Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Continental Airlines, Inc. – Houston, Texas
Gordon Bethune is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines, Inc. Bethune joined the airline in February 1994 as President and Chief Operating Officer and became President and Chief Executive Officer in October 1994. Prior to joining Continental, Bethune was Vice President and General Manager of the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group’s Renton Division, where he was responsible for the 737 and 757 airplanes. He had come to Boeing in 1988, and also had served as that company’s Vice President and General Manager of the Customer Services Division. Prior to joining Boeing, Bethune held a number of senior management positions in commercial airlines, including Vice President Engineering and Maintenance for Braniff and Western Airlines, and Senior Vice President Operations for Piedmont Airlines. Additionally, he has served as a US Navy Aircraft Maintenance Officer. Bethune holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Abilene Christian University at Dallas, and is a 1992 graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He is a licensed commercial pilot, type rated on Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft, and the DC-3, and licensed as an airframe and power plant mechanic. Bethune is married and has three sons. “As a leader, you’re only as good as the people you lead. You have to empower the people to make the best decisions that they can.”
