The carrier has appointed Jayne O’Brien as Head of Marketing and Loyalty, where she will be responsible for the airline’s brand, marketing and advertising, e-commerce and the TrueBlue® loyalty program. JetBlue has also promoted three current management team members.
On Thursday (February 11, 2021), JetBlue announced four key leadership appointments and promotions. First, the carrier has appointed Jayne O’Brien as Head or Marketing and Loyalty, where she will be responsible for the airline’s brand, marketing and advertising, e-commerce, TrueBlue® loyalty program and onboard product. Ms. O’Brien joins JetBlue from the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) where she served as Senior Vice President of Global Brands. She previously served as the Managing Director, USA for Scenic – Luxury Cruises & Tours and as Chief Marketing Officer for Dubai Properties Group, part of Dubai Holding. O’Brien’s professional background also includes extensive airline industry experience with 18 years with British Airways in various operations and marketing roles in the Americas and Europe, including Head of Global Brand & UK Marketing.
Speaking on Jayne O’Brien’s appointment, JetBlue’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Joanna Geraghty, said,
“As we think about the future of JetBlue in this transformed environment for aviation and our company, this leadership role is more critical than ever. How we rebuild, differentiate and position ourselves, and drive customer loyalty and demand, and continue to accelerate our digital first approach, will be key to our recovery and succeeding in the next chapter for JetBlue.”
Next, JetBlue has promoted Whitnee Hawthorne to Vice President – Customer Support, where she will succeed Frank Littleford, one of the company’s founding leaders, who has retired after 21 years of service. Ms. Hawthorne most recently served as JetBlue’s Director – Strategic Execution Technology, where she played a central role in developing the company’s IT strategy, deepening business partnerships and streamlining processes.
Commenting on Whitnee’s promotion, promotion, JetBlue’s Head of Customer Experience, Ian Deason, said,
“This is a pivotal time for JetBlue as we evolve how we serve our Customers, the offerings and products we provide, and the tools and technology we use to do so. With Whitnee’s deep digital experience combined with her servant leadership in line with our culture, vision, mission, and values, she is an ideal leader to strengthen and evolve our Customer Support team.”
JetBlue has also promoted Thomas Howell to Vice President – Safety and Regulatory Compliance, where he will continue to lead operations, while taking on the leadership role for all safety programs. Mr. Howell succeeds John Allen, who has retired after over seven years with the company and several decades in the industry. Thomas Howell joined JetBlue in 2014 as Director – Flight Safety, before transitioning to Director of Operations, managing the airline’s operating certificate and relationship with the FAA. Prior to joining JetBlue, Howell spent over 30 years with U.S. Airways, where he served as Captain, Check Airman, Flight Instructor and Chief Pilot.
Speaking on Mr. Howell’s promotion, JetBlue’s Head of Safety, Security and Fleet Operations, Warren Christie, said,
“Tom is a true champion of safety at JetBlue and the natural fit to lead this critical area of our company. With more than three decades of airline experience, he brings tremendous expertise to the role which will serve us well as we continue to expand JetBlue flying while keeping safety our #1 focus in everything we do.”
Finally, JetBlue announced the promotion of Dana Shapir Alviene to Vice President – Airports Experience, where she will lead operations across JetBlue’s 100-city network. Ms. Shapir Alviene succeeds Mike Parkinson, who is retiring after 17 years of service with JetBlue and four decades in the industry. Dana joined JetBlue in 2014, serving most recently as the carrier’s Director – Domestic BlueCities. During her tenue with the company, she served as General Manager for Airport operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and as Regional Manager, Northeast Airports. Prior to joining JetBlue, she held various leadership roles with Southwest Airlines including Airport Supervisor, Duty Manager, Station Manager (dual cities) and Station Manager for Baltimore/Washington (BWI), one of Southwest’s largest hubs.
Further commenting on Dana’s promotion, JetBlue’s Head of Customer Experience, Ian Deason, said,
“Dana is a proven operations leader who is deeply passionate about serving JetBlue’s crewmembers and customers. She’s a true champion of our culture and the JetBlue experience, and is an ideal fit to lead our Airports team. Dana is the right leader to continue our work through the pandemic recovery toward a bright future for JetBlue’s growing network, including our first transatlantic service later this year.”
JetBlue is ‘New York’s Hometown Airline® and a leading carrier in Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Los Angeles (LAX), Orlando (MCO) and San Juan (SJU). The airline carries guests to destinations across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America. JetBlue Airways Corporation trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol JBLU.
Source: JetBlue