Gerald Grinstein

Who is Gerald Grinstein?

Gerald Grinstein is the former CEO of Delta Air Lines, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. Grinstein came to the position in 2004, after CEO Leo F. Mullin stepped down amid a controversy over executive retirement and cash bonus plans that were deemed excessive. He is succeeded by Richard Anderson, a former Northwest Airlines executive, although Grinstein expected one of his two deputies for the top job. Grinstein and his wife Carolyn live in Seattle, Washington.

Grinstein received a BA from Yale University in 1954 and a JD from Harvard Law School in 1957.

From 1985 to 1995 Mr. Grinstein was also CEO of Burlington Northern Railroad. In this position he helped form the corporate entity that resulted in BN's merger which formed the BNSF Railway. While at the helm of BN, Grinstein adopted a new paint scheme for the railroad's executive office car train. Named for its creator, "Grinstein Green" was applied to the train's F-units along with a cream colored stripe down the middle. This paint scheme was later applied to the railroad's last order for locomotives before the merger, the EMD SD70MAC.