Jen Crichton has joined American Airlines as managing director of communications, overseeing the airline’s commercial portfolio.
Crichton started in the role this month and reports to VP of communications and marketing Caroline Clayton. Crichton told PRWeek she will oversee communications for the airline’s commercial portfolio, including the carrier’s network and alliances, revenue management, onboard products and Admirals Club/Lounges and other customer and commercial initiatives.
“Throughout my career, some of the smartest professionals I’ve had the honor of working with have at some point touched the airline industry — to be in that type of company is both an honor and a challenge I’m eager to take on,” Crichton said. “It was clear to me from the get-go that American is a company that values strategic communications and the role it plays within a large brand and organization.”
Clayton told PRWeek that in September 2022, American Airlines combined its communications and marketing teams under chief comms and marketing officer Ron DeFeo.
“We’ve been really happy with the structure and are excited to add [Crichton] to the team,” said Clayton. “This isn’t tied to any other org changes — just continuing to add support.”
Crichton joins American Airlines from TrailRunner International where she served as a managing director based in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area since 2022. Working out of the agency’s headquarters, she managed corporate reputation, sports sponsorship activations, crisis communications, media relations, executive visibility and influencer engagement spanning multiple client teams. She departed the agency in March of this year.
Prior to TrailRunner, Crichton held stints as interim VP of communications at Steward Health Care, director of brand communications for PepsiCoand SVP of consumer and sports marketing at Zeno Group.
“Having previously been in-house at PepsiCo, I was seeking another opportunity that allowed me to play a critical role in driving communications strategy across multiple facets of the business,” Crichton said of her decision to transition back to in-house having recently worked agency-side.
Crichton is a member of PRWeek’s 2024 Women to Watch class of honorees.
American Airlines is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The airline’s revenue rose 2% to $14.33 billion in Q2, but its profit fell 46% to $717 million.