- Source: Ed Bastian
Edward Herman Bastian (born June 6, 1957) is an American business executive. He is the ninth and current chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines, serving in this role since May 2, 2016.
As CEO of Delta, Bastian clashed with the Joe Biden administration over new consumer protection regulations, such as requiring automatic cash refunds for consumers after canceled flights and advertising the full price of fares upfront. After Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election, Bastian praised Trump, saying he would be a "a breath of fresh air" for the American airline industry.
Early life and education
Bastian grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, the oldest of nine children. His father was a dentist and his mother was a dental assistant. The couple operated a dental practice from within the family home. He graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie in 1975.
In 1979, Bastian received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York.
Career
Bastian began his career as an auditor in New York City at Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). During a 1981 annual review, he uncovered a $50 million fraud scheme involving ad powerhouse J. Walter Thompson. This prompted a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, leaving many PwC executives with marred careers. A few years later, Bastian was named partner at age 31.
After PwC, he served as vice president at PepsiCo, where he managed international finances for its Frito-Lay snack division until 1998, when he joined Delta Air Lines as vice president - finance and controller. In 2000, he was promoted to senior vice president – finance and controller.
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Bastian left Delta in 2005 to become senior vice president and chief financial officer at Acuity Brands. Six months later, at the request of then-Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein, he returned to the airline to serve as chief financial officer. In 2007, he was appointed to president, a position he held until assuming the role of CEO in May 2016. His transition to CEO was the first time Delta had chosen a chief executive officer from within the company since 1987.
In 2019, Bastian was the only airline chief executive to skip a meeting at the White House between President Donald Trump and airline executives, justifying the decision by explaining that it conflicted with his international vacation.
In 2023, Bastian's total compensation from Delta was $34.2 million, representing a CEO-to-median worker pay ratio of 336-to-1.
In 2024, Delta Air Lines went into a weeklong operational meltdown following the 2024 CrowdStrike incident while peer airlines quickly resumed normal operations. During and after the operational collapse, Bastian and Delta faced criticism for doing only the "bare minimum" for consumers and only after pressure from regulators and politicians while Bastian avoided interviews and attended the Olympics in Paris. The Association of Flight Attendants accused him of taking a “first class seat” to Paris instead of taking ownership of the massive meltdown. Meanwhile, a commentator described Bastian's decision to fly to Paris at the height of the meltdown as "the most Marie Antoinette thing any business could do".
After Trump's re-election victory in the 2024 presidential election, Bastian said that Trump's presidency would be a "breath of fresh air" for airlines after the government “overreach” under President Joe Biden. The Biden administration had implemented various consumer-protection regulations targeting airlines, such as automatic refunds after canceled flights and requirements that airlines to advertise the full price of fares upfront. Under Bastian's leadership, Delta sued the Biden administration for requiring greater transparency in the fees that airlines charged consumers.
Personal life
A father of 4, he splits his time between Atlanta, where Delta Air Lines is headquartered, and Florida.
Awards and recognition
In 2021, Bastian will assume the role of Chairman for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
In 2018, Fortune named him to its annual World's 50 Greatest Leaders list.
On February 17, 2018, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and the Georgia Historical Society inducted Bastian to the Georgia Trustees, the highest honor an individual can receive from the state.
In 2017, he was recognized by Glassdoor as a Top CEO, based on employee reviews.
In 2017, Bastian was honored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta's Most Admired CEOs.
References
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