By Amanda Miner |
The Our Lady of the Lakes Economics Class had the opportunity to go to the Motor City Casino in downtown Detroit on November 15 and interact with many influential business people. The Detroit Economic Club put on an informative and interesting presentation for the class. The main speaker, a significant leader in the business community, was the CEO of Delta Airlines, Edward H. Bastian. The students, along with Ms. Zaleski and Ms. Preston, were able to ask the CEO of Delta questions about his career and the business plans of Delta. Hannah Davies asked, “What peaked your interest in aviation?” Bastian replied that he had never thought of being in the airline industry. He has previously worked at Pepsi Cola International as the Vice President, and Price Waterhouse as a strategic planner and got the opportunity to interview for the job and he said, “What the heck, let’s try it!” Amanda Miner asked the question, “As a CEO you have many responsibilities. How do you prioritize?” He explained that he always puts the employee’s first. He makes sure that they are on the same page as him and are treated well. He is a firm believer in profit-sharing, which is sharing the profits of the business with it’s employees. Delta shares 15% of its profits with its employees every year. He explained that the customer base is equally as important when it comes to prioritizing. Making sure that your customers are satisfied with the product will make them want to come back.
The slogan for Delta is “Just Keep Climbing.” As a business, Delta has embraced technology and innovation. As their slogan suggests, Delta just keeps getting bigger and better. Bastian made the point to not act like you are number one but to act like you are number two. He explained that it’s important to realize to never stop trying to get better or to settle. This will ensure that your competitor doesn’t surpass you. A life lesson that he brought up was to surround yourself with quality people and to always trust yourself.
A big thank you to Mr. Brian Priester from the Detroit Free Press for sponsoring the Our Lady of the Lakes Economics Class to take this inspirational and opportunistic field trip. Being able to participate in high level events such as a Detroit Economic Club meeting as a high school student, offers motivation to take oneself to the next level. It will most definitely leave an impact on the students and teachers alike.