Originally Posted by
PLeblond
Never met the man, so difficult to voice an informed opinion. I can only form an opinion based on his public record.
Turned around CO and ran large airlines for nearly two decades. By that metric alone, he must be a very smart person. I wouldn't last 5 minutes as a CEO of a public company, so obviously a lot more suited to running an airline than I could ever be. Was never actually charged with anything so that would suggest there was not sufficient evidence of wrong doing. Also never walked a mile in his shoes.
Except he didn’t turn CO around, he destroyed it. Gordon Bethune turned CO around and Larry Kellner continued to steer it in the right direction. Smisek undid much of their work.
Vasu Raja almost single handily bankrupted AA which is why he was fired. To hire him at United is a very strange decision considering how incompetent and just plain dumb he is.