Northwest Airlines yesterday said managing director of reservations services Steven Sear next month would become vice president of sales, replacing industry veteran Fay Beauchine, who advised the carrier of her retirement. Sear is charged with overseeing Northwest and KLM sales efforts in North America, including corporate, agency, government and association programs.
Beauchine ends a 27-year career at Northwest as vice president of sales and customer care. She assumed the top sales role, along with customer service responsibilities, in early 1999
(BTN, Feb. 22, 1999). During her tenure, Beauchine helped develop Northwest's sales programs for small and midmarket companies, alliance programs and Internet-based channels for corporate and agency clients. She also contributed to many of the carrier's other various corporate client, customer service, community outreach and distribution initiatives.
"Fay Beauchine is a superb leader who achieved impressive results in sales, customer relations and reservations operations during her career at Northwest," said executive vice president of marketing and distribution Tim Griffin. "Her contributions in deepening customer and alliance relationships, especially in today's competitive environment, have been instrumental to the success of the airline's marketing efforts."
Beauchine during her career also contributed to the travel industry as chair of the Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau and president of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives. She also has been a long-time member of the Business Travel News editorial board and earlier this year was appointed to the Institute of Business Travel Management's Board of Trustees
(BTNonline, Jan. 18).
BTN named Beauchine three times to its annual list of the 25 most influential executives in the travel industry. She was recognized in 1987 and 1988 for her work in Northwest's meetings and incentives area and as SITE's president, and again in 2000 for helping to restore Northwest's sales and customer service in the wake of a devastating pilots strike
(BTN, Jan. 10, 2000).
According to Griffin, Beauchine now will "build a new business directed at helping global organizations develop sales and customer service strategies."
Meanwhile, in addition to North America sales, Sear is responsible for Northwest's sales support call centers. He joined the airline in 1992 and has held various positions in sales, alliances, distribution planning, technology development and network operations.
"Steve Sear brings impressive domestic and international sales experience to his new management position at Northwest," Griffin said. "These skills will be invaluable as the airline evolves its products to serve best the needs of its valued customers while continuing to implement programs that help Northwest grow market share."