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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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.