PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (Feb. 12, 2008) – Global Aero Logistics Inc. today announced several senior management changes, including new chief operating officers at ATA Airlines and World Airways. The changes include:
- Charlie McDonald has been named to the new position of Executive Vice President and Chief Airline Officer, with operations responsibility for ATA Airlines, World Airways and North American Airlines. He reports to Subodh Karnik, President and Chief Executive Officer of Global. McDonald formerly was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for World Airways.
- Larry Montford, formerly Vice President of Technical Operations at World Airways, has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of World, reporting to McDonald.
- Doug Yakola has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for ATA Airlines. Yakola most recently was Chief Integration Officer for Global, and previously served as Chief Financial Officer at ATA. He reports to McDonald.
- Rob Binns, Global’s Chief Marketing Officer, will expand his duties in a new role as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial and Planning Officer, reporting to Karnik.
“This team has tremendous capability and the new management structure will help the Global organization achieve the goals we have set out for each of our airlines and our holding company,” Karnik said.
Continuing to report to Karnik are William Garrett, Chief Financial Officer; Joseph Loew, Chief Strategy Officer; Mark McMillin, Senior Vice President and General Counsel; and Richard Meyer, Senior Vice President – Human Resources and Planning.
McDonald joined World Airways in May 2004 as Senior Vice President – Operations and became Chief Operating Officer in April 2005. He has more than 20 years of aviation experience, including the AMR Corporation and British Aerospace, and served as Chief Operating Officer for TransMeridian Airlines. McDonald is a veteran of the U.S. Army and is a graduate of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology.
Montford joined World Airways in March of 2004. He has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, including service as Vice President of Maintenance at Air Jamaica. A graduate of Georgia State University, he spent 18 years with Northwest Airlines and five years with US Airways in key maintenance positions.
Yakola joined ATA in 2003, serving as Vice President, Station Operations and Cargo and Senior Vice President, Customers and Ground Operations, and most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He was named Global’s Chief Integration Officer in 2007. Prior to ATA, Yakola spent 18 years in management positions at Northwest Airlines. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management – Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida.
Binns was named Chief Marketing Officer for Global Aero Logistics and its subsidiaries in August 2007. He had been Chief Marketing Officer of World Air Holdings since August 2005, and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Planning for World Airways since April 2004. His experience includes positions as president and CEO of TransMeridian Airlines, Vice President and Controller of Pegasus Aviation’s technical division, and several years with TWA. He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in Political Behavior from Essex University in England.
Global Aero Logistics, based in Peachtree City, Ga., is the parent company of ATA Airlines, North American Airlines and World Airways. The company has a combined fleet of 56 aircraft and more than 4,000 employees.
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