America hires industry veteran to lead commercial team

American Airlines The company has hired nearly three-decade industry veteran Nat Pieper to be its new chief commercial officer as it tracks the carrier’s earnings on rivals Delta and united.

American ousted its former chief commercial officer, Vasu Raja, in 2024 after his business travel strategy backfired and sparked opposition from profitable travel agencies, while revenue forecasts fell sharply.

Bieber, 56, has been in the industry since the late 1990s and has experience at Northwest Airlines, Delta and Irish Airlines. Alaska Airlines. More recently, he managed the huge airline alliance Oneworld, which includes American, British and other airlines. His positions included senior-level roles in network, alliances, fleet strategy and finance.

“He is exactly the kind of leader we want in America — a collaborator and a great people leader with an uncompromising focus on achieving results while keeping an eye on the future,” US CEO Robert Isom said in a memo to staff, seen by CNBC.

Bieber told CNBC in an interview last month that Oneworld airlines need to do more to improve technology to make travel more seamless for customers, even when they’re hopping between partner airlines, in reference to how technology has improved while in America.

He will start on November 3 and will oversee the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline’s commercial strategy, loyalty program, network planning, revenue and sales departments, among other things, American said.