Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

This Just in: Midwest's Kolshak Quits!

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Register   Log in
F

furloaded

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2001
Posts
17
"Joe Kolshak, Midwest Airlines' chief operating officer, has resigned to
pursue another opportunity. His resignation is effective today."

That didn't take long. I wonder what he knows that I don't.
 
Av8tor said:
What does the COO of Midwest quiting have to do with Airtran in MKE?
Click to expand...

Ask your wife to check your pockets -- I think some sarcasm was lost on you.
 
Not trying to start anything, but when senior management heads for the door it's a bad sign. I've been through it. Good luck guys, it's gonna be a bumpy ride for us all!
 
MINIME said:
I see your point ie. sarcasm. Don't be fooled, nobody is out of the woods yet, including your airline. Unless you work for UPS, FEDX or SWA you should thread water very carefully.
Click to expand...

Thread Water?....sorry dude ...couldn't resist

anybody remember a 70's TV show "Kolshak-The Night Stalker"
 
Last edited:
Wesb737fo said:
...anybody remember a 70's TV show "Kolshak-The Night Stalker"
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember! Darrin McGavin played the reporter. They made some really strange episodes. Hey, that was set in Chicago wasn't it? Pretty close to MKE!
 
not good. i wonder if he hates TH now too? 2 options here, each not good:

1) TH and him butted heads and he got sick of his "growth" plan (or lack thereof).

2) women and children first on the life rafts........
 
Great, TH is at the helm again, and I was concerned with what was going on before Kolshak was caned. Sheez.
I think this just put the nail in our coffin. Well it was a good two year ride. Out
 
I personally think they butted heads, TH is set on his ways and thinks that Midwest is his personal property, will have to wait and see why he left on a short notice.
 
airline#5 said:
Kinda like AAI CFO leaving recently without notice, right?
Click to expand...

He left to take a CEO position, which is something he never would have achieved here. Unless Kolshak has something similar lined up, then not really relevant.
 
Doesn't surprise me. I heard that he lost it at meeting the other day down in flight ops. Any sane person would not be able to work with this management team in place. He is probably wondering how we have been in buisiness for 25 years. 8
 
I love how it's buried in YXNet.
 
Airline management is like Whack-A-Mole; let's see where he pops his head up next. I assumed he was TPG's boy, maybe not.
 
Wesb737fo said:
Thread Water?....sorry dude ...couldn't resist

anybody remember a 70's TV show "Kolshak-The Night Stalker"
Click to expand...

Point taken, deserved it. "Thread" guess I meant "Tread". :erm:

But I stand by my original point. This is no time to be throwing sand on each other's eyes. Safe to say that we're all in a precarious position.
 
Is'nt a two week notice standard in the industry so as to not burn any bridges?
 
Skippy said:
hes coming to united, yippie
Click to expand...

I think you might be right

Midwest's No. 2 resigns suddenly
Chief operating officer, on the job for 4 months, leaves for other opportunity

By TOM DAYKIN

[email protected] Posted: June 3, 2008, After just four months on the job, the No. 2 executive at the corporate parent of Midwest Airlines Inc. has abruptly quit.

spec.gif
Joseph Kolshak

Multimedia Hear a March interview with Joseph Kolshak and find video of the conversation here.


Joseph Kolshak, chief operating officer at Oak Creek-based Midwest Air Group Inc., has "resigned to pursue another opportunity," the company said in a brief statement Tuesday.
Midwest Air Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Timothy Hoeksema said the search for a new senior operations executive will begin immediately.

"We thank Joe for his contributions in his brief time with us and wish him well in future endeavors," Hoeksema said in a statement.

Kolshak couldn't be reached for comment. One source said Kolshak is taking an executive position at a larger airline.

Kolshak, 51, was seen as a likely successor to Hoeksema, 61, who's been Midwest's top executive since the carrier began in 1984.
His sudden departure took employees by surprise.

"That's the fastest fly-by I've ever seen for someone in that level of management," said Capt. Jay Schnedorf, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association's chapter at Midwest Airlines.
Kolshak's resignation is a loss for Midwest Airlines, Schnedorf said. Kolshak brought an outsider's perspective to the challenges that the carrier is facing, he said.

"We looked to him as a source of solutions," Schnedorf said.

Kolshak also lacked the "baggage" that other company executives carried from not effectively communicating with employees in the past, Schnedorf said.

<H3>Airlines struggling</H3>

Midwest Airlines and other carriers are struggling with soaring jet fuel prices that have those companies operating in the red. Airlines might report combined losses of $6.1 billion in 2008, according to the International Air Transport Association.

In April, Midwest said it would cut 109 employees, amounting to a 3.5% work-force reduction. Midwest, the dominant carrier at Mitchell International Airport, also said it was cutting flights.

Kolshak joined Midwest Air in February as the company was sold to investment firm TPG Capital, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest Airlines Corp. He worked at Delta Air Lines Inc. for 20 years, and had been executive vice president and operations chief before leaving Delta in December.

Northwest's 47% stake in Midwest Air is to be acquired by Delta as part of its pending purchase of Northwest. Delta needs approval from antitrust regulators in order to complete its acquisition of Northwest, which was announced in April. Delta and Northwest said Tuesday that the Justice Department has requested additional information about the proposed merger.

In a March interview with the Journal Sentinel, Kolshak was asked how long he expected to stay at Midwest.

"As long as they'll keep me," Kolshak replied. "I didn't come here for a year or two years. I am here to spend another career at Midwest."
 
Perhaps the reservation queue at United present more of a challenge to him.

I love executive titles in modern corporate america (60 minutes had a great story on them). Kolshak (Senior Vice President of Operations) now reports to Tague (Executive Vice President of Operations, Chief Operating Officer).
 
Last edited:
who really cares. Nobody is making a difference.People go where the money is. I am just ammazed that TPG and NWA are keeping the current management around, after a terrible performance.Who knows if TPG placed him as a COO. Joe L. left AAI and they are still around. It does not matter who runs MEH, and TPG and NWA will not drop MEH after paying 450 million.
 
airline#5 said:
Kinda like AAI CFO leaving recently without notice, right?
Click to expand...

As stated earlier, Gadek left for a promotion after spending several years with the company. A four month "fly-by" sounds kinda fishy. Either way, not a pretty picture for anyone not named SWA.
 

Share this page

Latest posts

Latest resources

Latest media

Carbon Cub FX-3 Shenandoah Valley
Carbon Cub at Kittyhawk
FX-3 in the backcountry
IFR Panel in a Carbon Cub FX-3
Cub-Provo-UT-c.jpg
Back
Top Bottom