Avis Alaska Elected New Board Chair
The company has appointed Scott Habberstad as Board Chair and named Sophie Floyd to its Board of Directors.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in People
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Avis Alaska announced leadership changes on October 8, 2026, electing Scott Habberstad as Board Chair and appointing Sophie Floyd to the board. The shifts follow the company's 2025 transition to 100 percent employee ownership.
Why it matters
These board appointments are part of a governance restructuring effort to support the company's new employee-owned status. The move aligns leadership with the firm's recent transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Avis Alaska reached 100 percent employee ownership in 2025 following 70 years of operation. Sophie Floyd brings experience from her 10-year tenure as CEO of CIRI.
The players
Scott Habberstad
He is the newly elected Board Chair and the first outside director in the history of Avis Alaska.
Sophie Floyd
She is a new appointee to the Board of Directors who previously served as the CEO of CIRI for 10 years.
Avis Alaska
Headquartered in Anchorage, this company has been in operation for 70 years and recently moved to an employee-owned model.
CIRI
This organization is a regional corporation where Sophie Floyd served as CEO for a decade.
The details
Scott Habberstad, who first joined the board in 2025 as the company's first outside director, will lead the board. The organization implemented an Employee Stock Ownership Plan to shift its governance model following seven decades in business.
Timeline
Avis Alaska became 100 percent employee-owned in 2025.
Scott Habberstad joined the Board of Directors in 2025.
The board changes were announced on October 8, 2026.
Market Landscape
Avis Alaska's governance shift follows the broader corporate trend of utilizing Employee Stock Ownership Plans to transition long-standing private firms into employee-owned entities. This restructuring helps solidify the firm's independence while positioning its board for long-term ownership sustainability.
The transition to employee ownership and new board governance aims to stabilize the company's long-term operations in Alaska. Customers should not expect immediate changes to retail services or operational availability at this time.
The takeaway
Governance restructuring remains a critical step for companies moving to employee-owned models to ensure professional oversight. Future stability for such firms often depends on the successful integration of outside directors who bring diverse operational experience.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership and governance, visit the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Must Read Alaska.
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