Continental CEO Gordon Bethune to Speak at Embry-Riddle Commencement

Gordon M. Bethune will be the commencement speaker. Bethune is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines, the nation's fifth-largest airline. Bethune joined the airline in February 1994 as president and chief operating officer. He was named chief executive officer in November 1994 and chairman of the board in September 1996.

Since joining Continental, Bethune has spearheaded the turnaround of the airline, which has achieved record-breaking pre-tax profits for the last four years. He chronicles this reversal of fortunes in his book titled From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental's Remarkable Comeback.

Worth magazine has ranked Bethune sixth in its May 1999 list of the top 50 CEOs in America. Aviation Week & Space Technology named him a Laureate in Aviation for 1997 and named Continental "best managed" among the major U.S. carriers and seventh among carriers worldwide for 1997. Additionally, Business Week magazine named Bethune one of the top 25 global managers for 1996.

Continental was recently named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" by Fortune magazine. The carrier won the Frequent Flyer/J.D. Power and Associates Award for customer satisfaction in 1996 and 1997 and was named Airline of the Year in 1997 by Air Transport World.

Bethune has promoted international growth at Continental, including expansion in Europe and Latin America. The carrier serves more destinations in Mexico than any other U.S. airline, and has added new destinations in European markets through additional service and alliances with foreign carriers.

In addition to his leadership at Continental, Bethune serves on the Board of Directors of SYSCO Corporation and Honeywell.

Before joining Continental, Bethune was vice president and general manager of the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group's Renton Division, where he was responsible for the 737 and 757 aircraft. He began his career with Boeing in 1988, and also served as the company's vice president and general manager of the customer services division.

Previous to his experience at Boeing, Bethune held a number of senior management positions in commercial airlines, including vice president-engineering and maintenance for Braniff and Western Airlines, and senior vice president-operations for Piedmont Airlines.

Bethune served as a U.S. Navy aircraft maintenance officer. He is a licensed commercial pilot, type rated on Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft as well as the DC-3. He is also licensed as an airframe and powerplant mechanic. He is a member of the Airline Transport Association.

Bethune holds a bachelor of science degree in general studies with a concentration in business and management from Abilene Christian University in Dallas, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School's advanced management program.

Embry-Riddle will honor Bethune with the Eagle of Aviation Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the field of aviation.

During the graduation ceremony, the title of professor emeritus will be bestowed on four Embry-Riddle faculty members in recognition of their many years of teaching, research, and service. The professors to be honored are Roger Campbell and Dr. Paul Braim, both of the humanities/social sciences department, Dr. Charles Richardson of the aeronautical science department, and Dr. John Pope of the business administration department.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Degree programs through the master's level are offered at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 100 teaching sites in the United States and Europe, and through independent study and distance education.