Lion Air CEO Appointed to Advisory Board for University of Washington Bothell School of Business

Rusdi Kirana, president director of Lion Group, has been appointed to the Advisory Board for the University of Washington Bothell School of Business.

The council provides strategic guidance, helps build external partnerships and deepens the school’s relationship with the business community.

Kirana is a native of Indonesia, and the father of three, including a daughter who is a student at UW Bothell.

Lion Group is the largest private carrier in Indonesia. Kirana began the company in 2000 with his brother Kusnan Kirana. The Indonesian commercial airline group – comprising of Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air – flies to 76 destinations in Indonesia, as well as five international destinations. All together the Indonesian carriers in the group have around 800 flights per day and account for about 50% of Indonesia’s domestic air passenger market.

The group also owns 49% of Malaysian carrier Malindo Air and 49% of Thai designated carrier Thai Lion Air, which celebrated its inaugural flight this week.

Kirana has been active with the UW Bothell School of Business, visiting classrooms to present guest lectures on leadership.

“I am pleased to deepen my affiliation with the UW Bothell School of Business,” Kirana said. “It is an honor to serve and to share the insights from my years in industry.”

The UW School of Business offers BA and MBA degrees at the Bothell campus and its campus at the Eastside Leadership Center in Bellevue. The school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is a signatory to PRME, a global organization dedicated to responsible education, research and thought leadership.

“Rusdi Kirana is an accomplished leader and we are fortunate to include him on our Advisory Board,” said Sandeep Krishnamurthy, dean of the School of Business. “His insight will guide us as we prepare students to lead in a global economy.”