Name: Rob Gurney
Title: CEO
Company, city: oneworld; New York, New York
Number of employees: The central oneworld team numbers around 30, while oneworld member airlines together employ roughly 400,000 people.
Recent project: I view our work as an ongoing stream of initiatives aimed at improving the customer experience. That involves updating technology, simplifying how customers and partners do business with us to grow revenue, and reimagining our brand to better reflect who we are and what we offer.
First job: My first job was unpaid—running errands for my grandfather, who owned several businesses from jewelry stores to betting shops. In travel, my career began as a management trainee with Qantas.
Little-known fact about you: I’m a long-time surfer. New York isn’t the easiest place to surf compared with some of my other postings, but I still try to get out whenever I can.
Your Business
What innovations/initiatives do you foresee in the industry over the next years? Technology will continue to be the primary driver of change across the industry, from customer-facing services to aircraft systems. To realize the full benefits, we need to use space and infrastructure more effectively and efficiently. Many promising developments are already in motion, but integrating new capabilities must never compromise safety or security. Thoughtful implementation and industry-wide coordination will be essential as these technologies scale.
Best career advice you’ve received: I’ve heard lots of advice over the years, but one lesson that has stayed with me is to never regard any experience as wasted. Even lateral moves and roles that seem unrelated can contribute meaningfully to your skillset and perspective, helping you solve problems in new ways later on.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the field? Aviation and travel are not the right fit for everyone. This industry serves a broad societal purpose and requires people who accept that responsibility and bring a service-oriented mindset. If you embrace that, you’ll find many opportunities to build a rewarding career.
Rob Gurney as a Traveler
Favorite travel memory or story: While sitting in a café in Italy, I saw a missing-dog poster. A short time later I found a dehydrated dog under a bush that matched the poster. I gave him some water and carried him back to the café, where he was joyfully reunited with his owners. It was a small moment, but a memorable one.
One travel tip you cannot live without: Steam your shirts in the bathroom. With modern baggage restrictions, that simple trick keeps your wardrobe looking sharp without hauling extra luggage.
Best advice for business travelers: Travel light—just take a carry-on. It saves time, reduces stress, and is better for the environment. And when you can, fly with a oneworld carrier to make the most of alliance benefits and smoother connections.
About oneworld
In celebration of oneworld’s 20th anniversary, the alliance plans to roll out branded lounges. Tell us more. Introducing airport co-location and branded lounges requires careful planning and time. Our goal is to deliver a consistently high-quality customer experience, so we’re encouraging airlines to coordinate where it makes strategic sense. We’ve identified several airports for closer consideration and are making good progress, though this remains a work in progress. The intention is to create spaces that reflect the oneworld promise and make travel simpler and more enjoyable for our customers.
What was the inspiration behind oneworld’s new brand positioning as it turns 20? Relaunching a familiar brand is a challenge and an opportunity. Our new positioning—summarized in the slogan “Travel Bright”—signals a shift toward a more human, modern way of communicating who we are. It’s about clearer storytelling and tangible benefits for travelers, particularly business customers who frequently fly on multiple airlines. We tested the messaging with target groups to ensure it resonates and aligns with the services and products that matter most to them.
Tell us about the digital initiatives behind oneworld’s milestone. We are investing in digital capabilities to make travel on alliance carriers feel seamless. A key element is enabling each member airline’s app and website to let customers check in for connecting flights on partner airlines. That initial functionality will expand over time to include more services, improved disruption management and better agility in operations. The objective is to create a more integrated digital experience across the alliance while respecting each carrier’s systems and customer relationships.
Share a fact you want our readers to know as oneworld turns 20. Our member airlines often say, “We may not be the biggest alliance, but we have the most fun.” There’s a special chemistry among oneworld partners that shows up in meetings and collaborations—most recently when we welcomed Fiji Airways as our first oneworld connect partner. The energy and cooperation you see across the alliance are part of what makes oneworld a rewarding group to be involved with, both for airlines and for the travelers we serve.