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William S. Ayer
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group
Bill Ayer is chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air.
At Alaska Airlines, Ayer, 56, leads the nation's eighth-largest airline, with 10,000 employees, 61 destinations and more than 115 aircraft. Ayer also oversees regional carrier, Horizon Air and its 3,750 employees, and 53 aircraft which serve 45 cities across California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Baja California Sur, and Alberta and British Columbia.
An aviation veteran for more than 30 years, Ayer began his career with Alaska in 1995 as vice president of marketing and planning. Since then, he has held the posts of senior vice president of customer service, marketing and planning; president; and chief operating officer. In 2002, he became the carrier's chief executive officer, and, in May 2003, he was appointed chairman.
Prior to his tenure with Alaska, Ayer spent 13 years at Horizon Air, where he held a variety of marketing and operations positions of increasing responsibility. Immediately prior to joining Alaska, he was Horizon's senior vice president of operations.
Before joining Horizon, Ayer founded and was president of Air Olympia, a commuter airline serving Washington state. He also served as a regional manager for Piper Aircraft Co.
Ayer is a member of the board of directors of Puget Energy, the Museum of Flight and Angel Flight West. He also serves on the University of Washington Business School Advisory Board.
A graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in economics, Ayer earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Washington. He holds commercial and flight instructor pilot certificates with instrument and multi-engine ratings.
A resident of Bellevue, Wash., Ayer is married and has one child. He uses his private pilot skills to fly Angel Flight West patients to their medical treatments.