Skift Take
The airline industry has been working on diversifying boards and executive teams to move away from its predominantly male image.
United Airlines named Michelle Freyre, an executive from Estee Lauder, to its board of directors on Monday, becoming the second woman to join the board this year.
United CEO Scott Kirby commented, “Michelle’s extensive business and product strategy experience will be a great addition to our already strong Board of Directors. She has successfully balanced modernization and celebration of historic brands in her previous roles.”
Freyre currently serves as president of beauty companies Clinique and Origins, overseeing their strategies. She previously held the role of president at the beauty division of Johnson & Johnson and began her career as an assistant brand manager at Pepsi, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Earlier this year, United added Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer to its board. Freyre’s appointment will make her the fifth woman on United’s board, as Carolyn Corvi, former vice president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, plans to step down at the end of her term.
United’s current board comprises 14 members, including a seat for its pilots union. There are currently nine male and five female members on the board.
American, Delta, and Southwest airlines have a similar gender makeup on their boards, with roughly 20% of board seats held by women.
Efforts to diversify boards and executive teams in the airline industry have been ongoing, aiming to move away from the industry’s male-dominated image. JetBlue recently appointed Joanna Geraghty as CEO, the first woman to lead a major U.S. airline.
The International Air Transport Association launched the “25by2025” initiative to increase gender diversity in the industry. Airlines like American, Delta, United, and JetBlue have committed to increasing the number of women in underrepresented areas and senior leadership roles by a minimum of 25% by the next year.
