Dr. Rob Britton has had a hybrid career, combining 25 years in a range of leadership positions in the complex and challenging U.S. airline industry with significant academic experience. He began his career as a geography professor, but in 1984 entered the airline industry. Most of his tenure, 22 years, was with American Airlines, working all across the enterprise, from marketing to operations, from I.T. to international planning.
Rob teaches specialized MBA electives at Georgetown, lately an ILE on crisis management that leverages his deep experience in the complex and crisis-prone airline industry (he was appointed managing director of advertising and marketing planning two weeks after the 9/11 attacks). He also helps McDonough with MBA recruitment, career mentoring, and other voluntary activities.
In addition to Georgetown, he is a part-time professor at Imperial College London, and an invited guest lecturer, speaking annually at more than 25 business schools worldwide, including Yale, London Business School, and the Stockholm School of Economics. He has published dozens of articles in prominent newspapers and magazines, travel-industry publications, and peer-reviewed academic journals. Students appreciate his deep and broad professional experience across many functions, his global perspective, and his energetic, interactive classroom style. Britton says, "Although my teaching experience spans more than 100 institutions in 21 countries, I treasure my relationship with Georgetown, its academic quality and especially its commitment to integrate values and ethics into education."
Rob holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Minnesota (1978), and completed postdoctoral management training at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Academic Appointment(s)
- Primary
- Adjunct Faculty, McDonough School of Business