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As Jack Smith and I assume our new roles at Delta, this is an appropriate time to put in motion a thorough review of our airline’s operating and business strategy. The goal of the project is not only to review the current strategy, but also to rethink our competitive effectiveness and best use of resources. I have asked Mark Balloun to lead a small team of Delta staff members in this planning assignment, working closely with Jack and me. The team will be assisted by Carl Sloane, a Harvard Business School professor and 40-year veteran of strategy consulting. Importantly, we are entering this review with an open mind, aware that the outcome may be a reaffirmation of our current strategy, or it may call for significant shifts.

A key project objective will be to find the promising, outside-the-box, strategic initiatives that Delta leaders at various levels and in different parts of the organization believe are worthy of consideration as part of this review. To identify these options, Mark and his team will begin by interviewing a cross-section of approximately 60 company leaders and outside experts. The interviews will help ensure that we understand the organization’s views on issues facing Delta and how we can best move forward. Once the interviews have been completed, I plan to assemble a smaller group of around 20 Delta leaders who will review the team’s findings
in-depth and develop recommendations regarding our best opportunities.

In the meantime, if you are contacted for an interview, I hope you will set aside an hour or two to discuss with Mark’s team your most thoughtful, honest ideas about Delta’s current and future prospects and opportunities. Please know, too, that all responses will be held in strictest confidence, with no attributable information provided to me or any other Delta employee without prior consent.

Thank you in advance for your important contributions to this vital endeavor.

Jerry Grinstein