(25/09/23) United Airlines has promoted Michael Leskinen to
the position of Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice
President.
Leskinen succeeds Gerry Laderman who will now serve as EVP
– Finance until his planned
retirement in September 2024.
In his new role, Leskinen will oversee corporate
finance, treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax,
accounting, investor relations, procurement, internal audit, risk
management and corporate strategy.
Michael Leskinen
He will also join the airline’s Executive
Team.Earlier this year, United announced that prior
“With two decades of experience on Wall Street and
five years as a leading finance executive at United, Mike brings a
unique understanding of the public markets combined with an in
depth understanding of our airline and our industry,” said United
CEO Scott Kirby. “He is the best person to help us drive a culture
within our finance team that’s focused on moving fast, hitting our
targets with no excuses, and being disciplined about capital and
cost decision-making that supports our United Next plan. I know
Mike will bring a strong and independent strategic perspective to
the table when we’re making decisions about United’s future.”
Prior to United, Leskinen worked at Oppenheimer Funds
focused on the aerospace sector from 2009-2013, and then as an Executive
Director at J.P. Morgan Asset Management where he
led the firm’s investment efforts in aerospace, defense and
airlines from 2013-2017.
Leskinen joined United in 2018 as Managing Director of Investor Relations and was promoted to
Vice President
of Corporate Development and Investor Relations in 2019.
In 2020, he led the multi-divisional team that
successfully raised $6.8 billion of financing secured by the
airline’s MileagePlus loyalty program, giving the carrier critical
financial flexibility to manage through the pandemic.
In 2021,
he was named as President of United Airlines Ventures (UAV),
an industry-first corporate venture capital fund that identifies
and invests in opportunities to decarbonize air travel and enhance
the customer travel experience. UAV has invested in carbon capture
and utilization technologies, advanced biologic feedstocks
including micro-algae, electric fixed-wing regional aircraft and
electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL).
More recently, Leskinen oversaw the launch
of a nearly $200 million corporate investment fund that includes
investments from UAV and other corporate and financial sponsors to
support start-ups focused on accelerating the research and
production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Leskinen received his bachelor’s
degree in finance from Arizona State University and his M.B.A.
from the University of Pennsylvania.
He and his wife Stephanie have six children
and live in a suburb of Chicago.
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