Alaska Airlines names three aviation veterans to leadership roles in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific

Appointments support the airline's expanding global operations and premium experience

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Alaska Airlines has named three airline industry veterans to regional leadership roles to support the company's international growth and global operations. Cees Verkerk will oversee the UK and Europe, Soojin Yu will lead the Asia region, and Andrew Stanbury will manage the South Pacific.

Why it matters

These new leadership appointments are part of Alaska Airlines' strategic vision to connect guests to more destinations around the world with a premium travel experience. As Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines move forward as one company, the combined network now spans over 140 destinations globally.

The details

Verkerk, Yu, and Stanbury will serve as regional managing directors under the direction of Brett Catlin and Alex Judson at Alaska's Seattle headquarters. Verkerk has 10 years of experience at Alaska, most recently managing airport services. Yu has over 35 years in aviation and previously worked at Hawaiian Airlines. Stanbury joined Hawaiian in 2019 after roles at Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand.

  • Alaska Airlines is launching new daily flights from Seattle to Rome, London, and Reykjavik starting in spring 2026.
  • Alaska is also now operating daily flights from Seattle to Tokyo and five-times-weekly flights to Seoul.

The players

Cees Verkerk

Managing director, United Kingdom and Europe, for Alaska Airlines. He has 10 years of experience at Alaska, previously serving as managing director of station operations support and airport services.

Soojin Yu

Regional managing director, Asia, for Alaska Airlines. She has over 35 years of experience in aviation and previously worked at Hawaiian Airlines as country director for South Korea.

Andrew Stanbury

Regional managing director, South Pacific, for Alaska Airlines. He joined Hawaiian Airlines in 2019 and previously held roles at Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand.

Brett Catlin

Vice president of loyalty, partnerships, and international at Alaska Air Group.

Alex Judson

Managing director of partnerships and international at Alaska Air Group.

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What’s next

Alaska Airlines is launching new daily flights from Seattle to Rome, London, and Reykjavik starting in spring 2026. The airline is also now operating daily flights from Seattle to Tokyo and five-times-weekly flights to Seoul.

The takeaway

As Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines combine operations, the expanded global network and new regional leadership appointments demonstrate the company's commitment to providing a premium travel experience for guests across an ever-growing number of international destinations.