Thursday, Continental Airlines Inc. (CAL) said Jeff Smisek, its president and chief operating officer and a member of the board of directors, will become chairman and chief executive officer of the company, effective January 1, 2010. Smisek will succeed Larry Kellner, who decided to return to private equity at year-end after 14 years with Continental.
Smisek joined the company in March 1995 as senior vice president and general counsel and has since held positions of increasing responsibility. He became president in December 2004 and president and chief operating officer in September 2008. Prior to joining Continental, Smisek was a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he specialized in corporate finance and securities law.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.