Gordon Bethune
{{Short description|American naval aviator and businessman (1941-)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gordon Bethune
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|8|29}}
| birth_place = San Antonio, Texas
| occupation = Chief Executive Officer, Continental Airlines (1994-2004)
Vice President, Boeing, (1988-1994)
Vice President, Braniff, (1978-1982)
Sr. Vice President, Piedmont Airlines, (1984-1988)
| alma_mater = Abilene Christian University, (B.S.)
Harvard Business School, (Adv. Mgt.)
| spouse =
}}
Gordon M. Bethune (born August 29, 1941) is a retired US airline executive. He was the CEO of Continental Airlines from 1994 until his retirement at the end of 2004. He was on the boards of Honeywell and Prudential Financial.
Bethune was known for ensuring that he received some time as a pilot when taking delivery of a new Continental Airlines Boeing 767 from Boeing and repositioning it from Seattle to Houston.
Early life and US Navy service
Bethune was born in San Antonio, Texas to Pearl Elley and Jack Bethune, who was serving in the U.S. Army at that time. Bethune grew up in Austin, Texas and spent summers with his father, who owned an aerial crop dusting company in Hernando, Mississippi. Bethune joined the U.S. Navy in 1958 at age 17, becoming an aviation electronics technician.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/sep/21/theairlineindustry.mbas|title=Interview with Gordon Bethune, chairman and chief executive, Continental Airlines|last=Clark|first=Andrew|date=2002-09-21|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-05-15}} In January 1960, he was serving in Heavy Attack Squadron 11{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. He rose to the rank of chief petty officer, chief warrant officer, and over time received his commission as a lieutenant.{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/12/20/270531/index.htm|title=The Mechanic Who Fixed Continental Believe it or not, CEO Gordon Bethune, a former Navy mechanic, has made Continental the best airline in the U.S. - December 20, 1999|website=archive.fortune.com|access-date=2018-05-14}} In 1978, he retired with twin bars of a full lieutenant. His last duty station was with Patrol Squadron Nineteen (Big Red) stationed at Moffett Field, CA. Bethune holds a commercial pilot certificate with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3, Boeing 757, and Boeing 767.{{Cite web|url=https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/Main.aspx|title = FAA Registry - Airmen - AirmenInquiry - Name Search}}
Early career
In 1978, a Navy friend asked whether Bethune would consider joining Braniff International Airways as a maintenance manager. He agreed and later became the vice president of maintenance. Bethune later was vice president of engineering and maintenance for Western Airlines. He spent thirteen months with Western before leaving to become senior vice president of operations at Piedmont Airlines.{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2003/04/15/0415bethunepromo.html#754ebbdd755b|title=Gordon Bethune Discusses The Airline Industry|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-05-14|language=en}} Bethune was vice president and general manager of The Boeing Company's Customer Services Division and later the Renton Division where he was responsible for the production of the B737 and B757 airplanes.
Bethune earned a bachelor's degree from Abilene Christian University in 1984.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/gordon-bethune/|title=Gordon Bethune|last=Bethune|first=Gordon M.|website=CNBC|date=12 March 2010|access-date=2018-05-15}}
Continental Airlines
Bethune was hired as COO and president of Continental Airlines in 1994 after the airline had twice faced bankruptcy. Bethune later became the airline's CEO in November 1994 and was elected chairman of the board of directors in 1996.{{Cite news|url=http://www.sbnonline.com/article/from-worst-to-first-continental-airlines-ceo-gordon-bethune-s-forward-thinking-philosophy-set-the-standard-for-corporate-turnarounds/|title=From worst to first - Smart Business Magazine|work=Smart Business Magazine|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US}}
BusinessWeek magazine named Bethune one of the Top 25 Global Managers in 1996 and 1997.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} Under his leadership Continental's stock price rose from $2 to over $50 per share.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1996-05-26/lucky-or-smart-gordon-bethune-has-continental-climbing|title=Lucky Or Smart, Gordon Bethune Has Continental Climbing|date=1996-05-27|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en}} Fortune magazine named Continental among the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for six consecutive years.{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2002/02/04/317486/index.htm|title=The 100 Best Companies To Work For - February 4, 2002|website=archive.fortune.com|access-date=2018-05-16}} In his final year with the airline, Fortune ranked Continental as 2004's No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline, a title it earned again in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.{{cite web |title= Gordon Bethune Profile, Biography, About |website=CNBC |url=https://www.cnbc.com/gordon-bethune/ |access-date=2008-08-26 }} Bethune released his book, From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental's Remarkable Comeback, in 1999 detailing his time at that carrier.Bethune, Gordon, [https://www.amazon.com/From-Worst-First-Continentals-Remarkable/dp/0471356522 From Worst to First: Behind the scenes of Continental's remarkable comeback] ({{ISBN|978-0471356523}}), Wiley & Sons, 1999.
Following his career with Continental, Bethune became the non-executive chairman for the former Aloha Airlines.{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=4557818&page=1|title=Aloha Air halting passenger service after 62 years|date=2008-04-07|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2018-05-16}} He was on the board of directors of Prudential Financial, Honeywell, Sprint Corp, and Park Hotels and Resorts. He was a contributor to CNBC following his retirement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/10/united-is-being-immature-former-continental-ceo-gordon-bethune-says.html|title=United passenger was 'immature,' former Continental CEO Gordon Bethune says|last=Thomas|first=Lauren|date=2017-04-10|work=CNBC|access-date=2018-05-16}}
Awards and honors
In 1999, Bethune was the National Honorary Initiate of Delta Sigma Pi at the Grand Chapter Congress in Houston.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deltasigmapi.org/about/resources/historical-information/distinguished-members/national-honorary-members/gordon-bethune|title=Deltasig 1999 National Honorary Initiate Gordon Bethune|website=www.deltasigmapi.org|access-date=2018-05-16}} In 2003, he received the Tony Jannus Award for outstanding leadership in the Commercial Aviation industry.{{Cite web|url=https://tonyjannus.com/recipient/|title=archives|website=Tony Jannus Award|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-16}} In 2006, he was awarded the Lloyd P. Nolen Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award by the Wings over Houston Airshow.{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/news/article/Wings-Over-Houston-presents-lifetime-achievement-9443626.php|title=Wings Over Houston presents lifetime achievement award|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=2018-05-16}}
Additionally, he was recognized as one of the Top 25 Global Managers, BusinessWeek, 1996; Laureate in Aviation Trophy, National Air and Space Museum, 1997; 25 Most Influential Executives, Business Travel News, 1998, 2000; 50 Best CEOs in America, Worth, 2001, 2002, 2003; Airline Person of the Year, Travel Agent, 2001.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}
The Wings Club New York City awarded him the Distinguished Achievement award in 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.wingsclub.org/awards.html |title=Distinguished Achievement Awards |publisher=Wings Club |accessdate=February 9, 2012 |archive-date=September 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928010416/http://www.wingsclub.org/awards.html |url-status=dead }} The Navy League of New York presented him The Life Time Achievement Award in 2014.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nynavyleague.org/Anniversary-Dinner|title=New York Council, Navy League of the United States, Inc. - Anniversary-Dinner|last=RC|website=www.nynavyleague.org|access-date=2018-05-16}} Bethune received the 2009 Philip J. Klass Award for Lifetime Achievement from Aviation Week & Space Technology. The award stated: "...Bethune has spent a lifetime relentlessly searching for ways to make things work better ... has few rivals ... in both his achievements and his popularity with employees."Aviation Week & Space Technology 12 January 2009, "2009 Laureates", p. 57
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20010331180753/http://www.pbs.org/wttw/ceoexchange/episode_106/ceo_1.html PBS: Mastering the Art of Corporate Reinvention]
- [http://www.surferess.com/CEO/html/gordon_bethune.html Gordon Bethune Executive Profile]
- [https://www.cnbc.com/gordon-bethune/ Gordon Bethune Profile, Biography, About - CNBC.com]
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=Robert Ferguson}}
{{s-ttl|title=CEO of Continental Airlines|years=1994 – 2004}}
{{s-aft|after=Larry Kellner}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bethune, Gordon}}
Category:People from Abilene, Texas
Category:Continental Airlines people
Category:American airline chief executives
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:Abilene Christian University alumni
Category:American aviation businesspeople