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United’s Chief Commercial Officer Leaves After Five Months on the Job


Skift Take

Haywood was a big hire for United several months ago, but apparently it did not work out. That's OK, as President Scott Kirby should continue to do a fine job running the airline's commercial team.

Julia Haywood, United Airlines’ chief commercial officer since August, who joined the company at the insistence of CEO Oscar Munoz, has left to return to the Boston Consulting Group, where she had been a partner and managing director.

Haywood’s hire was announced on August 16, and she was to oversee United’s sales, network planning, pricing and revenue management departments, taking over from Jim Compton, United’s former chief revenue officer.  Previously, she had worked with Munoz as a consultant for United on similar matters.

Two weeks after Haywood joined, United hired President Scott Kirby from American, giving him a similar portfolio. In recent weeks, sources at United have said, Kirby has taken a hands-on approach toward both improving revenue management and culling United’s network.

Publicly, Kirby has recommended United focus more on domestic flying in the near future, and less on new international routes. He has also at times criticized United’s former revenue management approach, saying the airline can improve at using technology to ensure it can match its ticket prices to demand.

United said Haywood will return to Boston Consulting Group. In her last stint there, she helped more than a dozen airlines with commercial strategy and execution, network planning and revenue growth, according to her biography.

“I, along with Oscar and the entire senior leadership team, appreciate the contributions Julia has made during this transformative period for our airline, and we wish her the very best,” Kirby said in a statement. “We will continue to focus on building out the commercial team to achieve our goal of becoming the world’s best airline.”

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