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Home  >  United Airlines  >  United CEO Oscar Munoz Reflects Upon His Departure
United Airlines

United CEO Oscar Munoz Reflects Upon His Departure

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 6, 2019December 8, 2019 6 Comments

United 2017 Safety Video

Yesterday, United announced that Oscar Munoz would be stepping aside as CEO in 2020 to become of Executive Chairman. Scott Kirby, United’s current President, will fill the role.

  • Scott Kirby Will Replace Oscar Munoz As United CEO In 2020
  • What United Airlines Told Employees About Leadership Change
  • Editorial: Scott Kirby, New United CEO, Has Earned My Respect

Oscar Munoz Reflects Upon His Departure As CEO

Several people have forwarded me a note Oscar Munoz sent to employees today about his departure. Although the video I shared yesterday was directed toward employees, this letter reflects a much more personal touch from the outgoing CEO.

Yesterday, United made an exciting announcement about the future of our airline.

At the same time, I wanted to communicate directly to you, my United family, which it has been the honor of my career to belong to and lead.

As we conclude another outstanding year for United, I have chosen this time and place to begin a transition that will ensure stability and continuity of leadership and that we remain firmly upon the course we set out on when I first became CEO, which has delivered so much success for United and our service to our customers, as well as for each other.

On May 20th of next year, I will officially assume the role of executive chairman of the board of directors. And it is my privilege to announce that Scott Kirby will then become the next CEO of United.

Please join me in congratulating Scott and his family on this incredible professional achievement.

Let’s also send our deepest appreciation to Jane Garvey, who will retire from the board at the same time, culminating her more than a decade of exceptional service to our company, including serving as Chair since May 2018. Jane is a true pioneer of our industry. Her contributions and counsel, her wit and wisdom, have earned her the enduring thanks of a grateful United.

Now, I’d like to talk to you about what this news means for all of us as a United family, and why I believe this is the perfect time to begin this transition.

A seamless hand-off of leadership is the hallmark of a healthy, strong company, one that enjoys a unified consensus about its direction and an optimism for the future.

We know from experience what it means to undergo a change of leadership during a time of disruption and difficult circumstances. We remember the uncertainty that hung over the direction of our company when we started this journey together in 2015. We will never forget what it took to right our ship and recover from years – even decades – of events that had slipped us off course. It was truly an all-hands-on-deck effort. I want to thank every single one of you for what you did to serve the airline we love in its moment of greatest need and help steer us toward a better course.

It was then that I made a promise to myself that when my time in this job, which has been the honor of my career and a highlight of my life, came to a close – as all good things must – I would satisfy three criteria.

First, I wanted to be one hundred percent certain that my successor would be the absolute best person in our industry to lead United, bar none. I have no doubt in my mind that Scott is that person. There is no one I trust more to build upon what we’ve created together and guide United into the future.

Second, when the transition occurred, I wanted our new CEO to find an all-star team ready on day one to deliver on the key priorities of our business: execute on the next stage of our growth plan, drive forward our core4 culture of caring service and move full speed ahead on our customer-centered investment strategy.

That’s exactly the kind of leadership team I see when I look across the immense array of talent that now exists at United at every level. There is simply no finer team in our industry and, of all the terrific legacies we’ve created, it is this deep bench of talent that will prove to be one of the most decisive advantages for United in the years to come.

Finally, above all, I wanted to be confident that I was passing forward a United that has its best days ahead of it, with a bright future squarely in the forward window.

I believe in my heart of hearts that all of these aspirations are coming to fruition at once. As we usher in a new decade – one in which we will celebrate United’s centennial – now is the perfect time for us to start writing a new chapter in our story. It is a chapter I intend to help write with all of you in my new role as executive chair of the board.

The deep, personal relationship I’ve endeavored to foster with all of you is without a doubt my greatest source of satisfaction and what I most cherish.

That will not change.

I look forward to help shaping the course of United from my seat at the head of the board. Then, going out into the system to communicate it to all of you – as I always have.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to offer the first of what will be many heartfelt thank yous.

Your dedication and devotion to your work are the bedrock upon which all of our success is founded. You’ve welcomed my family and me into your hearts and homes. You’ve kept faith with me through times of trial and triumph, and all the times in between.

Together, we created a new spirit of United. Keeping that spirit alive will be the work of all of us in the days and years to come.

Gratefully,
Oscar

My Thoughts

It’s the sort of feel-good letter you would expect from a CEO during a time of growth, but one thing caught my attention.

I wanted our new CEO to find an all-star team ready on day one to deliver on the key priorities of our business: execute on the next stage of our growth plan, drive forward our core4 culture of caring service and move full speed ahead on our customer-centered investment strategy.

That’s exactly the kind of leadership team I see when I look across the immense array of talent that now exists at United at every level. There is simply no finer team in our industry and, of all the terrific legacies we’ve created, it is this deep bench of talent that will prove to be one of the most decisive advantages for United in the years to come.

For all this talk about Kirby running a show….well, in a sense he has been already. And he’s only as strong as his weakest link. United’s top executive team, people like Andrew Nocella, Kate Gebo, Greg Hart, Linda Jojo, Luc Bondar, Toby Enqvist, Ankit Gupta, Patrick Quayle, and Sharon Grant, seem to work well together. That is absolutely critical, even if we don’t always like the outcome.

I don’t view the United C-Suite as a “Team of Rivals” like Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet. Instead, I view interests that are aligned and a common purpose that will drive further growth.

While not trying to sugarcoat anything, Munoz did more than bring in Kirby; he assembled a great team that may infuriate customers sometimes with petty cutbacks, but will certainly drive profit in years to come absent any global recession.

What did you think of Munoz’s letter?

Previous Article Editorial: Scott Kirby, New United CEO, Has Earned My Respect
Next Article Is “Interspace” The Premium Economy Class Seat Of The Future?

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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6 Comments

  1. Howard Reply
    December 6, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    So he’s the Nick Fury of United?

  2. debit Reply
    December 6, 2019 at 5:09 pm

    Team of rivals, only narcissistic idiots like trump have teams like that. Most want teams that work well together instead of backstabbing each other.

  3. Dave G Reply
    December 6, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    Did United evolve to compete against other top tier international airlines? Apart from Polaris business and lounge, definitely not.
    Still it’s struggling to install new Polaris version even for the long SFO-SIN 788.
    Prices are outrageous compared to international rivals who has much better products, food and inflight service.
    Would United improve with Kirby? Definitely not!!

  4. Ryan Reply
    December 6, 2019 at 7:57 pm

    United is set to compete against American , barely but not DL/International rivals. Scott Kirby will dismantle the product best he can. He’s shallow minded and can’t see behind what numbers can “forecast”. Scott Kirby only works if there is a good checks and balance system.

  5. Deltahater Reply
    December 6, 2019 at 9:57 pm

    Seems like much ado about nothing. Unless UA fires 4-5 top execs, nothing will get better.

  6. Christian Reply
    December 6, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    The letter seemed nice enough, I suppose, but was pretty much cotton candy: nice at first but with little substance. Unless Kirby has a secret set of skills that have remained hidden until now, it seems unlikely that things will go well for employees or most customers, and perhaps even upper management. @Ryan is spot on about Kirby needing a minder or at least a counterbalance.

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