Doug Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Parker
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William Douglas Parker
October 31, 1961 |
| Education | Albion College (BA) Vanderbilt University (MBA) |
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| Predecessor | Thomas W. Horton |
| Successor | Robert Isom |
| Spouse(s) | Gwen Parker |
| Children | 3 |
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William Douglas Parker is an American businessman. He was born on October 31, 1961. He is well-known for his work in the airline industry. Doug Parker used to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of American Airlines Group. This is the company that owns American Airlines. He served as CEO from 2013 until 2022. Now, he is the chairman of the company's board.
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Early Life and Education
Doug Parker grew up in Michigan, a state in the United States. He went to Albion College and earned a degree in Economics in 1984. After that, he continued his studies at Vanderbilt University. In 1986, he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. While he was still at Vanderbilt, American Airlines offered him a job.
Starting His Career
Doug Parker began working at American Airlines in 1986. He was a financial analyst there until 1991. He was part of a special group of talented young employees. This group was led by the CEO at the time, Robert Crandall. Other future airline leaders were also in this group.
In 1991, Parker joined Northwest Airlines. His job was to help create a system. This system would track how the airline made or lost money. They wanted to know this for every single flight. This was a new and important way to understand the business.
Later, in 1995, Parker became the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at America West Airlines. The CEO, Bill Franke, wanted to train him to become a CEO himself. So, Parker worked in different areas of the company. He learned about finance, sales, and how the airline operated. In September 2001, Doug Parker became the Chairman and CEO of America West. This was just 10 days before the September 11th attacks. Under his leadership, America West was the first airline to get special government loans. These loans helped save the airline from going bankrupt again.
Leading US Airways
In 2005, America West and US Airways joined together. Doug Parker continued to be the CEO of the new, combined airline. US Airways tried to merge with Delta Air Lines in 2006. Delta was going through a difficult time then. However, Delta's workers and creditors did not agree to the merger. So, the plan did not work out. US Airways also tried to merge with United Airlines in 2008 and 2010. But United ended up merging with another airline instead.
Leading American Airlines
In 2012, US Airways started working to merge with American Airlines. At that time, American Airlines' parent company was facing financial difficulties. US Airways did something unusual. They made agreements with American's employee groups. This happened even while American was trying to fix its own problems.
The merger was completed on December 9, 2013. Doug Parker was then named the CEO of the new, combined company. This new airline became the largest in the world. On December 7, 2021, American Airlines Group announced that Parker would retire as CEO. His last day as CEO was March 31, 2022. He stayed on as the chairman of American's board for a while. He stepped down from that role in April 2023. Robert Isom, who was the president of American, became the new CEO.
Joining Qantas
In May 2023, Doug Parker joined the board of directors for Qantas. Qantas is a major airline based in Australia.
Personal Life
Doug Parker lives in Dallas, Texas. He is married to Gwen Parker. They have three children together. He and his family are active members of their church, Highland Park United Methodist Church.
Awards and Recognitions
Doug Parker has received several awards for his work. He has also given important speeches.
- In 2015, he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Southwest region.
- He gave the graduation speech at Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management on May 10, 2013.
- In 2017, he received the Tony Jannus Award. This award recognizes great achievements in commercial air travel.
