Gordon M. Bethune is a retired US airline executive, widely recognized for his leadership as CEO of Continental Airlines from 1994 until his retirement at the end of 2004. He joined Continental as COO and president in 1994, taking on the CEO role later that year and becoming chairman of the board of directors in 1996. Under his guidance, Continental Airlines, which had faced bankruptcy twice, underwent a significant turnaround, with its stock price rising from $2 to over $50 per share.