American Airlines Group Inc. (referred to as American Airlines or American), announced on Thursday, October 23, that Nathaniel Pieper, who has nearly 30 years of industry experience, has been appointed as its Chief Commercial Officer. This move comes as American Airlines has been lagging behind its competitors Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in terms of profits.
Robert Isom, the CEO and Chief Recruitment Officer of American Airlines, welcomed Pieper’s appointment on his LinkedIn account, stating that he has known Pieper for many years and collaborated closely with him since Pieper joined the oneworld Alliance. Isom praised Pieper as a world-class executive who has a proven track record in the airline industry, having held positions in various airlines and most recently achieving significant success within the oneworld Alliance.
American Airlines had dismissed its former Chief Commercial Officer, Vasu Raja, in 2024 due to the failure of his business travel strategy, leading to a significant decrease in revenue and backlash from lucrative business travel segments that impacted the company’s profits.
In its latest financial report released on Thursday, American Airlines exceeded Wall Street expectations with a revenue of $13.69 billion for the third quarter. The company expects to maintain a healthy performance for the year with an earnings per share of 75 cents, surpassing analysts’ earlier forecasts by more than double.
As the Chief Commercial Officer, Pieper will lead American Airlines in all aspects of business strategy, planning, and performance related to alliances and partnerships, cargo, co-branded credit card programs, loyalty programs, network planning, revenue management, sales, and distribution. He will also work alongside David Seymour, the Chief Operating Officer of American Airlines, to lead the customer experience team.
Pieper, 56, has been involved in the airline industry since the late 1990s. Since becoming the CEO of the oneworld Alliance in April 2024, he has successfully integrated two new airlines into the alliance, launched sustainability and customer experience initiatives, and strengthened relationships among alliance members. During his tenure, he focused on delivering outstanding customer experiences, digital integration, scalability initiatives, and established a sustainable organizational structure to ensure long-term success of the alliance.
Prior to his current role, Pieper accumulated over 25 years of senior management experience at Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Northwest Airlines, leading various business partnerships, fleet transactions, and international market strategies, showcasing extensive expertise in airline finance and alliance operations. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
American Airlines stated that Pieper will assume his new role on November 3, overseeing the airline’s commercial strategy, loyalty programs, network planning, revenue, and sales departments based in Fort Worth, Texas.