Bus520 Assign#3. Please refer to description

Biography of Mr. Gary C. Kelly CEO of Southwest Airlines

Cheryl Smith-Crosby

Dr. Aaron Bacon

BUS520 Leadership

May 25, 2017

I have decided to write my paper on Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines.

Mr. Gary C. Kelly has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest

Airlines Co., an affiliate of AirTran Airways, Inc. since May 2005 and July 15, 2004

respectively. Mr. Kelly served as an Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of

Southwest Airlines Co., from 2001 to 2004, Vice President of Finance from 1989 to 2001 and

Chief Financial Officer from 1989 to 2004. He served as the President of Southwest Airlines

Co., an affiliate of AirTran Airways, Inc. from July 15, 2008 to January 2017. He also served as

Principal Accounting Officer of Southwest Airlines Co. He joined Southwest Airlines Co., in

1986 as its Controller. Prior to working at Southwest, he served as an Audit Manager of Arthur

Young & Company in Dallas and Controller of Systems Center Inc.

He now serves as Vice Chairman of Air Transport Association of America. Mr. Kelly

served as a Vice Chairman of the Board of Southwest Airlines Co., from July 15, 2004 to May

2008. He has been an Independent Director at Lincoln National Corporation since November 4,

2009, AirTran Holdings Inc. since May 2, 2011 and Southwest Airlines Co. since 2004. He

served as a Director of Jefferson-pilot Corp., since May 2005. He is a Member of Advisory

Council of Red Mccombs School of Business. He serves on the University of Texas at Austin

Business School Dean's Advisory Council and Accounting Department Advisory Council. He is

a Member of Financial Executives Institute and Texas Society for CPA. He has been honored as

one of the Best Chief Executive Officers in America, Institutional Investor Magazine; One of the

Best CFO's in America, Institutional Investor Magazine; and one of Business Travel News 25

Most Influential Executives 2004. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Kelly received a

BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.