The Council for Quality Growth recently honored Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian during its 34th annual Four Pillar Tribute event.
Each year, the Council for Quality Growth pays tribute to one individual who exemplifies the Council’s “Four Pillars” of leadership — Quality, Responsibility, Vision, and Integrity.
The theme of the event was “Leading with Purpose,” which the Council says accurately defines Bastian’s 25-year career at Delta.
During his time with Delta, Bastian guided his team through a number of significant challenges, including bankruptcy and the COVID-19 pandemic — which incapacitated the airline industry at the time.
Through all of the adversity, the Council for Quality Growth says that Bastian has remained a thoughtful and resolved leader, with his people-first mentality inspiring his employees to serve with the same level of pride and commitment.
“Atlanta is fortunate to be both Ed’s and Delta’s home,” said Michael E. Paris, president and CEO of the Council for Quality Growth. “Ed Bastian and Delta Air Lines fully embody the heart of Atlanta. I can think of no better airline, and no better team, to represent our hometown across this state and across the globe.”
As a longtime resident, Bastian acknowledged Delta’s crucial role in driving Atlanta’s economic value, acting as a “front door” to a city that the airline CEO says continuously inspires him.
“I love the ambition and the energy that this city displays. I love the heart and the diversity of our town, which always seeks better,” said Bastian. “I love how this Atlanta community pulls together the private and the public sectors, working side by side to create a more inclusive city and create opportunities for all. That’s the Atlanta I know, and that’s the Atlanta I love.”
Bastian joins past Four Pillar Award winners such as Carol B. Tomé, Andrew J. Young, Doug Hertz and Larry Gellerstedt, among others.