CC 33 | James Sarvis: a 50yr Legacy of Leadership, Loyalty & Impact

A few months back, I was grabbing dinner with my friend Mark Fogel, and in the middle of our conversation about this very podcast, he leaned in and said, “You have to interview James Sarvis.”

So I did.

James is the kind of person who’s built a career of commitment. He started at Delta Air Lines over 50 years ago — yes, five-zero — starting at the very bottom: cleaning bathrooms. Today, he’s the VP of Global Cleanliness. But his story goes way beyond job titles.

Over the years, James has held just about every position short of flying the plane: from leading airport customer service across 220 airports, to overseeing 24,000 flight attendants, to helping shape Delta’s global partnerships. He's been through wars, recessions, a pandemic, mergers, even a hostile takeover attempt — and through it all, he’s stayed grounded by one thing: a deep sense of purpose and loyalty.

We talked about legacy, leadership, mentorship, being an 18-year-old college dropout, surviving a plane crash with his family, and why — even after five decades — he’s still not done.

You can find James Sarvis at:  

• LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-sarvis-7183592/
• Email: james.a.sarvis@delta.com

Our interview was recorded live at Delta Air Lines global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia: www.delta.com

Special thanks to Whitney Li for her production assistance!

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About Bruce Smith: Over the past 40 years, I’ve covered a lot of ground in my career: white collar, blue collar, college drop-out, college graduate, practicing CPA, multiple business owner, elected official, recruiter and career consultant. Each chapter has equipped me to better help others navigate their career decisions and has fueled my passion to help people find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in the work they do.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucewsmith/
You can email at: bwsmith126@gmail.com