William J. Collins

William J. Collins was named Vice President of Base Maintenance for American Airlines in October 2010. Collins oversees American’s maintenance operations at its major repair, overhaul and modification bases that employ more than 8,800 employees who support a fleet of more than 600 aircraft.

Since 2004, he held various leadership positions at GE Aviation. Most recently, Collins lead GE Aviation’s Electric Power division, overseeing the development, implementation and aftermarket support for advanced electric power systems. Prior to that, he was responsible for GE Aviation Systems’ Electronics Divisions, leading the organization’s electronic manufacturing, supply chain and aftermarket groups.

Collins began his career as an engineering manager for Texas Instruments, creating integrated circuit product designs. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and completed the Kellogg School of Management Executive Development Program at Northwestern University. Collins also holds a Six Sigma Black Belt – Certified in Engineering and Quality Best Practices and a Six Sigma Green Belt – Certified in Sales and Business Development Best Practices.

Collins is based at American’s largest maintenance base in Tulsa, Okla.