Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy discusses how hard work, vulnerability and personal responsibility have shaped his approach to leadership.
Andrew Levy spent three decades in the airline industry, building a career that took him from airline startups to the executive ranks of one of the nation’s largest carriers.
Through it all, the founder and CEO of Avelo Airlines says hard work has remained a constant throughout his career.
“I work really, really hard. That’s the truth,” Levy told FOX Business.
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Levy began his aviation career at ValuJet Airlines and later became a co-founder of Allegiant Air, where he held several leadership positions, including president. He then served as CFO of United Airlines before launching Avelo in 2021.
The Avelo CEO also highlighted authenticity and a willingness to show vulnerability as lessons that have shaped his leadership.
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Avelo Airlines founder and CEO Andrew Levy says hard work is the habit that has had the biggest impact on his success. (Avelo Airlines)
“I think there are two things,” Levy said. “I think the first is to always be authentic to yourself. And the second is to not be afraid to show your vulnerability.”
Levy said vulnerability can sometimes be seen as a “weakness” of leadership, but he sees things differently.
“The best career advice I’ve received is to not be afraid to be vulnerable and show vulnerability,” he said.
Asked about a task he refuses to delegate, Levy said he prefers to handle difficult conversations himself.
“I give bad news,” he said. “I think in my role in particular it’s really important to deliver the good, the bad and the ugly, but not hide behind someone else to do it, but do it myself.”
Levy also pushed back against the perception that being a CEO is an “easy” job.
“It’s anything but,” he said. “It’s constant work. It’s concentration, constant attention. It consumes your life.”
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Before launching Avelo in 2021, Levy was co-founder and president of Allegiant Air and later served as CFO of United Airlines. (Avelo Airlines)
He said people can see the title and the compensation that running a business can bring without recognizing “the challenges and the toll that it puts on you and the investment that you have to make as a person to actually play that role.”
“I think it’s underestimated how difficult it is and the responsibilities you carry in this role,” he added.
For those looking to get into the airline industry, Levy said it’s essential to be comfortable with uncertainty and constant change.
“It’s dynamic, it’s exciting, but it’s constant change,” he said. “And you have to enjoy it. You have to enjoy a certain level of chaos.”
If he wasn’t running an airline, Levy said he could see himself working at an investment firm or in private equity, where he could learn about different companies and industries.
“It would only interest me because I see a lot of different things,” he said, noting his “itch” to “constantly learn.”
Long before he reached the C-suite, Levy said his first jobs were raking leaves, pulling weeds and mowing the lawn — “anything I could do to make a little money as a kid.”
Asked a series of rapid-fire questions, Levy gave insight into his preferences and personality.
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For those looking to get into the airline industry, Levy said it’s essential to be comfortable with uncertainty and constant change. (Avelo Airlines)
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He describes himself as a “night owl” who works “a lot at night” and says he prefers to work in the office.
When asked what his least favorite business buzzword was, Levy pointed to “laser-focused.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” he said with a laugh.
When asked what word his team would use to describe him, Levy replied: “Intense.”
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