Aviation
10 Southwest Airlines executives
These ten current and former Southwest Airlines executives have held chief officer, president, executive vice president and senior vice president roles at the airline. A reader can learn how Southwest's leaders approach decisions in finance, operations, commercial strategy, customer experience, people and legal affairs.
Professionals to explore
01—10Andrew Watterson
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Officer · Southwest Airlines
Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines since October 2022; his profile describes the role as responsible for overall safety and the operation of the airline. At Southwest he was also Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (2020–2022), EVP and Chief Revenue Officer (2017–2019) and SVP Network and Revenue (2016).
Elizabeth Bryant
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer · Southwest Airlines
Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer at Southwest Airlines since February 2022. Her profile says she oversees all Human Resources functions, including total rewards, talent development, workforce planning and operational training, and serves as a thought partner to the Executive Team and Board of Directors. At Southwest she was also Vice President, Southwest Airlines University (2012–2022).
Jeff Novota
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary · Southwest Airlines
Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at Southwest Airlines since March 2025. At the airline he was also Vice President General Counsel & Corporate Secretary (2024–2025), Vice President Legal, Corporate & Transactions (2023–2024), Associate General Counsel - Corporate & Transactions (2021–2023) and Assistant General Counsel - Corporate & Transactions (2019–2021).
Justin Jones
LinkedInExperience: Chief Commercial Officer · Southwest Airlines
Chief Commercial Officer of Southwest Airlines since May 2026. At the airline he was also Executive Vice President of Operations (2023–2026), Senior Vice President Operational Strategy & Design (2021–2023) and Vice President Tech Ops Planning and Performance (2018–2021), and his profile says he has spent over 20 years at Southwest.
Michael Van de Ven
LinkedInExperience: President and Chief Operating Officer · Southwest Airlines
Former President and Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines (2021–2022). At the airline he was also President (2022–2023), Chief Operating Officer (2008–2021) and EVP-Chief of Operations (2005–2008), and he has been an Executive Advisor there since 2023. His profile describes 30 years in financial, operational and executive leadership roles supporting Southwest.
Ryan Green
LinkedInExperience: Executive Vice President & Chief Transformation Officer · Southwest Airlines
Former Executive Vice President & Chief Transformation Officer at Southwest Airlines (2024–2025) and former Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer there (2022–2024). He has been an Executive Advisor at Southwest and Founder & Principal of GreenPoint Advisory since 2025. His profile describes developing and executing multibillion-dollar initiatives in customer experience, revenue-generating products and brand loyalty.
Sabrina Callahan
LinkedInExperience: SVP, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer · Southwest Airlines
SVP, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer at Southwest Airlines since February 2026. Her profile also lists Head of Digital at AT&T (2025–2026), Vice President, Digital Customer Growth at AT&T (2024–2025), Vice President Ecommerce at Sam's Club (2022–2024) and Sr. Director, Brand and Social Marketing at Sam's Club (2020–2022).
Tom Doxey
LinkedInExperience: Chief Financial Officer · Southwest Airlines
Chief Financial Officer of Southwest Airlines since March 2025. His profile also lists President of Breeze Airways (2022–2024), Senior Advisor at Breeze Airways (2024), Board Observer at SAS - Scandinavian Airlines (2024–2025) and Senior Vice President, Technical Operations at United Airlines (2019–2022).
Tom Nealon
LinkedInExperience: President · Southwest Airlines
Former President of Southwest Airlines (2017–2021) and former Executive Vice President Strategy & Innovation there (2016–2017). He has been President Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures (SARV) since 2024 and CEO of SAFFiRE Renewables since 2024, and his profile says his Executive Advisor work at Southwest focuses on the airline's environmental sustainability and carbon emissions reduction plan. He was also Group Executive Vice President at JCPenney (2006–2010).
Tony Roach
LinkedInExperience: EVP, Chief Customer & Brand Officer · Southwest Airlines
EVP, Chief Customer & Brand Officer at Southwest Airlines since March 2025; his profile says he is responsible for marketing, digital, product, loyalty, customer care, communications, people (HR) and talent strategy. At the airline he was also SVP & Chief Customer Officer (2023–2025) and Senior Vice President, Marketing & Customer Experience (2023).
Choose the right perspective
Match the executive's function to your question, since finance, operations, commercial and customer leaders see different parts of an airline's decisions. Check whether the relevant role is current or former, and when it was held, before asking about recent strategy or results.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How does an airline decide which fleet, network and schedule changes to prioritize when cost and reliability pull in different directions?
- 02What does it take to change an airline's product or loyalty program without disrupting airport and onboard operations?
- 03How do an airline's finance, commercial and operations leaders agree on which technology investments to fund first?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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