Amid expanding global operation, Alaska Airlines names three aviation veterans to leadership roles in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific
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Alaska Airlines has named three airline veterans to regional leadership roles in support of our international growth, premium experience and global operations.
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Cees Verkerk has been named managing director, United Kingdom and Europe. A native of the Netherlands, Verkerk is currently based in Seattle and will be based in London in the future.
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Soojin Yu has been named regional managing director, Asia. Born and raised in Busan, Yu is based in Seoul and will oversee the performance of all routes in Asia.
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Andrew Stanbury has been named regional managing director, South Pacific. He is based in Sydney, where he will oversee the performance of all routes across Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. Stanbury grew up in New Zealand, moved to Australia in 2008 and had a three-year stint in Fiji.
These new leadership roles are another step in Alaska’s strategic vision to connect guests to the world with a remarkable travel experience rooted in safety, care and performance. As Alaska and Hawaiian move forward as one team with two beloved brands, the network now spans more than 140 destinations, including 29 international markets throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, as well as Europe starting in spring.
More about our growing global team
Cees Verkerk has been with Alaska Airlines for 10 years, having served as managing director of station operations support and most recently, managing director of airport services. In his new role as managing director for the UK and Europe, Verkerk has responsibility for Alaska’s UK and European business, including long-term strategy and near-term execution. Verkerk will also serve as the cross-divisional liaison locally to ensure a smooth operational startup and build strong airport, partner and government relationships across the UK and Europe. Prior to joining Alaska, Verkerk was a management consultant at Point B, leading high-impact projects for both Boeing and Alaska Airlines. Verkerk also spent a decade at Medtronic, a global medical device company, where he managed portfolios across the U.S. and Europe.
Soojin Yu has been with Hawaiian Airlines since 2016 as country director for South Korea, overseeing general management of commercial activities in the country. She brings more than 35 years of experience in aviation, aeronautics, automobile and broadcast. Previously, she served as China business office manager – Asia Pacific region for Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea, where she led new vehicle development projects and new business platform initiatives. Yu worked as the marketing and communications manager for Air France KLM, and also served as an interpreter for pilots and mechanics for Samsung Aerospace and Eurocopteur. Yu began her career working in foreign exchange at the Banque Indosuez in Seoul. Yu holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Yonsei University in Seoul.
Andrew Stanbury has been with Hawaiian Airlines since 2019, initially as regional director for Australia and New Zealand, responsible for leading Hawaiian’s commercial activities in both countries and as managing director, international and North America sales from 2024-2025. Since combining with Alaska Airlines in 2025, he has served as regional director, South Pacific. Prior to joining Hawaiian, he served seven years with Fiji Airways including three years based in Nadi, Fiji as executive general manager for global sales and marketing, and eight years with Air New Zealand in various management roles, including regional sales management in New Zealand and as manager, marketing and communications in Australia.
Verkerk, Yu and Stanbury will serve as regional leads under the direction of Brett Catlin (vice president, loyalty, partnerships, & international) and Alex Judson (managing director, partnerships & international), who are based at Alaska’s headquarters in Seattle.
Connecting our guests to the world
With flights now available for booking at alaskaair.com, guests can purchase Alaska-operated flights to five intercontinental destinations in Europe and Asia from our expanding global gateway in Seattle:
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Rome, Italy: Daily, summer seasonal flights beginning April 28, 2026
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London Heathrow, United Kingdom: Daily, year-round flights beginning May 21, 2026
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Reykjavik, Iceland: Daily, summer seasonal flights beginning May 28, 2026
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Tokyo Narita, Japan: Daily, year-round flights that are now flying
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Seoul Incheon, South Korea: Five-times-weekly, year-round flights that are now flying
From Honolulu, we continue to serve Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific under the Hawaiian Airlines brand and are investing in a full interior modernization of our Airbus A330 widebody airplanes to match the exceptional service our teams deliver onboard.
About Alaska Air Group
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. We’ll serve Europe beginning in spring 2026. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska is a member of the oneworld alliance, with Hawaiian scheduled to join oneworld in spring 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem points for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations with Atmos Rewards. Learn more about what’s happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as “ALK.”
