Business Forecast Luncheon - 13th Annual!
The World Trade Club - San Francisco
May 31 - 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
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Virgin America...Will it fly?
The U.S. airline industry is in the tank. Recently, nearly 50 percent of U.S. capacity has been in Chapter 11. Is Fred Reid out of his mind to start a new airline? Perhaps (but that's another issue entirely). In reality, it's a great opportunity. On May 31, Reid, CEO of Virgin America, will join Haas alumni for lunch and share his thoughts on the state of the U.S. airline industry and why Virgin America will fly.

Fred Reid - CEO, Virgin America
Twenty-five years of airline management experience has landed Fred Reid at the helm of Virgin America. Responsible for all operational, strategic and executive forces, the longtime advocate for airline industry innovation and reform now leads a management team determined to build a new U.S. carrier people will love, offering high value for low fares.

Most recently serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of Delta Air Lines, Fred oversaw the creation of Song, the first competitive low-fare airline launch among the six major U.S. network carriers. He also headed Delta Connection, the world’s largest fleet of regional jets, and built the SkyTeam Alliance, the world’s most integrated global airline partnership.

Fred joined Delta in July 1998 as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, during which time he directed the successful acquisition of regional carriers ASA and Comair, rebuilt Delta’s revenue management system, and redesigned the network to improve efficiencies and growth opportunities.

Prior to joining Delta, Fred was President and Chief Operating Officer of Lufthansa German Airlines, where he was the first American national to lead a major non-U.S. airline. Fred played a key role in developing Lufthansa’s strategic international alliances, and contributed significantly to the airline’s privatization and return to profitability. Between 1976 and 1991, Fred held various management positions at Pan American World Airways and American Airlines, based in Western Europe, the Middle East and South Asia.

Fred’s glad to be back home. A native of San Francisco, he graduated in 1973 from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. degree in Asian studies. Fred is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York; the Board of Directors for AMB Property Corporation, a leading owner and operator of airport real estate based in San Francisco; and also serves on the Advisory Board for the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease.

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