airline". ChiefExecutive.net. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  7. Cohen, Brian. "Ed Bastian to Succeed Richard Anderson as Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines". The Gate. BoardingArea. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  8. "Edward Bastian Restructures Delta Into The "Winningest" Airline". Chief Executive . January 2, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  9. Blau, Max (April 28, 2016). "Can new Delta CEO Ed Bastian continue the airline's success?". Atlanta . Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  10. "5 things to know about Delta CEO Ed Bastian". AJC.com . June 20, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  11. Purcell, Amanda J. (April 5, 2016). "Poughkeepsie native named CEO of Delta Air Lines". Poughkeepsie Journal . Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  12. "Metro Atlanta Chamber Announces 2021 Chair And Launches New Digital Tool To Promote The Region". Metro Atlanta Chamber . November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  13. "The World's 50 Greatest Leaders". Fortune. April 19, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  14. Simmons, Kenna; Percy, Susan (February 2018). "2018 Georgia Trustees". Georgia Trend . Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  15. "Highest Rated CEOs 2017". Glassdoor . Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  16. "Q&A with Ed Bastian, 2017 Most Admired CEO". Atlanta Business Chronicle . July 31, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2018.