10 Alaska Airlines IT leaders
Vikram Baskaran, Vice President, Information Technology at Alaska Airlines, is one of ten Alaska Airlines IT leaders listed here, alongside people who hold or have held managing director, senior director and director roles in IT services, infrastructure, automation and middleware. A reader can learn how IT leaders work at Alaska Airlines from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Aaron Tuck
LinkedInExperience: Director of Middleware Services · Alaska Airlines
Aaron Tuck has been Director of Middleware Services at Alaska Airlines since November 2025, a role the profile places in the operations department, and was Sr Manager ITS Middleware Services there from 2021 to 2025. Aaron Tuck was a Software Engineering Manager at Alaska Airlines from 2016 to 2021 and Business Program Manager at Microsoft from 2014 to 2016.
Bonnie Saito-Manago
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director IT Systems Operations · Hawaiian Airlines
Bonnie Saito-Manago has been Senior Director IT Systems Operations at Hawaiian Airlines since September 2020. At Hawaiian Airlines Bonnie Saito-Manago was Senior Director IT Corporate Functions (2017–2020), Senior Director Technology Delivery (2015–2017) and Director Corporate Applications (2012–2015).
David Kuhl
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Information Technology Services · Alaska Airlines
David Kuhl was Vice President, Information Technology Services at Alaska Airlines from January 2015 to January 2019 and Chief Information Officer at Lighthouse from 2019 to 2023. David Kuhl was Vice President, Corporate IT (2012–2014), Vice President, Contact Center Technology (2011–2012) and Vice President, Architecture (2008–2011) at Expedia.
Jacki Varela
LinkedInExperience: Managing Director ITS Software Engineering · Alaska Airlines
Jacki Varela has been Managing Director ITS Software Engineering at Alaska Airlines since January 2024, and the profile also lists Director of Product Management there from March 2021 without an end date. Jacki Varela was Director of Software Engineering (2017–2021) and Manager IT Applications Development (2014–2017) at Alaska Airlines and Application Manager - Dealer Systems at PACCAR (2009–2014).
Michael Jude
LinkedInExperience: Director, Infrastructure Engineering · Alaska Airlines
Michael Jude has been Director, Infrastructure Engineering at Alaska Airlines since June 2019 and was Compute Platforms Manager there from 2015 to 2019. Michael Jude was Manager, IT - Infrastructure Services (2013–2015), Manager, IT - Desktop Support (2011–2013) and Desktop Support Lead (2011) at Clearwire.
Nicholas Kirschbaum
LinkedInExperience: Director of IT Automation and Operations · Alaska Airlines
Nicholas Kirschbaum has been Director of IT Automation and Operations at Alaska Airlines since May 2019. At Alaska Airlines Nicholas Kirschbaum was Manager of Automation Platforms (2015–2019), Manager of Server Infrastructure (2013–2015) and Enterprise Systems Engineer (2007–2013).
Reid Childress
LinkedInExperience: IT Director - Flight Operations · Alaska Airlines
Reid Childress has been IT Director - Flight Operations at Alaska Airlines since September 2025 and was IT Director - Airport Operations at Hawaiian Airlines from 2023 to 2025. At Hawaiian Airlines Reid Childress was also IT Manager (2021–2023), Senior Analyst (2020–2021) and Systems Analyst (2019–2020).
Steven Mullinax
LinkedInExperience: Managing Director, IT Infrastructure, Cloud & Core Services · Alaska Airlines
Steven Mullinax was Managing Director, IT Infrastructure, Cloud & Core Services at Alaska Airlines from March 2019 to January 2026 and Director, IT Infrastructure Engineering there from 2014 to 2019. Steven Mullinax has been Vice President, IT Operations, Infrastructure & Security at SanMar since June 2026, and the profile headline lists operational resilience and hybrid cloud transformation.
Sunny Bajaj
LinkedInExperience: Managing Director, IT Services · Alaska Airlines
Sunny Bajaj has been Managing Director, IT Services at Alaska Airlines since June 2026. Sunny Bajaj was Global Head of Data, AI & Infrastructure (AVP) at BNSF Railway from 2024 to 2025 and Global Head Telecom, Edge & Operational Technology (AVP) there from 2017 to 2024, and describes leading enterprise transformation across AI, data platforms, cloud and operational systems.
Vikram Baskaran
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Information Technology · Alaska Airlines
Vikram Baskaran has been Vice President, Information Technology at Alaska Airlines since January 2020 and was Managing Director - Software Engineering & Product Management there from 2013 to 2020. Vikram Baskaran was Director - Software Engineering at United Airlines from 2012 to 2013, and the profile headline lists enterprise IT strategy, employee digital experience, merger integration and cybersecurity.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's IT area, whether infrastructure, automation, middleware, flight operations systems or IT services, to the decision you face. Check each role's start date to see how long the person has held it.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took on your current IT role?
- 02How do you keep airline systems running while upgrading the infrastructure underneath them?
- 03How do you decide which IT operations work to automate first?
Reaching Alaska Airlines IT leaders
How can I contact one of these Alaska Airlines IT leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 2 companies: Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, based on profile data retrieved on October 19, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Alaska Airlines IT leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Alaska Airlines IT leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
Request a correction or removal