February 20, 2024
This month Oprah highlights 31 women who “are showing what’s possible when a woman is given the chance to lead.” March is Women’s History Month.
Two Wheels Up executives are included. Gail Grimmett joined Wheels Up as chief experience officer, and Stephanie Chung, chief growth officer, made the private aviation provider the only entrant to have two selections.
Oprah noted last year women hit an all-time high for leading Fortune 500 companies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately hit women the hardest.
The list is part of the Your Hour, Her Power campaign from Dress For Success.
The duo is part of a C-suite at Wheels Up that includes women in the top spots for legal and human resources.
Others named to the list include AllianceBernstein COO Kate Burke, CEO of Calvin Klein Cheryl Abel-Hodges, Emilie Rubinfeld, global president of Carolina Herrera, Chart Industries CEO Jill Evanko, Coty CEO Sue Y. Nabi, Penny Pennington, managing partner of Edward Jones, FedEx president Ramona Hood, and Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden.
Honored as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in New York” in 2013, 2015, and 2017 by Crain’s New York Business, Grimmett is an industry-recognized expert. As the first chief experience officer at Wheels Up, she oversees every aspect of its member experience.
She comes from working at Delta Air Lines where she spent 20 years serving in multiple roles over the years. When asked about her support for Dress Success, she says: “When we stand together, we become stronger together. That is why I am participating in the Your Hour, Her Power campaign.”
In 2020, Stephanie Chung joined Wheels Up as the Company’s first Chief Growth Officer. Her focus is generating revenue through new client acquisition among diverse customer segments, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women. But even before her new role at Wheels Up, she was already making history. She has 30 years of experience catalyzing transformative growth in the aviation sector. Chung was recognized as a trailblazer as the first African American president of a major private aviation company.
Chung recognizes the encouragement that she received from other women, she says: “Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.”
