Ask a QuestionSenior Officers
Visit delta.com to see the Delta Corporate Leadership Team| Terry Mackenthun | Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
| Tom Bach | President-Northwest Airlines Cargo |
| Michael J. Becker | Chief Operating Officer |
| Kris Bauer | Senior Vice President-Technical Operations |
| Bill Lentsch | Senior Vice President, Flight Operations and System Operations Control |
| Laura Liu | Senior Vice President-International |
| Kenneth J. Hylander | Senior Vice President-Safety, Engineering and Chief Safety Officer |
| Crystal Knotek | Senior Vice President-Ground Operations and Customer Service |
| Julie Showers | Senior Vice President-Inflight Services |
| Tammy Lee Stanoch | Vice President-Corporate Affairs |
| Anna Schaefer | Chief Accounting Officer |
Edward Bastian
Chief Executive Officer and President Northwest Airlines, Inc.Edward Bastian is chief executive officer and president for Northwest Airlines, Inc. and also serves as president and chief financial officer for Delta Air Lines, Inc.
As president at Delta, Bastian and his team oversaw and coordinated the Company's strategy from network planning and revenue management to sales, marketing and business development. In his prior role as CFO Bastian also served as the Company's Chief Restructuring Officer, leading Delta through one of the largest and most successful Chapter 11 restructuring processes in U.S. history, and did so in 19 months. The solid business plan Bastian helped develop included $3 billion in annual financial improvements and garnered strong support from the company's creditors and employees. In addition to achieving an industry leading financial position, Delta's Plan of Reorganization included an innovative compensation program for Delta employees including stock, cash payouts and pay increases.
Bastian joined Delta in October 1998 as vice president of Finance and Controller and was promoted to senior vice president in February 2000. In that role, Bastian guided the company through profit improvement initiatives garnering $5 billion in cost savings and revenue benefits between 2002 and 2004.
Bastian left Delta in early 2005 to become senior vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Acuity Brands. He returned to Delta in July 2005 as CFO and was promoted to president in August 2007.
Bastian previously worked for PepsiCo where he served as vice president of Finance for Pepsi Cola International. While at PepsiCo he had also served as vice president of business processes reengineering for Frito-Lay and vice president, Finance and Controller for Frito-Lay International. Prior to PepsiCo, Bastian was a partner in the New York audit practice of Price Waterhouse specializing in the entertainment, advertising and manufacturing sectors, and also served as the strategic planning partner for Price Waterhouse's New York Region.
A 1979 graduate of St. Bonaventure University with a BBA, Bastian currently serves on the International Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity and the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. Bastian lives in Atlanta with his wife, Anna, and their four children.
Michael J. Becker
Chief Operating OfficerNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Mike Becker is Chief Operating Officer Northwest Airlines, Inc. He served as senior vice president of human resources since August 2001. Becker is responsible for all worldwide human resources functions including employee relations, compensation, benefits, pensions, training, executive recruiting, management development, diversity and corporate services. In addition, Becker oversees international labor relations.
Becker joined Northwest Airlines in May 1993. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as vice president - international, where he was responsible for all financial, administration and operations functions for the airline's Atlantic and Pacific divisions. He also has been Northwest's managing director of corporate human resources.
Prior to joining Northwest, Becker served for six years in various human resources, compensation and planning positions with The Dow Chemical Company. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from St. John's University and a master's degree in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Minnesota.
Becker has served on the boards of the University of Minnesota Industrial Relations Center, the Minnesota International Center, and the Narita Radisson Hotel. He resides in Eden Prairie, Minn. with his wife and children.
Kris Bauer
Senior Vice President-Technical OperationsNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Kris Bauer was named senior vice president for technical operations at NWA in October 2004. Bauer is responsible for all maintenance and engineering matters concerning Northwest's fleet. This includes line and plant maintenance, airframe, engine and component overhauls, and other technical operation support functions. He had been vice president of aircraft maintenance operations for the airline since March 2003.
Bauer joined Northwest in 1996. He has been the managing director of technical operations finance and has worked in the company's financial planning and analysis division.
Prior to joining Northwest, Bauer had worked in engineering at Boeing and in various financial positions with United Airlines.
Bauer holds a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas and an MBA from Cornell University.
Bauer lives with his wife and children in Lakeville, Minn.
Bill Lentsch
Senior Vice President-Flight Operations and System Operations ControlNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Bill was named Senior Vice President, Flight Operations and System Operations Control in October, 2008. He oversees all flight operations, including the airlines' more than 4,700 pilots. Additionally, he directs the daily operational control of all Northwest flights worldwide. Other responsibilities include Pilot Crew Planning and Scheduling, Performance Engineering and Operations Analysis.
In May 2006, Bill was vice president - customer service/Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) where he oversaw the overall performance, development and growth of the airline's MSP hub. He represented Northwest as part of the Metropolitan Airport Commission's (MAC) MSP 2020 Vision plan, as well as with the MAC, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and other local agencies.
In July 2005 Bill was appointed vice president-station operations where he oversaw the customer service organization at 117 airports in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to holding this position, Bill served as Chief Operating Officer at Champion Air where he held responsibility for all flight, ground, SOC and technical operations.
Before joining Champion Air in 2003, Bill was Northwest's vice president-engine and component maintenance operations. Since originally joining Northwest in 1989, Lentsch has held a number of management positions with increasing responsibility including managing director-line maintenance operations and director-aircraft engineering.
Bill holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and mechanics from the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology and a master of business administration degree from the University of St. Thomas.
Bill and his family reside in the Twin Cities area.
Laura H. Liu
Senior Vice President-InternationalNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Laura H. Liu is senior vice president of international for Northwest Airlines, Inc. Liu is responsible for all commercial aspects of NWA's international division. She oversees network planning, pricing, inventory management, sales, marketing, distribution planning, human resources, finance and administration.
Liu joined Northwest in 1991 as manager of marketing systems development. She was promoted to director of international yield management in 1995, and then managing director of international revenue management in 1997. She was named vice president of international marketing and revenue management in 1999 and assumed her present position in October 2007. Prior to her career at Northwest, Liu worked at American Airlines in the pricing and yield management department.
Liu holds three degrees from Cornell University; an M.B.A. and master of science and bachelor of science degrees in engineering.
Liu serves on the boards of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony and resides in Minneapolis with her husband and two children.
Kenneth J. Hylander
Vice President-Safety, Engineering and Chief Safety OfficerNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Kenneth J. Hylander is Vice President of Safety and Engineering for Northwest Airlines, Inc. As Chief Safety Officer, he is responsible for management of the airline's overall safety program and performance. In addition to operational safety, he is also responsible for occupational and environmental safety and the carrier's Internal Evaluation program. Additionally, Hylander is responsible for the technical support to the airline's various aircraft maintenance and modification programs, including overall fleet reliability management.
Appointed Chief Safety Officer in August 2001, Hylander is also responsible for representing Northwest's safety interests in Washington, D.C. and ensuring compliance with rules and regulations established by the Department of Transportation and other government agencies.
Prior to joining Northwest in September 1997, as the Vice President of Engineering, Hylander spent nearly 17 years at United Airlines where he held a variety of engineering, quality assurance and operations management positions.
Hylander is currently a member of the Air Transport Association's Senior Advisory Committee. He is past chairman of the Association's Engineering, Maintenance and Material Council. In addition, he has chaired both the Airworthiness Engineering and the Avionics Systems Engineering Committees of the Air Transport Association. He is past chair of the 3,500 member American Society for Quality's Aviation, Space and Defense Division. He is also a member of the SAE's Aerospace Program office and a senior advisor to the United States Air Force's Fleet Viability Board.
Hylander graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He obtained a master's degree in business administration from California State University.
Crystal Knotek
Senior Vice President-Ground Operations and Customer ServiceNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Crystal Knotek was named senior vice president - ground operations and customer service in July 2008 where she is responsible for customer service and ground operations at Northwest Airlines, Inc.
Prior to holding this position, Knotek served as vice president - reservations and customer care for Northwest Airlines where she was responsible for the management of the airline's five domestic call centers and leading Northwest's customer care organization that works with the airline's customers to understand their needs, address any of their concerns and manage passenger refunds.
Knotek joined Northwest in 1985 as a reservations sales agent. She also has held various other key management positions within the airline's reservations and human resources departments. Prior to being named vice president - reservations and customer care in 2005, she served as vice president of reservations sales and service, and managing director of reservations sales and service.
Knotek holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. She received a master's degree in marketing education from the University of Minnesota. Knotek has served on the board of directors of Ezekiel Lutheran Church, the Kniest Syndrome Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and is currently serving on the boards of the Wishes and More Foundation.
Knotek is married and resides in River Falls, Wis. She has four children.
Tammy Lee Stanoch
Vice President-Corporate AffairsNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Tammy Lee Stanoch currently serves as the Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Northwest Airlines, Inc, where she oversees all internal and external communications strategies for the Company.
Before joining NWA, Stanoch ran for U.S. Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional district. Before that, she held several other senior management positions in the airline, travel and tourism industries.
From 2003 to 2006, Stanoch was Vice President of Corporate Affairs for a $2 billion privately held vacation marketing and technology company, La Macchia Enterprises.
There, she managed corporate communications, government affairs, interactive marketing, employee relations and external communications for the 16 branded vacation companies of La Macchia Enterprises, including: Funjet Vacations; United Vacations; US Airways Vacations; Midwest Airlines Vacations; ATA Vacations; Spirit Vacations; and MGM Mirage Vacations.
Prior to that, she was the Managing Director of Corporate Affairs for US Airways, where she helped spearhead federal government affairs initiatives during their Chapter 11 restructuring. Stanoch also worked in crisis communications as a corporate liaison at the site of the US Airways Flight 5481 accident in Charlotte, NC.
Before that, Stanoch was Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Sun Country Airlines. Stanoch joined Sun Country in 1999 to help with the airline's conversion from a charter to scheduled carrier and was on the senior management team through the airline's Chapter 11 restructuring and sale to new owners in 2002.
Prior to joining Sun Country, Stanoch worked in politics as the communications director for Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey's gubernatorial bid in 1998. Before that, she served as press secretary to U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan in Washington, DC.
Stanoch started her career in TV news with assignments including working as the national breaking news producer for the Fox News Channel in Washington, DC; and national custom news producer for Hubbard-owned Conus Communications /All News Channel in Washington, DC. Stanoch was also a member of the White House press corps and Capitol Hill press corps.
In 2007, she was included in the prestigious list of "40 Under 40" rising stars in business by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. In 2001, Stanoch was named "Corporate Woman of Achievement" by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Stanoch received her MBA from the University of St. Thomas and B.A. degrees in Political Science and Communication Studies from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.
Stanoch serves on the Board of Directors for WomenWinning, formerly the Minnesota Women's Campaign Fund. She recently completed a term as co-chair of the Graduate Business Alumni Board for the University of St. Thomas.
Anna Schaefer
Chief Accounting OfficerNorthwest Airlines, Inc.
Anna Schaefer was named Chief Accounting Officer, Northwest Airlines, Inc. in June 2008. Schaefer, who reports to David Davis, Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for overseeing all accounting related functions at Northwest including revenue accounting, corporate accounting and reporting, payroll and payables.
Schaefer, who joined the airline in 1992, has held a variety of leadership positions in accounting, information services and marketing at Northwest, including her most recent position as managing director - accounting. In addition to working with Northwest Airlines, Schaefer has also held positions at Sabre Travel Information Network, National Car Rental System, Inc. and Equico Lessors, Inc.
Schaefer holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and business administration/finance from Mankato State University. She is a certified public accountant.
