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.