The FINANCIAL — American Airlines announced on May 17 that Bev Goulet, Executive Vice President and Chief Integration Officer, will retire in June after 24 years with the company.
“Everyone at American Airlines has been positively impacted by the contributions of Bev Goulet, both today and into the future,” said Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. “In addition to her important work heading Corporate Development and Treasury, Bev was Chief Restructuring Officer for the industry’s most successful restructuring and Chief Integration Officer for the most seamless integration of two airlines in commercial aviation history. All of us who have worked with Bev are better people for having done so and our airline is now well-positioned for the future largely due to her commitment. We are grateful for Bev’s friendship and wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.”
Goulet joined American as Associate General Counsel for Corporate Finance in 1993, overseeing American’s aircraft and other financing transactions. She became Managing Director of Corporate Development in 1999, leading the spin-off of The Sabre Group in 2000, the acquisition of substantially all Trans World Airlines assets in 2001, and working with the U.S. government to provide financial stability to the industry after 9/11. She was promoted to Vice President of Corporate Development & Treasurer in 2002, and in the years immediately following the economic downturn in 2008, arranged approximately $12 billion in financing for American during some of the company’s most financially vulnerable times, according to American Airlines.
In 2011, Goulet was named American’s Chief Restructuring Officer and spearheaded the airline’s Chapter 11 restructuring, including playing a key role in the analysis and negotiation of American’s merger with US Airways. That positioned her well to become the combined airline’s Senior Vice President & Chief Integration Officer in 2013. She was promoted to Executive Vice President & Chief Integration Officer in 2015. Goulet’s leadership has been key in driving American’s successful integration, despite it being the largest, most complex airline merger in history. Under her guidance, the company has combined passenger service systems and loyalty programs, moved to one flight operating system, and co-located operations throughout the world.
Remaining integration projects will now be managed directly by the business units driving them. Kenji Hashimoto has been named Senior Vice President of Finance & Corporate Development and will assume Goulet’s other corporate strategy responsibilities. Additionally, in this new and expanded role, Hashimoto will have oversight of the Treasury and Risk Management teams and will report to American’s Chief Financial Officer, Derek Kerr.
“We still have several large integration projects underway, including moving all flight attendants to one system and shifting to a single maintenance platform,” said Kerr. “But with many of the day-to-day integration efforts behind us, we have the opportunity to refocus on traditional Corporate Development work and return that role to its roots by aligning it with Treasury and Risk Management.”
Hashimoto currently oversees all regional flight services operating under the American Eagle brand, including the company’s three wholly owned carriers – Envoy, Piedmont and PSA – as well as seven regional affiliates. He will continue in this role until American names a successor in the near future.
Hashimoto previously served as President of Cargo and was responsible for the airline’s worldwide cargo business. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Strategic Alliances, leading the company’s efforts to grow and strengthen oneworld® and American’s bilateral airline relationships through joint business agreements, codeshares, frequent flyer programs and interline partnerships. Hashimoto previously held other leadership positions, including serving as Managing Director of Airline Profitability and Financial Analysis, Managing Director of Investor Relations and Managing Director of Finance for the Europe and Pacific region. He earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College.
