Alaska Airlines CEO stepping down next year
Alaska Airlines’ CEO Brad Tilden will step down in March next year.
Tilden will stay on as chair of the board and will be replaced as chief executive by current President Ben Minicucci.
Tilden has spent three decades at the Seattle-based carrier and previously held the positions of CFO and President.
"Now is the time to position Alaska for future growth, and now is the time to move forward with this long-planned transition," Tilden said.
According to independent director Patricia Bedient, the transition is ‘the culmination of a multiyear succession planning process.’
"The board has complete confidence in Ben’s ability to lead Alaska to great success in the years to come," she said.
Minicucci had a similar pathway to the top job since joining the airline in 2004.
He held the positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Minicucci was also the CEO of Virgin America, leading its integration into Alaska Airlines Group after its acquisition.
Written by Ray Montgomery, US Editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt