Gordon Bethune
Gordon Bethune
Gordon M. Bethuneis a retired US airline executive. He was the CEO of Continental Airlines from 1994 until his retirement at the end of 2004. He currently serves on the boards of Honeywell, Sprint, Prudential Financial...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinessman
Date of Birth29 August 1941
CountryUnited States of America
ceo fun paid talk
The fun part is, the same talk I would give gratis as CEO of Continental, I get paid handsomely for now.
amadeus focus giving management
Our focus as management is on liquidating (our Amadeus stake) ... and giving that back to shareholders,
destroy meat
If you take the meat ax to the problem, you destroy relationships, ... And who loses? The employees. The customers. And the shareholders.
argue morning
I am doing what I want to do, which is kind of a first. I get up in the morning and don't argue with the government, and I don't argue about money.
believe dignity employees forced tough treated
We believe that employees should always be treated with dignity and respect, especially when we are forced to make these tough decisions,
track challenges records
Somebody who knows what they're doing, who has a good track record, they come across as very articulate, bright and looking for a challenge - that's absolutely my kind of hire.
adages airline pizza
It's the old adage: You can make a pizza so cheap, nobody will eat it. You can make an airline so cheap, nobody will fly it.
girlfriend people peers
It really helps to know what success is before you get there, and if you know, then you can head right for it. For some people, it's the most money. For some, it's the most power. For some, it's the most girlfriends. Everybody's got a measure. For me, I guess it's having the respect and admiration of your peers.
want failing results
Most businesses fail because they want the right things but measure the wrong things, and they get the wrong results.
watches parallels expensive
There are a lot of parallels between what we're doing and an expensive watch. It's very complex, has a lot of parts and it only has value when it's predictable and reliable.
want waste figures
The point is... you'd better figure out what your Customers - the Customers you want - value. Because that's what they'll buy. Anything else is a waste of their money, and they'll figure that out in a hurry.
airline-business size making-money
It's not a testosterone-driven industry any longer. Success is making money, not in the size of the airline.
competitors
You're only as good as your dumbest competitor.
sit worrying
I just want to be able to get on an airplane and enjoy myself in Disneyland, not sit there worrying about all these assassins.