SEATTLE, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines announced today that Navin Mithel has joined the company as managing director of customer relationship management. In this position, he will lead the airline's interactive marketing programs, including online marketing, e-mail, targeted campaigns and its award-winning Web site (alaskaair.com).

Mithel comes to Alaska Airlines with 19 years of experience in business intelligence, customer relationship management and interactive marketing. Most recently, he was a managing partner at Ascentium Corp., a Bellevue, Wash.-based interactive marketing firm. Mithel also spent 12 years with Lante Corp., where he served as a software developer, founder and manager of the company's New York office and principal of its Seattle office.

'Navin is a proven leader in helping companies build unique and profitable relationships with their customers,' said Steve Jarvis, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience. 'We are very pleased to have someone with his talent and experience join our team.'

Mithel holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C., and a master's in business administration from the University of Washington.