The parent company of Frontier Airlines has a new permanent CEO after a surprise shakeup in December.
The board of directors at Frontier Group Holdings elected James Dempsey president and CEO on Wednesday. Dempsey, who had already been serving as the company’s president, was named interim CEO in mid-December following the departure of longtime CEO Barry Biffle.
“Jimmy has demonstrated over his more than a decade at Frontier that he’s the right leader to drive our airline forward,” board chair Bill Franke said in a news release. “His expertise will help us capitalize on the opportunities we see ahead, preserve our industry-leading cost advantage, and guide Frontier into the future.”
Dempsey joined Frontier in 2014 as chief financial officer. He previously held senior management positions at Ryanair Holdings and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“I look forward to continuing to work alongside Team Frontier and the board in our next chapter to execute and deliver long-term shareholder value,” Dempsey said in a statement.
Biffle, who served as CEO since March 2016, stepped down Dec. 15. Dempsey’s appointment as interim CEO became effective the same day it was announced, which is unusual in an industry where leadership changes are typically announced many months in advance.
Frontier did not explain why it was parting ways with Biffle. He stayed on in an advisory capacity until Dec. 31.
