‘Leadership Is an Act of Extended Storytelling’: A Conversation With Oscar Munoz, Former United Airlines CEO and Chairman

PodCatalyst: The Official Podcast of IABC

What happens when your frontline employees are tired of apologizing on behalf of the company? When public perception isn’t in your favor? This was the reality Oscar Munoz faced when he took the role of CEO and chairman of United Airlines in 2015.

So he went back to basics, embarking on an extensive listening tour with thousands of employees — and in time, things turned for the better.

We sat down with Oscar to learn about that journey, what’s changed since and the value of deploying this strategy.

Oscar will lead a spotlight session at IABC World Conference 2024, “Leadership Is an Act of Extended Storytelling.” The format will be part fireside chat and part town hall, to which Oscar says in this episode: “Bring it!” Bring your best questions, ask him about failure and get ready for a refreshing way to kick off your time at World Conference.

Tune in to this inspiring conversation and make plans to see Oscar this June in Chicago.

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Oscar Munoz is the former CEO and chairman of United Airlines (UAL) and serves on the board of directors of Salesforce, CBRE, TelevisaUnivision, and Archer Aviation, a leading Urban Air Mobility company and developer of all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft. He serves on the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board, is a trustee of the University of Southern California and the Brookings Institution, as well as an independent trustee for Fidelity.

He is the author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling memoir, “Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and its Employees in the Friendly Skies,” published by Harper Business in May 2023. He is co-chair of the 2023 Blue Ribbon Commission for the National Association of Corporate Directors, the authority on best boardroom practices. Since 2022, the Oscar and Cathy Munoz Pave it Forward Foundation has proudly partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) to create the AHA’s Social Impact Fund, providing financial grants and low interest loans for evidence-based, community-driven work to address heart health inequality.

Under his leadership, United Airlines demonstrated rapid improvement, delivering industry-leading operational reliability, and sustained financial success, with stock value increasing 54 percent during that period. Munoz formally retired as UAL’s executive chairman in May 2021.

Previously, Munoz served as president and chief operating officer of the North American rail-based transportation supplier CSX Corp. A decade of excellent financial performance, including a boost in operating income of nearly 600 percent, earned CSX recognition on the list of Most Honored Companies by Institutional Investor magazine.

He has served in various financial leadership positions across diverse industries, including U.S. West, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo.

He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and an MBA from Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School.

Hispanic Business magazine twice named Munoz one of its 100 Most Influential Hispanics, honoring his journey as an immigrant who, to this date, remains the only person of Hispanic heritage to run a U.S. airline.

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LINKS

Mentioned in This Episode

"Leadership Is an Act of Extended Storytelling”: A Fireside Chat and Town Hall With Oscar Munoz

IABC World Conference 2024

“Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and its Employees in the Friendly Skies,” by Oscar Munoz

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