By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Delta Air Lines' shuffle at the top continued Friday, with the beleaguered carrier hiring an industry executive to take over as chief financial officer while another key member of the former leadership team retired.

Michael J. Palumbo, 57, former executive vice president and chief financial officer with Trans World Airlines and now a New York-based airline consultant, takes over today.

He replaces the departing Michele Burns, who is leaving to take a similar position with an Atlanta-based energy company.

"Mike worked with me at Western (Airlines), and we know each other well," said Delta chief executive officer Gerald Grinstein in a statement. "He had the experience and the skill to help guide Delta financially through our current difficulties and put us in position to regain profitability."

Delta lost $383 million in the first quarter, and has lost more than $3 billion in the last three years. In addition to working for TWA, which has now completely merged with American Airlines, Palumbo worked for Pan Am and was vice president and treasurer for Western Airlines during Grinstein's tenure as CEO there.

Also on Friday, Robert L. Coleman, Delta's vice president for human relations, announced his retirement.

Coleman, 59, was considered the architect of the company's post-Sept. 11 job-reduction plan that relied heavily on voluntary leaves and retirements, thereby reducing the amount of layoffs.

That's the fifth such departure this year, following Burns' abrupt departure last month.

She joins former CEO and chairman Leo Mullin, former president and chief operating officer Fred Reid and Tom Slocum, the company's vice president for communications in leaving the company. Delta also has lost its top labor negotiator this year.

E-mail jpilcher@enquirer.com