Page
1 2 3
4 5 6
7
Its
top executives have been part of Atlanta’s maturation as an
international business city. Now ranking fifth in the nation for cities
having the most Fortune 500 headquarters, Atlanta continues to grow in
business prestige both at home and abroad. The Robinson College of
Business has played its part in nurturing that growth by educating
leaders of the city’s most prestigious companies. Here’s how seven of
those executives rate Atlanta’s progress, challenges, and future.
Gateway
to the World
Beth Johnston, MBA '85
Senior
VP, Human Resources
Delta Air Lines
When Beth Johnston started as a flight attendant at Delta 30 years ago,
the airline offered no transatlantic flights and crude oil cost
$13/barrel. Today Delta planes fly to more places than any other global
airline, some 312 destinations in 61 countries. And Delta is continuing
to add international flights at a faster rate than any other major U.S.
carrier. Along with that shift, the price of crude has climbed
astronomically, consistently topping $130/barrel.
While the airline is focusing on how to be more efficient and
effective, given the escalating fuel costs, it also has a priority to
become more global in its culture, says Johnston, now senior vice
president, human resources at Delta. She moved from flight operations
into customer service after completing her MBA in industrial
relations at the Robinson College in 1985, a degree that helped her
become “the 360-degree leader you have to be in any company,” she says.
Part of her current job is to ensure human relations keeps pace with
the international expansions by helping employees think globally.
As Delta has added more international destinations, the company has
been hiring. Recently, Johnston oversaw the hiring of 1,200 new flight
attendants from an applicant pool of 107,000. Those new employees
contribute to Delta’s ability to offer 21 foreign languages and
translation services on its worldwide flights.
 Those lessons can apply to Atlanta as well. “We need to figure out how
we can make our company, and our city, more comfortable for people of
different cultures,” she says. That can start with something as simple
as more international signage throughout strategic locations.
Mirroring the global economy, the city, the airline, and Robinson
College all have a role to contribute to increasing Atlanta’s access to
the world, says Johnston. Delta and the Robinson College historically
have a strong relationship through the W.T. Beebe Institute in
personnel and employment relationships. As a member of Robinson’s
advisory board, Johnston believes that the two institutions can build
on those connections because they have a similar goal. “Like Delta,”
she says, “the Robinson College is offering a gateway to the world.”
Continued on next page
Top | Next
Page 
|
