Hear Robin Hayes, President and CEO of JetBlue, in conversation with Bruce Aust to learn how he leads a culture of innovation with heart and why he is investing in early stage startups through JetBlue Ventures.
JetBlue is known for its free Wi-Fi and snacks, but is loved most for the culture that begins at the top with the company’s senior leadership team. From traveling in the cockpit to leave more room for paying customers to launching the 100×35 hurricane relief initiative for Puerto Rico, Robin stewards JetBlue’s mission to inspire humanity and embodies its people-first approach by leading with compassion.
With 1,000 daily flights to 101 destinations and more than 40 million customers annually, JetBlue is a beacon for how to scale with soul. Despite being the sixth-largest US airline where the top four competitors gobble up 80% of the market, JetBlue differentiates itself through culture and innovation. JetBlue leads the pack from piloting selfies as boarding passes to opening the “T5” urban garden at JFK where “crewmembers,” not employees, are encouraged to decompress on Fridays while giving back to their community, to even founding JetBlue Ventures in Silicon Valley.
Learn why Robin believes his biggest responsibility is to protect and nurture the strong culture that he calls the bedrock of JetBlue and how JetBlue will continue to be a leader in the evolution of air travel by incubating, investing in and partnering with early stage startups at the intersection of technology and travel.
The Founders’ Leadership Series hosted @NasdaqCenter is a movement by leaders for leaders that gets to the heart of the drive, ambition, and skills needed to overcome challenges and fuel a personal journey to success.
Robin Hayes, President and Chief Executive Officer, JetBlue
Robin Hayes became JetBlue’s Chief Executive Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors in February 2015. Prior to this position, Mr. Hayes served as JetBlue’s President and, since 2008, as its Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.
Before joining JetBlue, he was British Airways’ Executive Vice President for The Americas. Over the span of a 19-year career with British Airways, he also served as Area General Manager for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Robin is a graduate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. He received a BSc and Master’s in Engineering from the university.
Bruce E. Aust, Vice Chairman, Nasdaq
Bruce E. Aust is Vice Chairman of Nasdaq. In this role, Mr. Aust works closely with Nasdaq’s Global Listing Services unit to assist clients and prospects worldwide. Mr. Aust also serves as President of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, located in San Francisco, and played an integral role in the creation and launch of the Center, which opened in 2015. The Entrepreneurial Center is a new non-profit organization funded by the Nasdaq Educational Foundation designed to engage emerging entrepreneurs through events, hands-on mentorship and education.
Previously, Mr. Aust served as Executive Vice President, Global Listing Services, a role in which he oversaw Nasdaq’s new listings and capital market business as well as global business development and relationship management with the companies listed on Nasdaq’s 16 listing markets worldwide.
