Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer to Speak at WSU Business College’s Power Breakfast in Seattle

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State University College of Business will hold its next Power Breakfast on Sept. 7 in The Seattle Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Seattle.  

The event, sponsored by Washington CEO and Seattle Hospitality Services, will feature guest speaker Bill Ayer, chairman, president and CEO of Alaska Air Group, Inc. His topic is titled “Plan the Flight and Fly the Plan: Controlling the ‘Uncontrollable.’” 

Ayer has served chairman of Alaska Airlines since February 2003, as chief executive officer since January 2002 and as president since November 1997. Prior to that, he was senior vice president of Customer Service, Marketing, and Planning for the airline from January 1997, and vice president of Marketing and Planning from August 1995. Before that, he served as senior vice president of operations of Horizon Air from January 1995. Ayer serves on the boards of Alaska Airlines, the Alaska Airlines Foundation, AirLifeLine, Inc., and the Museum of Flight. He also serves on the University of Washington Business School Advisory Board. 

Now in its fourth year, the Power Breakfast Series continues to inform, inspire and engage WSU alumni and regional business leaders on topics of entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership. This installment is part of the annual WSU Cougar Pride in Seattle celebration, designed to showcase the university’s world-class achievements and spread Cougar Pride throughout the Puget Sound region. As part of the week’s activities the CB will also hold a 50th anniversary celebration for its MBA program, and a meeting for its National Board of Advisors.  

Previous speakers for the Power Breakfast series include inaugural speaker, Kerry Killinger, president, chair and CEO of Washington Mutual; Blake Nordstrom, president, Nordstrom, Inc.; Scott Carson, executive VP, Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Richard M. Kovacevich, CEO and chair, Wells Fargo & Company; Robert J. Herbold, executive VP and COO (retired), Microsoft Corporation, and managing director, Herbold Group, LLC; Harold Gilkey, chairman and CEO, Sterling Financial Corporation; and Sally Jewell, president and CEO of REI. 

For registration or event information, contact CB Events Manager Traci Tyacke at 509-335-1386, supportexcellence@cb.wsu.edu, or visit www.go.wsu.edu/powerbreakfast.   

The CB is accredited at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). The college spans the four campuses of WSU with the largest campus in Pullman and urban campuses located in Spokane, Vancouver, and the Tri-Cities area. The college conducts scholarly and applied research, and offers degree programs in a variety of business disciplines, and in hospitality business management, supplementing face-to-face offerings through innovative online learning and international programs. For more information, visit the college’s Web site at www.business.wsu.edu.