Bob Hajdukovich Honored as 40th Business Leader of the Year
In 1984, Bob 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, Bob 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.Bob 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. Bob 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.
Bob is active in several aviation-based community organizations. He serves on the Governor鈥檚 Aviation Advisory Committee and is also active in progressive safety programs and innovative risk management. He served as president of Alaska Air Carriers Association (AACA), as a board member of the Medallion Foundation, and as chair of the AACA Joint Safety Committee. However, not all of Bob鈥檚 accolades are aviation-based. In 2011, the Fairbanks Hockey Hall of Fame recognized the Hajdukovich family as having the Best Backyard Rink.
Bob received his BA in business administration from the University of San Diego. Although Bob did not graduate from the UAF, two of his sons, Alec and Connor, are current students and will graduate from UAF. His eldest son, Nick, graduated from University of Alaska Southeast.
As a part of a well-respected aviation family, Bob is keenly aware of the importance of giving back to the community that means so much to him. Whether it is 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, Bob鈥檚 philanthropic contributions are an example to all who know him. 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.
Somehow, Bob juggled raising a family of three boys while running an airline that was continually growing and made it all look easy. He has the ability to conquer anything set before him. He鈥檚 mastered parenting, basketball, skiing, ping-pong, and was even the first one at Monroe High School to solve the Rubik鈥檚 Cube.
While we all know Bob is a tremendous businessman, he is also an outstanding father and husband. Bob and his beautiful wife, Leslie, enjoy spending time in the great outdoors together. Bob is truly someone who has balanced work and family well, and has gone to great lengths to spend as much time as possible with those he loves even more than aviation.
Bob Hajdukovich, a pilot, a leader, a family man, and a man of great wit, compassion, and modesty, couldn鈥檛 be a better example to SOM students and the Fairbanks community to receive the 2016 UAF Business Leader of the Year Award.