Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> April 19, 2004
DONALD BELL, the custodian of company culture, is Senior Vice President
of Customer Service at WestJet Airlines Ltd. and one of the four
founders of WestJet. He also shares the role of Chief Operating Officer
for the company and is a certified WestJet Boeing 737 Captain. Mr. Bell
joined the WestJet startup team in 1995, after 18 years as President and
owner of a Calgary-based computer company with offices throughout
western Canada. At WestJet, Mr. Bell oversees the areas of the sales
Super Centre, flight attendants, airports, people and training, and
information technology. One of his major initiatives at WestJet has been
the CARE program, helping the airline's people find ways to 'Create a
Remarkable Experience' for each other and their guests. In 2003, WestJet
was named Canada's second most respected corporation, and earned the top
spot for customer service. Mr. Bell is married with four children, and
takes great pride in the successes of WestJet and its people. Profile
TWST: We'd like to begin with a brief historical sketch of WestJetAirlines and a picture of the things you're doing at the present time.
Mr. Bell: We started the company back in 1996 with