UAF to honor Hajdukovich as 40th business leader of the year
April 12, 2016
Andrea Miller
907-474-5942
The University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Management will honor Bob Hajdukovich as its 40th business leader of the year during a sold-out dinner and award ceremony April 23 at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel Gold Room.
In 1984, Hajdukovich was one of 12 employees at Frontier Flying, the company owned by his father, John Hajdukovich. Today, he is CEO of Ravn Air Group, Inc., the parent company for Frontier Flying Service, Corvus Airlines (previously known as Era Aviation) and Hageland Aviation Services. As a business leader, Hajdukovich demonstrates a commitment to his employees and the success of his company, but above all else a deep commitment to service for the people of the great state of Alaska.
“I’ve been fortunate to be mentored by many of the previous award recipients,” Hajdukovich said. “It takes a little bit of luck, a little bit of mentoring, a little bit of being in the right place at the right time to succeed, and this is just a real honor for me.”
Hajdukovich has vast experience in numerous aviation jobs, working his way up from ramp agent, operations agent, computer programmer, office manager, general manager, first officer, pilot in command, director of operations, vice president, and finally to the current CEO of Ravn Alaska. Ravn has been flying for about as long as Alaska has been a state. Hajdukovich took the family commuter and freight airline business from a small affair to a regional airline with nearly 1,000 employees serving 100 communities across Alaska.
Hajdukovich is active in several aviation-based community organizations. He serves on the Governor’s Aviation Advisory Committee and is also active in progressive safety programs and innovative risk management. He served as president of Alaska Air Carriers Association, as a board member of the Medallion Foundation and as chair of the AACA Joint Safety Committee. However, not all of his accolades are aviation-based. In 2011, the Fairbanks Hockey Hall of Fame recognized the Hajdukovich family as having the Best Backyard Rink.
Hajdukovich is keenly aware of the importance of giving back to the community, whether by donating $100,000 to the UAF Aircraft Maintenance School Program, giving to the Fairbanks Community Food Bank or helping to deliver emergency food and supplies to neighboring villages. In 2013, the first University of Alaska-themed commercial airplane in the world was welcomed to the fleet, affirming the strong partnership between Ravn and the UAF and UAA campuses.
Hajdukovich received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of San Diego. Two of his sons, Alec and Connor, attend UAF. His eldest son, Nick, graduated from the University of Alaska Southeast. Hajdukovich and his wife, Leslie, enjoy spending time outdoors.
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Tammy Tragis-McCook, 907-474-7042
ON THE WEB: http://www.uaf.edu/som