American Airlines has confirmed that Derek Kerr,
American’s Vice Chair, President
of American Eagle and Strategic Advisor, will retire from the
airline on 30 September 2023.
Kerr stepped down as CFO at the end of
2022 after 20 years in the role as part of a long-planned
succession process. Devon May was named Kerr’s successor as CFO
and assumed the role on 1 January. Heather Garboden was named Senior
Vice President of Regionals and Cargo in March and will continue
to lead American’s Regional and Cargo work going forward.
“Derek Kerr is one of the finest and most accomplished executives
in the history of the airline business,” said American’s CEO,
Robert Isom. “I’m proud to call him a friend, and American is very
well-positioned for the future because of his leadership. We wish
him well as he begins his retirement.”
In his most recent
role of Vice Chair, President of American Eagle and Strategic
Advisor, Kerr has led American’s Regional and Cargo teams and served as a strategic advisor to the company. As President of
American Eagle, he has been responsible for nearly half of
American’s daily departures with oversight of the airline’s
regional operations.
“I’m incredibly proud of everything
we accomplished during my time at American, US Airways and America
West,” said Kerr. “It has been a tremendous honor to work
alongside so many wonderful people the past three decades, and I
consider myself incredibly lucky for the countless memories and
friends I have made along the way. I’m confident Robert, Devon and
the rest of the American Airlines team will continue to chart a profitable path for American and build an airline that will thrive
forever.”
Kerr served as CFO of America West Airlines, US
Airways and American from 2002 to 2022. He was instrumental in the
mergers of America West and US Airways in 2005 and US Airways and
American in 2013. Kerr and his team raised $25 billion to keep
American on solid footing during the global pandemic.
Kerr
joined America West in 1996 and served in a variety of finance and
planning roles before he was named CFO in 2002. He was named
Senior Vice President and CFO of US Airways in 2005 and was
promoted to Executive Vice President and CFO in 2009.
Kerr
serves on the board of directors of Comerica Incorporated, the
board of directors of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate
Athletics, the advisory board of the University of Michigan Ross
School of Business, the board of directors of the Cotton Bowl, and
he is a member of the Dallas Stars Ownership Advisory Group.
He
earned a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering and a
Master of Business Administration in finance from the University
of Michigan.
