The carrier has promoted Meghan Montana to Vice President and Treasurer where she will be responsible for corporate finance, global banking and cash management, fleet transactions and asset management as well as insurance and fuel procurement.
On Monday (December 7, 2020), American Airlines announced the promotion of Meghan Montana to Vice President and Treasurer where she will be responsible for corporate finance, global banking and cash management, fleet transactions and asset management as well as for the procurement of insurance and fuel. Ms. Montana will report directly to American Airlines’ Chief Financial officer, Derek Kerr. Montana succeeds Tom Weir in the position who is retiring from the carrier after 20 years of service. Mr. Weir joined America West Airlines in 2000 as VP and Treasurer and held the same position at U.S. Airways prior to their 2013 merger with American Airlines. In Monday’s announcement, American Airlines’ CFO, Derek Kerr, said,
“Tom is one of the very best friends I’ve ever had in this business. He is the preeminent aviation financier in the world, as evidenced by the fact that he has put together well over $100 billion of financings and negotiated more than $50 billion of aircraft and engine purchases during his career. He has been a rock on the Finance team for 20 years and is the only treasurer I’ve worked with during my time as CFO. I’m thrilled for Tom that he gets to step away and enjoy a much-deserved retirement. He leaves big shoes to fill, but Meghan is up to the task.
“This is part of a long-term transition plan for our treasury team. Tom has helped us develop his successor and we are grateful to have found that person in Meghan. She has an outstanding reputation and terrific relationships in the banking world, which have benefited American greatly this year. She’s the perfect person to build on the work Tom has done as we continue to navigate these extraordinary times.”
Meghan Montana joined American Airlines in 2018 as Managing Director and Assistant Treasurer, where she has been instrumental in assisting the carrier’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, helping Mr. Weir arrange over $20 billion in new financing. Before joining the airline, Ms. Montana was responsible for coverage on the North and South American Transportation and Aviation sector coverage at Standard Chartered Bank. Montana has over a decade of Wall Street experience, leading and advising large corporate relationships at global banking institutions including Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland. A native of Cleveland, Ohio (US), Montana holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a B.S. in Finance from Miami University of Ohio.
In a previous announcement on Thursday (December 3, 2020), American Airlines announced that their Chief Customer Officer, Alison Taylor, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Ms. Taylor will serve the remainder of the vacant Allied Leadership Council Vice President at GBTA, the world’s largest business travel association, until July 2021. In last Thursday’s announcement, GBTA’s President, Bhart Sarin, said,
“Alison is a respected and strategic voice in our industry, and we’re fortunate to have her join the GBTA’s leadership team. We look forward to her global perspective gained from decades living and working in several countries around the world.”
In her new position, Taylor will represent GBTA’s Allied Members, and the appointment follows GBTA’s recent acquisition of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), where she previously served on the Board. Commenting on her appointment to GBTA’s Board of Directors, Ms. Taylor, added,
“The travel industry has changed so much over the last few months, and I cherish the chance to be part of the recovery and GBTA’s evolution. Together with my fellow GBTA leaders, we will advocate for the needs of the travel community, ranging from buyers to business travelers to strengthen our industry for the years ahead.”
As Chief Customer Officer at American Airlines, Alison Taylor is responsible for the carrier’s guests at every step of their journey. She is also responsible for the teams at American Airlines Vacations, Customer Experience and Reservations, Global Sales and Distribution as well as Marketing and Digital Customer Experience. Before joining American in 2016, Ms. Taylor led the team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide as SVP of Global Sales, based in New York. At Starwood, she previously served as SVP of Sales and Revenue Management and VP Sales, Revenue Management and Digital Marketing. A native of Australia and later living in London, she returned to Australia where she received a Business degree from Victoria University in Melbourne. Taylor has lived and worked in eight different countries, including over 20 years in Asia.
Source: American Airlines