Rono Dutta

With many successful advances over his career, leading him from management positions to occupying the position of President of such a large firm as United Airlines, Rono Dutta builds on cultural differences, promoting teamwork as he fosters United’s network of global alliances, and devises initiatives to deal with customers across the world. In today’s global world, Dutta exemplifies the ways in which human beings, world citizens of all types, overcome obstacles and excel in their careers.

If you see yourself as different, other people will see you as different. A lot of the obstacles are in your own mind in a way. You say, "Hey, I'm just a world citizen. I'm just a human being. Everyone else here is a human being," and I think the obstacles melt away. I've found at times that many other minorities that I've dealt with, who seem to have a problem, are so conscious of their own separateness that it really does become an issue.

I feel responsible for whatever success I've had. I would say it's integrity and teamwork.

If you don't build a reputation for integrity, the slightest failure comes and you're dead. On the other hand, if you have a reputation for integrity, people will flock to you for guidance, for leadership. A key is having your heart in the right place. The second thing is teamwork—no one can do anything on their own in any major corporation.

Major accomplishments at United that I'm proud of over the last five years: each year, we've put out a business plan to give the company some sort of direction, and that led to things like a city strategy, at Los Angeles, for example. It led to the implementation of the shuttle. That development of the strategic plan, I am quite proud of as one of my major accomplishments.

In terms of my personal life, when I grew up, I always had the dream of, "I have to go to Harvard someday," and everyone said, "You'll never get there. You’re only setting yourself up for failure." But I came to this country with $200, and I worked nights to support myself in college and this is another thing I'm very proud of.

Declined to answer.

The focus on character is most important. Sometimes wonderful things happen to you, and sometimes terrible things happen. It's important not to let your emotions skyrocket up and down along with the transitory events. I think it's important, therefore, to focus on what kind of a person I am. What are my beliefs? And when everything else around you crumbles, you are what you have to fall back on—your own personal beliefs.