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DALLAS (SMU) – , chairman and chief executive officer of American Airlines Group Inc. and its subsidiary, American Airlines, will be the featured speaker during SMU’s May Commencement Convocation at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18, in Moody Coliseum.

“We talk about entrepreneurial spirit quite a bit here on the Hilltop, and Doug Parker lives it,” said ÃÛÌÒ½´President R. Gerald Turner. “He is a world changer, and I know his remarks will provide our graduating students with information that will serve them well after SMU.”

SMU’s commencement ceremony, including Parker’s remarks, will be live-streamed at /live.

Parker is a strong supporter of the people who make up the airline industry, and is invested in creating a culture that empowers his team to create new ideas. His leadership was key to the successful integration of American Airlines and US Airways following their merger in 2013. American has produced record financial results in recent years, allowing the airline to make unprecedented investments in its team members and product while returning money to shareholders.

American is the world’s largest airline and is headquartered in Fort Worth. American has more than 130,000 team members around the globe and serves more than 200 million passengers annually, with nearly 60 million of them flying through DFW airport.

Parker previously served as the chairman and CEO of US Airways. Under his leadership US Airways achieved record revenue growth, operational performance and profit margins that outpaced most industry peers. Before the merger of US Airways and American West Airlines in 2005, Parker served as CEO at American West where he led the carrier through the Sept. 11, 2001 crisis.

Parker serves as the chairman of the Airlines for America Board of Governors and oneworld Governing Board. He is also a member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and the ÃÛÌÒ½´Cox School of Business Executive Board. He received his B.A. in economics from Albion College and his M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

About SMU

ÃÛÌÒ½´is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU’s alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in seven degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world.