2/9/06 Contact:
David M. Granger, 334/844-9999 (grangdm@auburn.edu)
Deedie Dowdle, 334/844-9999 (ddowdle@auburn.edu)
PROMINENT
AVIATION CEO HOLLIS HARRIS TO SPEAK AT AU
AUBURN - Hollis Harris, chairman of Harris Global Security Inc. and former
chief executive officer of several airlines, will speak to Auburn University
students and the public on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. in the auditorium
of The Hotel at Auburn University’s Dixon Conference Center.
Harris' appearance
is sponsored by the AU College of Business and the Auburn University Management
Advisory Council.
Harris began his career at Delta Air Lines in the aircraft engineering
department in 1954. Over time, he rose to become its president and a member
of its Board of Directors.
In 1990, Harris joined Continental Airlines as chairman, president and
CEO. After resigning from Continental in 1992, he became chairman, president
and CEO of Air Canada. The following year, he and the Air Partners Group
brought Continental out of bankruptcy.
While at Air Canada, Harris signed a “strategic agreement” between
Air Canada and United Airlines that produced the Star Alliance - the largest
airline group in the world - and, in 1994, was named by the Financial
Times of Canada as that country’s top CEO.
Later that year, Harris was appointed as chairman, president and CEO of
World Airways, Inc., an air carrier that provides customized transportation
services. One of his first strategic moves was to relocate the company
to Peachtree City, Ga. World Airways employs more than 2,000 people today.
Known for his expertise in problem solving, Harris currently is chairman
of Harris Global Securities Inc., a company that provides airport and
airline security systems.
Harris attended Auburn University in 1949, but left in 1950 to join the
Army as a battery commander in Germany during the Korean War and was honorably
discharged as a first lieutenant. He later earned an engineering degree
from Georgia Tech.
Harris has served as Chairman of the Canada-Korea Business Council, the
British-American Business Council, the Canada-U.S. Committee on the Canadian
Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Business Council on National Issues,
the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association,
the Georgia Tech National Advisory Board, the National Executive Board
of the Boy Scouts of America and the Air Advisory Board of GATX Capital
Corporation. He is also a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics. In 2004, he was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall
of Fame.
Auburn University is a preeminent land-grant and comprehensive research
institution with more than 23,000 students, and 6,500 faculty and staff.
Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama's
largest educational institution offering more than 230 undergraduate,
graduate and doctoral degree programs.
(Contributed by Dianne Townsend.)
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feb06:AU-hollisharris