AMERICAN ENHANCES TECHNOLOGY TEAM WITH NEW SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CIO

Technology Group Realignment Strengthens AA’s Technology
and E-Business Leadership

In another move to enhance its leadership in information technology in the airline industry, American Airlines today announced the appointment of Monte E. Ford as senior vice president and chief information officer. Ford, 41, will have broad executive responsibility for the company’s entire information systems organization, and will report to AA Chairman and CEO Donald J. Carty. Ford has most recently been executive vice president and chief information officer at The Associates First Capital Corporation.

Scott D. Nason, currently AA’s CIO, has been named vice president – research and analysis, a move also aimed at strengthening the company’s use of technology for operations research, decision support systems, corporate database and realtime systems initiatives, and airline performance analysis.

John R. Samuel, currently vice president-interactive marketing, has been named vice president – e-business. Samuel will continue to have responsibility for American’s industry-leading AA.com website, and additionally will oversee a broad range of the company’s e-business initiatives.

Both Nason and Samuel will report to Ford.

"Monte Ford is widely regarded as a world-class leader in the field of information systems, and his addition to our executive team reinforces our commitment to leadership in using technology to improve our business in ways that will better serve our employees, our customers and our shareholders," Carty said.

"Scott Nason did a superb job of leading the transition as we outsourced many of American’s information technology functions to Sabre, and he also led the re-insourcing of a strong analytical function within the airline. His broad background in operations research and analysis, combined with his experience in IT, now gives us the opportunity to unite a number of data and analytical functions to achieve the kinds of synergies that will continue to give American a valuable technological edge," Carty said.

"John Samuel helped lead American into the age of electronic commerce and played a major role in making AA.com the largest and most popular website in the airline industry. John has the vision and management skills to guide our efforts as we become even more vigorous in the electronic marketplace," Carty said.

Ford joined Associates First Capital in 1994 as senior vice president and chief information officer of its consumer sector, progressing to executive vice president and CIO for all the company operations. He previously served as senior vice president – technology at the Bank of Boston from 1990-1994 and held a number of positions of increasing responsibility at Digital Equipment Corp. from 1982-1990. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. He will be assuming his position at American Airlines full time by January 1.

Ford and his wife have three children and live in Southlake, Texas.