As I predicted back in August, Jim Whitehurst has reemerged at the helm of a company. Starting January 1st, 2008, Mr. Whitehurst will begin his new role as President and CEO of Red Hat, an open-source software company. I’ve heard many people comment on the airline industry’s difficulty in attracting and/or retaining top talent among the management ranks; this would seem to bolster their point. Gordon Bethune used to say that the sickest patients need the best doctors. It will be interesting to see what medicine Mr. Whitehurst has for Red Hat and how that company’s performance compares to that of Delta’s. Vastly different companies, to be sure, but I don’t think the impact a CEO can have on a company can be overstated.