US carrier Southwest Airlines has announced the appointment of Bob Jordan as its new CEO.
He will take over from the company’s current CEO and chair Gary Kelly in February 2022, when Kelly will become the carrier’s executive chair.
Jordan is currently Southwest’s executive vice president corporate services. He joined the company in 1988 and has held a number of senior roles, including corporate controller and chief commercial officer. He previously worked for Hewlett-Packard as a programmer and financial analyst.
William Cunningham, Southwest’s lead director on the board, said in a statement: “The airline has a strong leadership team, and the board has always taken seriously its role to oversee a strong succession plan for the top leadership roles. Gary has been an outstanding CEO for Southwest for nearly two decades and has developed an excellent group of senior leaders to shepherd the airline into its next 50 years.
“Bob inherits a solid strategy and great momentum to continue the airline’s recovery as the Covid pandemic wanes. Bob has the board’s full support.”