B2B Breakfast Series : Bill Ayer

Business-to-Business Breakfast Speaker

Bill Ayer Chairman and CEO Alaska Air Group Presents "Leadership, Transformation & Alaska Airlines" Thursday, October 26, 2006 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Columbia Room, Columbia Tower Club 701 5th Avenue, Seattle (no host parking) Sponsored by: KPMG, LLP, & CWU Office of the Provost

Bill Ayer is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air.

At Alaska Airlines, Ayer, 52, leads the nation's ninth-largest airline, with 10,000 employees, 58 destinations and more than 110 aircraft.

A veteran of more than 25 years in aviation, Ayer began his career with Alaska in 1995 as vice president of marketing and planning. Since then, he has held the posts of senior vice president of customer service, marketing and planning; president; and chief operating officer. In 2002, he became the carrier's chief executive officer, and, in May 2003, he was appointed chairman.

Prior to his tenure with Alaska, Ayer spent 13 years at Horizon Air, where he held a variety of marketing and operations positions of increasing responsibility. Immediately prior to joining Alaska, he was Horizon's senior vice president of operations.

Before joining Horizon, Ayer founded and was president of Air Olympia, a commuter airline serving Washington state. He also served as a regional manager for Piper Aircraft Co.

Ayer is a member of the board of directors of Puget Energy, the Museum of Flight, and Angel Flight America. He also serves on the University of Washington Business School Advisory Board.

A graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in economics, Ayer also earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Washington. He holds commercial and flight instructor pilot certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings.

A resident of Bellevue, Wash., Ayer is married and has one child. He uses his private pilot skills to fly Angel Flight America patients to their medical treatments.

Contact Rachel Wiersma, CWU Alumni Relations, at 509.963.2843 for more information.