Adam Aron

Born to a Jewish family,[http://www.jewishexponent.com/hes-got-game Jewish Exponent: "He's Got Game" by Michael Elkin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404190217/http://www.jewishexponent.com/hes-got-game |date=2020-04-04 }} February 16, 2012{{cite web|url=http://jewishexponent.com/2013/07/09/beyond-the-buzzer-sixers-jewish-ceo-steps-down/|title=Beyond the Buzzer: Sixers Jewish CEO Steps Down|date=Jul 9, 2013|author=Michael Elkin|publisher=The Jewish Exponent|access-date=November 4, 2017|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001946/https://www.jewishexponent.com/2013/07/09/beyond-the-buzzer-sixers-jewish-ceo-steps-down/|url-status=live}} Aron graduated from Abington Senior High School in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was friends with future Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and future United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-08-17/amc-amc-stock-became-a-meme-thanks-to-adam-aron-s-antics |title=AMC's CEO Turned His $9 Billion Company Into a Meme Machine |last1=Gillette |first1=Felix |last2=Ronalds-Hannon |first2=Eliza |website=Bloomberg |date=August 17, 2022 |access-date=September 3, 2023}} He then attended Harvard University, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in government, and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.

===Career===

After graduating, Aron began working for Pan Am in 1979, where he was picked by executive Stephen Wolf to design the company's first frequent-flyer program. In the late 1980s, Aron was hired as a top marketing executive for Hyatt. Aron served as the CEO of Vail Resorts from 1996 to 2006. the second-largest ski resort operator worldwide. His contributions were hailed by Newsweek during his time at Vail with the headline: "Vail Resorts is a peak performer. CEO Adam Aron has transformed the U.S. ski industry."{{cite web |title=King of the Hill - Enterprise Management - MSNBC.com |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6934716/site/newsweek/page/3/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010004033/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6934716/site/newsweek/page/3/ |archivedate=2007-10-10 |accessdate=2014-11-27}} Aron also served as the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, then the fourth-largest cruise company in the world, and as Senior Vice President Marketing for United Airlines.

Aron was selected by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to participate in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference in 2004, was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the board of directors of the National Forest Foundation from 2000 to 2006, and was a delegate to President Clinton's 1995 White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. He has more than 35 years of experience managing companies operating in the travel and leisure industries.{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=215545&privcapId=22365084|title=Adam M. Aron|work=Businessweek.com|access-date=2014-11-27|archive-date=2020-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001959/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/1558837|url-status=dead}}

Throughout his career, Aron launched numerous award-winning loyalty programs, including for Western Airlines, Hyatt, United Airlines, Norwegian Cruise Line, Vail Resorts, the Philadelphia 76ers, and AMC. Ad Age magazine named him twice to its Ad Age 100 – the 100 best marketing executives in the US.{{cite web|url=http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2006_3rd/Aug06_AAron.html|title=Adam M. Aron, Former Chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, Appointed to Starwood Hotels' Board of Directors / August 2006|work=hotel-online.com|access-date=2015-02-16|archive-date=2020-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001959/https://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2006_3rd/Aug06_AAron.html|url-status=live}} In 2007, Travel Weekly magazine named him to its Club 33—the 33 most influential executives in travel and tourism worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Club-33-The-most-influential-people-in-the-travel-industry.|title=Club 33: The most influential people in the travel industry|work=travelweekly.com|access-date=2015-02-16|archive-date=2020-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002002000/https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Club-33-The-most-influential-people-in-the-travel-industry.|url-status=live}}

Aron was named CEO of AMC movie theaters in late 2015. Aron was the subject of a number of high-profile pieces in magazines such as Variety that lauded him and his transformation strategy at AMC.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/adam-aron-amc-cinemacon-exhibition-industry-1202016739/|title=How Adam Aron Is Transforming AMC and Shaking Up the Movie Theater Business|first=Brent|last=Lang|date=27 March 2017|website=variety.com|accessdate=22 September 2018|archive-date=2 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001959/https://variety.com/2017/film/news/adam-aron-amc-cinemacon-exhibition-industry-1202016739/|url-status=live}}

In 2021, Aron took the unusual step of publicly engaging with his investor base via Twitter. He follows about 2,600 AMC retail stockholders on the platform, and has about 300,000 followers as of August 2023.{{cite news |last1=Terret |first1=Eleanor |title=AMC Theaters CEO uses Twitter to build relationships with retail investors |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/amc-theaters-ceo-uses-twitter-to-build-relationships-with-retail-investors |access-date=15 July 2021 |publisher=FoxBusiness |date=24 May 2021}}

When AMC announced that most of their theaters would reopen in mid-July 2020, the initial announcement said masks would be recommended but not mandatory: "we are strongly encouraging our guests to wear masks all across the country, but not requiring it" and "We did not want to be drawn into a political controversy . . . We thought it might be counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary."{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/amc-coronavirus-movie-theaters-covid-19-1234642047/ |title=AMC Theatres Plans to Reopen in July During Coronavirus - Variety |access-date=2020-10-02 |archive-date=2020-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002001959/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/amc-coronavirus-movie-theaters-covid-19-1234642047/ |url-status=live }} But after massive pushback from the public, Aron changed the policy to require masks:

"This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks,"{{Cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/06/amc-theatres-coronavirus-masks-political |title=AMC Theatres Reverses Policy—Will Enforce Masks on Moviegoers | Vanity Fair |website=Vanity Fair |access-date=2020-10-02 |archive-date=2020-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002002008/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/06/amc-theatres-coronavirus-masks-political |url-status=live }} Aron said.

Sakoya Blackwood texted Adam Aron in May 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amc-ceo-adam-aron-blackmail-explicit-photos-fbi/|title=AMC CEO Adam Aron shared explicit photos with woman who then tried to blackmail him|publisher=CBS News}} He thought she was a ballerina who had done "unmentionable things" to him. He sent her explicit pictures, and she used these to blackmail him. Sakoya Blackwood pleaded guilty to cyberstalking in the summer of 2023.

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Category:Living people

Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia

Category:1954 births

Category:Harvard Business School alumni

Category:American chief executives of professional sports organizations

Category:American chief executives of travel and tourism industry companies

Category:20th-century American Jews

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:Harvard College alumni