Alaska Airlines Elects Vice Presidents of Finance and Seattle Operations; Names Chief Compliance Officer

Alaska Airlines today announcedthe election of Jay Schaefer as vice president of finance and treasurer, andBen Minicucci as vice president of Seattle operations.

As vice president of finance and treasurer, Schaefer will oversee AlaskaAir Group's financing and capital requirements as well as the company'sinvestment, risk management, supply chain, fuel hedging, fleet and cashmanagement programs. Alaska Air Group, based in Seattle, is the parent companyof Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.

'Jay is a sharp and dedicated professional who has been instrumental inbuilding and maintaining our strong balance sheet and cash position. He's alsodirected our successful fuel hedging strategy,' said Brad Tilden, Alaska AirGroup's executive vice president of finance and planning and chief financialofficer. 'As the industry grapples with record high fuel costs and an economicdownturn, Jay's experience is particularly valuable.'

Schaefer joined Alaska Airlines in 1998 as a cash manager and also hasserved as director of treasury operations. In March 2006, he became staff vicepresident of finance and treasurer. Prior to joining Alaska Airlines, Schaeferserved as senior treasury analyst for Holy Cross Health System of South Bend,Ind. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from theUniversity of California, Santa Cruz.

Minicucci, previously staff vice president of Seattle operations, overseessystems and processes across all departments at Seattle-Tacoma InternationalAirport, the largest hub for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Minicucci'soversight includes customer service -- airports, maintenance and engineering,flight operations, inflight and cargo, as well as other areas such as cateringand fueling.

'Ben is a seasoned airline executive who possesses a rare blend ofexcellent technical and people skills,' said Glenn Johnson, Alaska Airlines'executive vice president of airport services and maintenance and engineering.'Our customers and employees alike have benefited from Ben's deft leadershipand vision. I'm delighted we're promoting him.'

Minicucci joined Alaska Airlines in 2004 as staff vice president ofmaintenance and engineering, where he was responsible for line maintenance andall contract heavy aircraft and engine maintenance. Minicucci developedspecific performance measures to drive process improvements and vendoraccountability, a methodology he has implemented in his new role to improvethe airline's operational reliability.

A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada with bachelor's andmaster's degrees in mechanical engineering, Minicucci managed all aspects ofaircraft maintenance while serving for 14 years in the Canadian Armed Forces.He then joined Air Canada and held several positions of increasingresponsibility, including vice president of aircraft maintenance. In thatrole, Minicucci directed a staff of 2,000 employees and was responsible formost of the scheduled maintenance on the airline's fleet of 200 aircraft.

Alaska Airlines also announced that Tom O'Grady, previously staff vicepresident of commercial and regulatory law, has been named chief complianceofficer and deputy general counsel for Alaska Air Group. In his new role,O'Grady will oversee compliance with laws, regulations and policies coveringall aspects of Alaska Air Group, including planning, operations, finance andhuman resources, among other areas.

'Tom has a distinguished record of achievements at Alaska,' said KeithLoveless, vice president of legal and corporate affairs and general counsel.'His proven success in working cross-divisionally has been instrumental inleading the company toward its goal of being number one in compliance. I'mvery excited to see the organization recognize his contributions.'

O'Grady earned his bachelor's degree at College of the Holy Cross inWorcester, Mass., and his law degree at Seattle University Law School. Afterjoining Alaska Airlines in 1987 as a staff lawyer, he has served in a varietyof positions in the Legal Department, including staff vice president of laborrelations and associate general counsel.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air together serve 93 cities through anexpansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Forreservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit theAlaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle+articleid_2286295~title_Alaska

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Alaska Airlines Elects Vice Presidents of Finance and Seattle Operations; Names Chief Compliance Officer