Mag names Arpey Dallas CEO of the year

The September issue of DallasCEO magazine, which is published by the good folks at D Magazine, touts AA chief executive Gerard Arpey as "Dallas CEO of the year." The cover blurb proclaims that "In just four years, Gerard Arpey steered American Airlines from the brink of bankruptcy back to blue skies, helping its stock soar more than 1,500 percent."

The magazine is going out to subscribers and newsstands today. No doubt the folks at American will be thrilled, while plenty of people on the airline's labor side will be enraged.

I don't envy the poor soul who edits the magazine's letters to the editor.

- Trebor

Comments

[Missy]

People always need someone to blame when there are problems. The CEO of American would be the logical choice. I do feel for the folks who made the sacrifices a few years ago, but isn't not being in bankruptcy a better option. Look at what's going on with other airlines. Yikes!

[Kirby]

You have to give him a hand, even with all the turblence that AA has been through in the last several years, it is still flying.

[Alan]

Oh, yeah, you've really got to hand it to him. He's a multimillionaire straight out of the pockets of the flight crews who slog around the globe for him everyday and the mechanics, agents, etc who also are working more hours with marginally insufficient staffing for good customer service (see DOT rankings), while thousands of employees are laid off, hundreds in personal bankruptcy.
Yeah, hand it to him. Pass him another million please!

[Jon]

Don't forget he was also part of the team that sat on their hands while the company was losing 5 million a day - even before 911. The company also had to hire consulting firms to tell them how to manage the company. There is no skill in that. The savings from employee concessions and common sense efforts to save fuel and refinance loans etc. are what saved the company. Not rocket science there. Arpey just takes all the credit for the turnaround, and bonuses to boot.

[scott]

This guy is an idiot! He has no plan, he runs from direct questions from the stockholders, yet he takes the credit for "saving" the company. It would have been better for AMR to declare bankruptcy so we could have fired this loser. Its the employees that saved this company, and now that hes' pocketed millions, he wants more. Wouldn't that make him look good if we gave billions more so millions more could go right into this greedy S.O.B 's pocket!
He needs to go..get lost or something.

[lee]

Arpey is recognized for streamlining operations, collaborating with employees, and building a foundation for success. Well, yes, Arpey streamlined operations by decreasing the level of service offered to passengers. And decreasing the amount of staff available to implement services. Arpey collaborated with employees by bullying them into accepting a 30% paycut. Employees have seen a decrease in their vacation time, sick time, and have begun to prefund their medical, etc. Arpey built a foundation for success of the elite businessman/CEO by taking from the employees and giving to top tier management. Wow, what an accomplishment! I am so NOT impressed!

[Doug S]

He didn't do anything to save American. The employees are still working for 25-35% less pay while his pay has increased by 45% and more! It IS LABOR who saved the Company and are keeping it running. Arpey (and his cronies)deserve to be Shamed, not Touted!

[Doug S]

I guess it's all relative..
If you think pocketing a years worth of profit and getting away with it,while service and maintenance are suffering, is commendable, then sure, hat's off to the CEO! But what does that say About YOUR ethics?

[R. B. BHAPPU]

4000 twa flight attendant careers decimated.
greedy unions and management obstinate.
end result after 30 to 40 years of flying a predominantly female workforce thrown out on the street with pension, health insurance.....
so sad.
union's slogan, 'working family?' ?????

[Frank]

AA's employees have their issues, true. But those 25-35% cuts someone quoted could have been worse...those pensions (whether they have one or two commas in them) could have been worthless...those flying hours could have been higher...work could have been outsourced...ALL TWA flight attendants could have been out of work...etc etc. I'm not going to weigh in on if Arpey is the best CEO going, but I also think emotion is yet again ruling over logic if you think things would have been better at your competitors. The facts say things could have been much worse. And you can always find another job...if a flight attendant doesn't like what a mechanic makes, become a mechanic. If a mechanic doesn't like what a pilot makes, become a pilot. If a pilot doesn't like what a pro athlete, or CEO, or attorney, or doctor make...move on. If your life is horrible because Arpey is keeping you down, find a company that has a nicer, fairer CEO that will pay you based on your skill set...and will promise to never make more money than you think he's worth. Good luck with all that.

[NO THANKS AA]

Gerard Arpey needs to go run a three ring circus. With all the bad press AA received in the last couple of weeks (2008), masturbating passengers, dying passengers, faulty defibrillator, empty oxygen tanks, fa denies dying woman oxygen, fa hits passenger with chips and pours water over his head, he has never once stepped forward to speak. Instead he sends a spokesperson. I guess this is his way of bypassing trouble should AA bite the dust and he needs a new job. I thought CEOs were supposed to be strong leaders and decision makers. Arpey has nothing to offer.