The Air Transport Association of America, the trade body for the country's leading airlines, has appointed James May as president and chief executive officer to succeed the retiring Carol Hallett.
May has been brought in to give airlines a professional senior lobbyist in Washington, where he has a good track record of promoting legislation advantageous to the broadcasting industry he represented.
"Jim May brings with him a tremendous wealth of experience in working with Congress and the executive branch," says Richard Anderson, chairman of the ATA executive committee and chief executive of Northwest Airlines. May is understood to be the unanimous choice of airline chief executives.
Since 1988, May has been the executive vice-president of the National Association of Broadcasters, where his hallmark has been the development of bi-partisan support for major legislative initiatives.
"Jim May has been extremely successful in harmonising the views of a diverse membership organisation into successful public policy positions. That approach is vital to the future success of the airline industry," says Hallett. He is the third recent major association hire by executive search firm Spencer Stuart after ACI and IATA.
MARK PILLING LONDON
Source: Airline Business
