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US Airways Names New Management Executives

US Airways President and CEO David Siegel announced last week major changes in the company’s executive leadership and organizational structure.

Two new executive vice presidents were named for the chief financial officer and general counsel positions. Neal Cohen, 41, will become executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer. He joins US Airways as a seasoned finance executive having extensive airline and automobile industry experience. He has held several CFO positions and had worked for nine years at Northwest Airlines in a number of financial positions, most recently as senior vice president and treasurer. Michelle V. Bryan, 45, who has been US Airways` senior vice president of human resources, will become executive vice president and general counsel.


Also, Jerry Glass, 47, who most recently has been president of J. Glass and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in airline and railroad labor and employee relations matters, will join US Airways as senior vice president of employee relations.


Gregory T. Taylor, 48, who has been senior vice president of planning, will assume the newly created position of senior vice president and president of the US Airways Express division.


US Airways` planning function will be combined with marketing under the leadership of B. Ben Baldanza, senior vice president of marketing and planning.

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Other newly named executives are David Davis, 35, who will become vice president of financial planning and analysis; Douglas Leo, 42, who will become vice president of international; P. Douglas McKeen, 46, who will become vice president of labor relations; and Andrew Nocella, 32, who will become vice president of planning and scheduling.


“I am delighted that these talented individuals will be joining our team as the company charts a new course,” said Siegel. “Working together with employees to return the company to profitability, their breadth of experience and knowledge will be invaluable.”


As executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer, Cohen will oversee the functions of corporate development, financial planning and analysis, controller, purchasing, treasury, information technology and corporate real estate. His background includes nine years of airline experience with Northwest Airlines, where he held a number of executive positions, including senior vice president and treasurer. Since leaving Northwest, Cohen served as chief financial officer for various service and financial organizations. Prior to joining Northwest, he spent seven years at General Motors’ New York treasurer’s office.


In her new role as executive vice president and general counsel, Bryan will lead the legal department and government affairs. On an interim basis, she will retain responsibility for select human resources functions. Bryan joined US Airways in 1983 as a staff attorney with a special focus on issues relating to personnel and labor relations. She was named vice president and deputy general counsel in 1995. She also served as corporate secretary from 1988 until her appointment as senior vice president in 1999.


Glass will focus on relationships with US Airways’ unions in his new position as well as employee relations, policy and compliance. He is a recognized expert in airline and railroad labor issues and has extensive experience as a negotiator, adviser and analyst. Glass has served as chief negotiator for major, national, regional, charter, cargo and international airlines operating in the U.S., and has negotiated collective bargaining agreements with all major airline groups. He has successfully concluded nearly 60 separate labor agreements without any disruptions in service or job actions.


Since joining US Airways in 1998, Taylor has held the positions of vice president of financial planning and analysis and vice president of US Airways Express. With the planned significant expansion of regional jet operations, the US Airways Express division will play a vital role in the company’s future. Prior to joining US Airways, Taylor was vice president of revenue management at United Airlines. While at United, he held a variety of positions, including director of pricing, director of inventory management, director of financial planning and analysis, and business manager of computer services.


Davis comes to US Airways from Organizational Concepts International, a human resources consulting group, where he was responsible for the analysis of labor cost and work force productivity issues as well as general business planning and analysis for the firm. His prior experience includes the position of vice president of financial planning and analysis for Budget Group Inc. and various finance positions at both Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines.


Leo brings extensive and varied airline experience, having worked for Northwest since 1984 in the areas of alliances and joint ventures, and international marketing, revenue management, pricing and sales. His most recent position was managing director-Asia. In his new role, Leo will have responsibility for US Airways’ international operations, sales and marketing, including Europe and the Caribbean.


McKeen also joins US Airways from Organizational Concepts International, where he has been a partner and labor relations practice leader. His background includes over 14 years of extensive labor relations experience in the airline industry. Prior to joining OCI in August 2000, McKeen had been vice president of labor relations, ground for Northwest Airlines, where he held various senior positions in the labor relations department. He also had been vice president of labor relations at America West Airlines and had practiced law with the St. Paul, Minn., law firm of Murnane, Conlin, White, Brandt and Hoffman.


Nocella had been vice president of planning and scheduling at America West Airlines since July 1998 and senior director in the department prior to that. He also had been director of schedule and route planning at Continental Airlines and an aviation analyst with AVMARK, an airline-consulting group.

The organizational changes become effective Monday, April 8.


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