Anderson’s parents both died of cancer while he was in college, leaving him to raise his two younger sisters while working his way through school. Anderson spent nearly a decade as a prosecutor in Texas before landing a job in the legal department at Continental Airlines. He joined Northwest Airlines three years later and would go on to become its CEO. Anderson then spent three years as executive vice president at health insurer United Health.
In 2007, Anderson joined Delta Air Lines’ board of directors and was ultimately asked to become its CEO after the airline emerged from bankruptcy. (Anderson succeeded Gerald Grinstein, who had led Burlington Northern before his stint at Delta.) Delta acquired Northwest in 2008 and is now a profitability leader.
“Richard has a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves, let-me-see-how-this-thing-really-works kind of approach,” John Dasburg, Northwest’s former president, told USA Today in 2008. Anderson also is not afraid to find unconventional solutions to problems. To cut its fuel costs, Delta purchased an oil refinery outside Philadelphia in 2012.
Delta ranked second in customer satisfaction among traditional airlines in this year’s J.D. Power survey.
Someone better ask why did he impose all those fees on his customers while at Delta?Totally unreasonable
Anderson appears to have a diverse background. Hopefully, his time as a prosecutor will help him to have insight into the political realm, something he must have to be effective at the head of Amtrak. While some of us prefer not to be packed like sardines into a tin can to get from one place to another, the airlines do some things well like packaging vacations in conjunction with tour operators, hotels, and rental cars, etc., things of which Amtrak has barely scratched the surface. Hopefully, he will breathe new life into the railroad.
While AA, UA, and others are regularly in the news for mishaps and incidents, you very seldom see Delta’s name making negative headlines. Anderson ran a dog-gone good airline.