Horton began his career at AMR in 1985 in finance. He joined AT&T in 2002 as chief financial officer and was later appointed vice-chairman. In 2008, he was named US top CFO by
Institutional Investor magazine. On July 21, 2010, he was named president of the airline. He led a team to restructure the company, while lowering costs, including in debt, leases, and its aircraft fleet, while negotiating labor contracts, among AMR's chief goals, to restore company profitability and competitiveness. The deal was the largest aircraft order in history, with 460 new single-aisle jets from the two manufacturers and $13 billion in financing. Horton's team led the airline through a rebranding including a new aircraft livery featuring a new logo and flag on the aircraft tail. During restructuring Horton secured a deal for the anticipated buyout from US Airways in which AMR creditors and unions owned 72% of the new company, and US Airways shareholders owned 28%. The new American Airlines Group became the world's largest airline. Horton completed his tenure as chairman in June 2014. == Board ==