US Airways CEO Spends His Salary on Stock

I already praised Continental's top leadership for forgoing their salaries, but I have to give US Airways CEO Doug Parker some credit for being creative. He's taken his salary and invested it in the airline's stock.

I half expected some other airline leaders to follow Continental's cue and give up their salaries for the rest of the year, but that hasn't happened. Of course, if it did, it would have been a more hollow gesture since it was just a "me too" kind of move. That doesn't mean it's insignificant, but it's always a stronger message if it's a unique move.

So I have to admit that I'm impressed with Doug Parker's move. He took his entire $550,000 annual salary and invested it in the airline's stock. If the airline succeeds, he'll make a ton of money, but if not he could lose it all. I'm sure that he'll get criticism for this since the front line won't reap the benefits if the stock does well, but really anything he does right now will be criticized. Labor relations at the airline are bad at best, especially with the pilots.

Despite the potential criticism, I still think this is sending the right message. It's uniqueness makes it even a stronger move.