William S. Ayer, 60, former chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group has been elected to Honeywell’s Board of Directors. He will serve on Honeywell's Corporate Governance and Responsibility and Management Development and Compensation Committees.
“Bill has been a highly respected and proven business leader in the aerospace industry for more than three decades," said Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote. "His relentless focus on the customer, continuous improvement, and building a culture of safety, innovation, sustainability, and diversity are all hallmarks of his leadership style. Under Bill's leadership, Alaska Air Group operated profitably during the most recent recession and today the company is viewed as a 'model' airline throughout the industry. Bill brings both deep aerospace industry knowledge and rich business experience to Honeywell's Board. We're confident that his contributions will be invaluable as Honeywell deploys its new five-year growth plan."
Ayer was appointed CEO of Alaska Air Group in 2002 and became Chairman of the Board in 2003. He retired from the company at the end of 2013. Prior to his role as Chairman and CEO of Alaska Air Group, Ayer served as Vice President of Marketing and Planning for the company beginning in 1995.