American Airlines CEO Robert Isom to open Dean’s Speaker Series

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom will launch the 2025–26 Dean’s Speaker Series at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Robert Isom

The event will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST on Friday, October 10, in Mendoza’s Jordan Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.

Hosted by Martijn Cremers, the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business, the Dean’s Speaker Series brings distinguished executives from leading global companies to share insights on leadership, careers, global trends and the challenges shaping business and society. The conversation will be held in a “fireside chat” format and include an opportunity for audience Q&A.

Isom became CEO of American Airlines Group and its primary subsidiary, American Airlines, in March 2022, after serving as president of the airline from 2016 to 2022, where he oversaw commercial and operations activities. He previously held executive leadership roles at American Airlines and US Airways, as well as senior positions in finance, commercial strategy, operations and international divisions at GMAC, Northwest Airlines and America West Airlines. He began his career at Procter & Gamble.

A proud Notre Dame alumnus, Isom earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and English from Notre Dame, followed by an MBA from the University of Michigan.

The Dean’s Speaker Series is made possible through the support of the Burns Family endowment. For more information, contact Jean Meade, projects program manager, at Jean.Meade@nd.edu or visit the website.