United Airlines Makes a Social Impact Mission

Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Jill Kaplan, President of New York and New Jersey at United Airlines, to discuss United’s grant aimed at investing in hub communities across the country. Jill describes the company’s social impact mission and the importance of workforce development training.

9/13/18 #2160

Excerpt:

"We are pleased to welcome Jill Kaplan, President of New York & New Jersey, United Airlines. How's everything going at United? It's great. It's great. Is the industry, the aviation industry, changing every day? Every day. Every day. It is a... Because? It's in this... I think like so many industries, I came from the media industry, I spent no time prior to coming to United seven months ago in aviation other than being a customer, and so the, I think, disruptive element that all industries are going through is really, I mean from my standpoint, that's exciting. How did you get the gig? I... it's a really funny story. I had... United was a client of mine when I was in the media industry, and I interviewed our CEO, Oscar Munoz, and then I... Yes. ...asked him to come to an editorial board. And he talked about this job, and this role, which is a brand new role, that United really felt was critically important and reinvesting in the community in a way that we had been, frankly... Sure. ...when we were Continental Airlines in New York's hometown airline, and it coincided with getting a call from an outside recruiter. And I loved my job! I absolutely loved it. But in that board, when Oscar was speaking about the role and the opportunity and the commitments to the community and the entrepreneurial spirit of... Sure....wanting to do things differently, it really was... you know, it was one of those things where my kids said, "Mommy, why wouldn't you do it?" And I said, "You're right. You're absolutely right." Well, let's do this. Because we do know United well. United's one of the underwriters of what we do at the Caucus Educational Corporation, but we are one of many many not for profit organizations that... I don't even want to say invest in. You are invested in what they are doing. I believe it's two million dollars in the New York New Jersey region? And... Correct. ...eight across the nation? Correct. Correct. Talk about what that means. Sure. Sure. You know, it's in our soul. It is in our soul, it's in our DNA, it is something that we are fully, completely dedicated to, not just from a monetary standpoint, which certainly, you know, we're very proud to be able to be, you know, be a deeper part of the communities, but it's something that our employees are really hungry and thirsty to be more and more active and involved in, and so the ability to go, what I'd say, deeper and wider, and be focused in a way that, I think..."