BIG management changes at DFW

[BonTemps]

October 20, 2009


Re: Domestic Airport Services Organizational Changes


American’s recent financial and network restructuring announcements, moves designed to strengthen the company’s financial performance, are driving changes across the airline. Within Domestic Airport Services, the organization has been reviewed and is being reshaped consistent with the revised operating schedule. In keeping with our ongoing goal to strategically support our organization and drive towards success, we’re pleased to announce the following leadership moves effective November 1.

Beginning with DFW, Jeff Plant, currently serving as Managing Director of DFW Passenger Services, has accepted the position of Regional Managing Director (RMD), Central Region. Plant’s new role in the U.S/Canadian Division fills the vacancy recently created by former RMD Franco Tedeschi who was named Managing Director, Airport Services. With field experience in the DFW hub and in non-hub locations including PHL, BUF and the New York area cities, Plant brings well-rounded insight to the spoke cities he will oversee.

Filling Plant’s previous DFW position is SFO’s current Managing Director, Malinda Patino. Patino has a strong operational background, with particular emphasis in passenger services, having served as both CSM and Manager of Passenger Services in LAX, and as General Manager in LAS.

On the East coast, the MIA hub has selected Jim Moses, Managing Director of BOS as the new Managing Director of Passenger Services. Moses will fill the spot created by Mike Witcher who will serve on the baggage project deployment team at HDQ. Moses brings depth and breadth of experience with his previous roles on Airport Services Planning staff and in complex airport operations including JFK and MIA where he worked as Flight Services Manager as well as Manager of Premium Services. He looks forward to returning to MIA in his new role.

Another opportunity will soon be available in STL. Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, STL’s Managing Director who joined American during the TWA transition, will leave the airline in December.

The STL position remains open and is one of three cities affected by key network restructuring activities. Downsizing in BOS, SFO and STL to support the focus cities of DFW, JFK, LAX, MIA and ORD has resulted in releveling the current Managing Director positions to level 6 General Manager Roles. The three positions will be posted and interviews will be completed in the near future.

Please join me in wishing the best to our departing team members and welcoming those who are taking on new opportunities.



Tom Del Valle
Sr. Vice President
Domestic Airport Services

 

[WingNaPrayer]

Strengthen the company's financial performance? My Aunt Fannie!

This is punishment being doled out, pure and simple. Witcher's move is considered a demotion and Moses won't stand a chance, MIA will eat him alive. MIA is the management grave yard, it's where they send their overpaid managers to fail, so they can get rid of them. This is like the 10th regime change in Passenger Service in MIA in as many years. Still, customers haven't noticed a difference. In fact, under the last guy things actually got worse, a lot worse. Hence, the demotion and butt kicked to the baggage room in DFW.

I think Del-V is just getting started. More heads will roll, especially in lower management positions.

 

[Skymess]

Strengthen the company's financial performance? My Aunt Fannie!

This is punishment being doled out, pure and simple. Witcher's move is considered a demotion and Moses won't stand a chance, MIA will eat him alive. MIA is the management grave yard, it's where they send their overpaid managers to fail, so they can get rid of them. This is like the 10th regime change in Passenger Service in MIA in as many years. Still, customers haven't noticed a difference. In fact, under the last guy things actually got worse, a lot worse. Hence, the demotion and butt kicked to the baggage room in DFW.

I think Del-V is just getting started. More heads will roll, especially in lower management positions.

Management needs to lose quite a few heads. The problem is that they always get rid of the hard workers and multi taskers who work well with employees and customers.and keep the drones.

 

[The Goose]

Management needs to lose quite a few heads. The problem is that they always get rid of the hard workers and multi taskers who work well with employees and customers.and keep the drones.

I've said for years 80-90% of AMR's so-called "management" needs to go away permanently in addition to replacing the Board of Directors in its entirety.

Continuing the acrimonious relationship with the workers by the continuing lies by these two groups hasn't had nearly the detrimental effect of poor decisions made by this collective group of fools since Bob Crandall left the room.

 

[AANOTOK]

I have worked both with (sorry arse) and for (even sorrier arse) Witcher and he is worthless. Demotion or not, why do they continually reshuffle instead of getting rid of.

 

[Boomer]

In the Northeast: fully expect that most if not all of the future International flights will originate in JFK.

After all, the powers that be have to justify the expenditure of more than $1,000,000,000.00, ONE BILLION DOLLARS, as being justified by that expenditure and the prospect of the approval of ATI between AA and BA wherein BA will take over the flights. Just look at BOS with future AA flights to LHR operated with a 757.

Expansion and contraction of city pairs and focus cities is the normal parlance for most airlines. As an unintended consequence: funneling Northeast flights through JFK may represent the retrenchment many of us long expected but AA refused to perform. Unlike Carty, it appears Arpey may be positioning AA to ride out the current economic downturn in the long run. If so, there is no reason for the Unions at AA to accept anything other than better contracts than we currently have.

It seems that the promotion of the GM from BOS to MIA validates the mantra of doing the company business yields great rewards.

 

[BonTemps]

Yep that's what I'd heard...Witcher being demoted from a MD to a level 6.. Plant booted out of DFW to HDQ taking a "lateral" with much less responsibility, everyone knows very well that good spoke stations with good GM's run themselves..

Moses..wasnt he a ramp CSM in DFW a few years back?....

They never give the good middle managers who actually work well with employees the "upper" positions...probably because they aren't "yes" men...... there's a few here we all know who/where they are.

Reshuffling instead of firing..wouldnt that be nice if everyone got that luxury. Career day and then transfer to ???>..

 

[eolesen]

I think Moses is probably a little more in-tune with the doors not to open at MIA... Like Ken P, he'll survive just fine, and then go somewhere else.

What happened to McKanna? Did Witcher replace him?... Sheesh, I can't keep track of how many guys have cycled thru the ramp there...

Plant is a good pick for the regional job. Not one to jump to conclusions, and a pretty reasonable guy to work with. Ask the guys in the PHL local -- he was GM there about five years ago. I also see it as the exact opposite of a demotion --- it's not at all uncommon for the guys on a promotion track to serve time in a hub, as a regional MD, and in a staff job. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jeff moving into a HDQ MD spot within the next 18-30 months.

Tedeschi's now doing that, Du Pont, Morton and Glaser have already done it, and Del Valle, Hazy, Pappas and Devoe all did the same "circle tour" before being promoted into VP spots.

If you want to have MD's and VP's with a good sense for operational diversity, that's what you do. Otherwise, you wind up with people who only have a very narrow view of how to manage an operation. The problems that a place like DSM and MSP face are totally foreign to someone who's never worked outside of ORD or DFW.

Frankly, the small station guys learn how to fend for themselves better, how to make their targets for bags and dependability, and how to make a shoestring budget work. The guys who never leave a hub? Forget it... They usually crash and burn when they go to a small station...

 

[bflyaa30]

With all the changes in structure and attempt to eliminate levels....I wonder when/ if they will can the PFS inititive at DFW or even system wide....

 

[eolesen]

I doubt it -- one of the biggest justifications for PFS is a lower escrow requirement from the workers comp insurer. Close down the program, and it's going to cost AA in the form of unrestricted cash.