Who Is Richard H. Anderson? What Companies Has He Headed?

Richard H. Anderson is an American businessman who has made a career out of helping companies throughout the transportation sector. His earlier career highlights include the CEO positions at Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

In 2013, he was once awarded the Tony Jannus Award for distinguished provider throughout the industry airline business, and in 2015 was once named Aviation Week’s “Person of the Year.” During his tenure for the reason that CEO of Delta Air Lines, Anderson was once the highest mover in the back of the Delta-Northwest merger, and because of this reality answerable for growing one of the global’s greatest airlines.

He has moreover served as chair of the Airlines for The U.S. board of directors, along with the World Air Delivery Association board of governors. Anderson was once most simply in recent years the CEO of Amtrak, stepping down at the end of 2020.

Key Takeaways

  • Richard H. Anderson is an American business govt, identified absolute best for major transportation companies.
  • Anderson has been a best govt at Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Amtrak.
  • Overseeing the merger between Delta and Northwest, Anderson is answerable for growing one of the greatest airlines on the planet.
  • He began his career as a lawyer for Continental Airlines in 1987.

Investopedia / Julie Bang


Early Life and Coaching

Anderson was once born in 1955 in Galveston, Texas. His father worked as an place of job worker for the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Every his other folks died of maximum cancers when he was once 19, leaving him to maintain his two younger sisters. 

He took jobs as a ditch digger and plumber’s assistant to strengthen them and began pursuing an undergraduate degree at Texas Tech and the Faculty of Houston, from which he graduated in 1977 with some extent in political science.

In 1982, he graduated from South Texas Faculty of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree and took a job throughout the prosecutor’s place of job in Harris County, Texas.

Notable Accomplishments

Anderson had no targets in opposition to an organization career, on the other hand in 1987 he applied for an open position at Continental Airlines in their jail department. Anderson was once hired and served as the company’s jail guide for a crash that happened, hanging Anderson throughout the business spotlight.

In 1990, Anderson took a job with Northwest Airlines for the reason that deputy customary counsel, that specialize in hard work issues and government regulations, a spot that equipped him a deep knowledge of the workings of the company and the airline business typically.

Richard H. Anderson’s internet worth is estimated to be $122 million.

By way of 2001, he worked his method up the corporate ladder to the company’s CEO position. It was once a necessary time for the airline and the business as a whole. Anderson in an instant had to care for a recessionary financial machine, declining source of revenue, expensive hard work contracts, and the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A Shift to Healthcare

In 2004, Anderson left Northwest Airlines and the airline business utterly to only settle for a job at UnitedHealth Team of workers (UNH) as govt vice president. In 2005, he took over the serve as of CEO of UnitedHealth’s wisdom subsidiary, Ingenix, and as well as was once president of the company’s New Business Services Team of workers.

By way of 2007, it gave the impression as although Anderson could be in line to take over the serve as of CEO; alternatively, in every other surprise switch, Anderson left his $4.3 million a year procedure at UnitedHealth Team of workers to return to the airline business.

CEO of Delta Air Lines

In April 2007, Anderson joined the board of directors for Delta Air Lines, a time when the company was once merely emerging from bankruptcy. By way of August 2007, he was once tapped for Delta’s CEO procedure. In conjunction with his experience with every Northwest and Delta, he was once in a position to successfully raise them every together to form the field’s greatest airline in 2008 in a merger valued at $2.6 billion. 

Anderson’s Tenure at Amtrak

While Anderson retired as Delta’s CEO in 2016, he didn’t stay retired for long. In 2017, he became the President and CEO of Amtrak in a three-year contract that equipped Anderson with a “token sum” salary.

One amongst his biggest difficult eventualities was once to oversee Amtrak’s major rebuilding program slated to mend New York The city’s Pennsylvania Station. Beneath Anderson’s control, the financially beleaguered railway made strides in opposition to reaching operational break-even and invested billions in new high-speed trains. On April 15, 2020, Anderson stepped down as CEO and president of Amtrak, modified by the use of Atlas Air govt William J. Flynn.

Is Richard Anderson Nevertheless at Amtrak?

No, Richard Anderson isn’t at Amtrak. He joined Amtrak in 2017 as CEO and had a three-year contract, which expired in 2020 and he stepped down as CEO, making method for William J. Flynn. Flynn was once modified by the use of Stephen Gardner in 2022.

How So much Is the CEO of Delta Value?

The CEO of Delta, Edward H. Bastian, has an estimated internet worth of $58.9 million. The vast majority of his wealth comes from proudly proudly owning Delta Stock.

When Did Richard Anderson Move away Delta?

Richard Anderson left Delta in 2016 after working as CEO since 2007. He stayed on as chairman of the board for every other 5 months after resigning as CEO.

The Bottom Line

Richard H. Anderson is an American businessman that has worked at one of the crucial important greatest and most crucial companies throughout the U.S., along with Northwest Airlines, Delta, UnitedHealth, and Amtrak. Over his career, he oversaw the merger of two airlines, growing one of the greatest airline companies on the planet, bettering aspects of the railroad company Amtrak, and sitting on the boards of various organizations.

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