Seems this thread has "wandered" off the original subject. As to the "named CEO" of Virgin America, looks like "Enron Don" Carty, who lied to his employees and sold fuel hedges to fund a retirement scheme for executives, is moving on to greener pastures. I wouldn't hold my breath for Branson's Folly...

Jetblaster


Carty's salary to be $700K: Dell's incoming CFO to make more than chief of former firm, AMR 02:41 a.m. 12/21/2006 Provided by
Dec 21, 2006 (The Dallas Morning News - McClatchy-Tribune Business News via COMTEX) -- Donald J. Carty, who resigned in 2003 as chief executive of AMR Corp. after an uproar over executive perks, will make $700,000 a year in salary as chief financial officer of Dell Inc., the company said Wednesday.
Mr. Carty was earning more at AMR, with an $811,125 salary in his last year with the company. But in his new job at Dell, he will get a bigger paycheck than AMR's current chief executive. Gerard Arpey earns $650,000 a year at the parent of American Airlines Inc.
Mr. Carty's salary is also bigger than that of outgoing Dell chief financial officer James M. Schneider, who earns $620,000 annually.
In addition to his CFO title, Mr. Carty will be Dell's vice chairman, a role Mr. Schneider doesn't have. Mr. Schneider will leave Dell at the end of January.
Dell, based in the Austin suburb of Round Rock, announced it hired Mr. Carty on Tuesday. The computer maker disclosed his salary in a regulatory filing Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In addition to his salary, Mr. Carty, 60, will be eligible for a bonus tied to the company's performance. He'll also get restricted stock units and stock options, the filing said.
Mr. Carty resigned from Fort Worth-based AMR in 2003 after 25 years with the company.
Labor groups that had accepted major concessions to keep American out of bankruptcy court became incensed when they learned about special incentives for executives.
That history didn't appear to be a factor in Dell's compensation package for Mr. Carty, said Greg Bustin, a Dallas business consultant. Mr. Carty is being paid for his experience, he said.
"The past is the past," Mr. Bustin said Wednesday. "Here's a seasoned guy who has run a really large company in a time of a lot of adversity. And he did a lot of right things."
Dell is under an SEC investigation into its accounting practices. The company has said only that the inquiry involves accruals, reserves and other balance sheet items in its financial statements.
Mr. Carty has been a Dell board member since 1992 and has headed the board's audit committee for much of that time.
Mr. Carty could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Dell shares fell 36 cents to $25.77.
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