Douglas Steenland
Douglas M. Steenland | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1951 |
| Occupation(s) | Corporate lawyer, airline industry executive |
| Known for | President and CEO of Northwest Airlines (2004–2008) |
Douglas M. Steenland (born September 17, 1951) is a former American corporate lawyer and airline industry leader. He dedicated 17 years to Northwest Airlines, holding the position of president from 2001 until 2008, and serving as both president and CEO from October 2004 through the company's merger with Delta Air Lines in October 2008. Afterward, he has participated on several corporate boards and provided strategic counsel to the Blackstone Group.
Education
Steenland obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Calvin College and earned his Juris Doctor from the National Law Center at George Washington University.
Early career
Upon graduating from law school, Steenland spent two years working within the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Subsequently, he joined the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand (currently part of DLA Piper), where he specialized in matters related to airline regulations, mergers and acquisitions, and international aviation markets. He eventually rose to the role of senior partner at the firm.
Northwest Airlines
After representing Northwest Airlines during its leveraged buyout between 1989 and 1991, Steenland transitioned to Northwest in 1991 as vice president and deputy general counsel. His career progressed through various leadership roles: senior vice president and general counsel by 1994; executive vice president overseeing general counsel and alliances in 1998; executive vice president and chief corporate officer in 1999; culminating in his appointment as president and board member in 2001.
Between 2004 and 2008, Steenland held the dual roles of president and CEO at Northwest Airlines. During his tenure, he managed the company through numerous significant challenges including post-9/11 industry impacts, the SARS outbreak, the global financial crisis of 2008, escalating fuel prices, and geopolitical uncertainties.
In 2008, he was instrumental in orchestrating Northwest’s merger with Delta Air Lines, finalized in October of that year. Following the merger's completion, Steenland retired from Northwest and served on Delta’s board of directors until 2011.
Additional positions
Steenland was chairman of the Air Transport Association from January 2008 through December 2009.
He joined International Lease Finance Corporation’s (ILFC) board in September 2009 and assumed the role of non-executive chairman in December 2009, maintaining this position until June 2012. In 2010, he was named non-executive chairman of Performance Food Group, a role he fulfilled until February 2019. In August 2011, Steenland became vice chairman of Travelport’s board and was elevated to chairman in May 2013, serving until Travelport was acquired by private equity investors in 2019.
Joining AIG’s board in June 2009, he has acted as non-executive chairman since July 2015. Additionally, Steenland has been a board member at Hilton Worldwide since September 2009 and has served as a senior advisor to the Blackstone Group since that same year.
He holds a lifetime directorship on the board of Minneapolis’s Guthrie Theater in Minnesota.
Personal life
Steenland is married and has two children.