American Airlines has named its newest senior vice president: Patrick O’Keefe, who will serve as the carrier’s new senior vice president for people.

O’Keefe, who had been serving as vice president for information technology, will “lead the global human resources team responsible for talent acquisition and development, team member training and support, compensation, benefits, and diversity,” according to a company statement.

His appointment takes effect June 1, reporting to Elise Eberwein, American’s Executive Vice President for people and communications.

““There is no work more important to American’s future than the work underway to build a culture that supports our frontline team, and there’s no better leader at American who embodies the right skills to lead this work than Patrick,” said Eberwein. “Our mission at American is simple and starts with serving our frontline coworkers so that they approach every day with the tools and training needed to serve our customers and the enthusiasm and energy to connect with people. Patrick is a team builder who considers all viewpoints, and he has a proven track record of leading multi-departmental teams to successfully complete very complex projects.”

— CJ Staff