Southwest Airlines Nominates Lisa Atherton for Board of Directors

(IN SHORT) Southwest Airlines Co. has announced that Lisa Atherton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bell, a Textron Inc. company, is a candidate to join its Board of Directors. Atherton’s nomination, along with other Board nominees, will be voted on at the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for May 15, 2024. Lisa Atherton brings extensive leadership experience and a strong background in aviation, government requirements, regulations, and budgeting, having served in various executive roles within Textron and Bell. Her diverse expertise and service to the country in the Air Force are expected to add valuable perspectives to Southwest Airlines’ Board of Directors. Southwest’s Board is committed to diversity in terms of experience, industry, geography, gender, ethnicity, and race, with approximately 30 percent of the Board being ethnically and/or gender diverse. The nomination of Lisa Atherton aims to further enhance this diversity and bring a wealth of aviation knowledge to the Board.

(PRESS RELEASE) Dallas, TX, 2023-Dec-11— /Travel PR News/ — The Board of Directors of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) has named Lisa Atherton as a candidate to join the Board. Atherton, along with other Board nominees, will be on the ballot at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 15, 2024.

Atherton is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bell, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and a member of Textron’s Executive Leadership Team. She oversees a multibillion-dollar business that provides innovative products for defense and commercial customers across the globe.

Prior to assuming her role as President and Chief Executive Officer, Atherton served as the Chief Operating Officer of Bell. In 2017, she was named the President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems, providing innovative solutions to the defense, aerospace, and general aviation markets.

“Lisa’s broad range of Leadership experience, along with her service to our country in the Air Force, will be a tremendous benefit to our Board,” said Gary Kelly, Executive Chairman of the Board for Southwest Airlines. “Her vast knowledge of aviation, government requirements, regulations, and budgeting, combined with her expertise leading highly complex programs and strategic initiatives, will be valuable as we continue to add diversity of thought and experience to our talented Board. We’re looking forward to working with her.”

During her time at Bell, she has served the role of executive vice president, Military Business and vice president, Global Military Development. She also held several positions within Bell’s Military Programs division, including V-22 program manager and director of Military Programs. Prior to joining Bell, Atherton was the vice president of Area Attack at Textron Systems, where she also served as the vice president of Business Development.

Before her career with Textron, Atherton spent eight years as Air Combat Command’s Directorate of Requirements, helping to shape the budget and operational requirements and needs for the Combat Air Forces and was a contracting officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Atherton earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Mason School of Business at The College of William and Mary and a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from the U.S. Air Force Academy. She is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and also has completed Textron’s Senior Executive Leadership Programs at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, as well as Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Southwest Airlines Co. Board of Directors is made up of diverse professionals with a range of leadership experience, including technology, innovation, business, and education. The Board strives for diversity in line with Southwest’s DEI Commitment in the broadest sense: experience, industry, geography, gender, ethnicity, and race, with the goals of obtaining diverse perspectives and promoting constructive debate. Approximately 30 percent of the Board is ethnically and/or gender diverse. The Board also has invested in a corporate-level membership in the National Association of Corporate Directors—an organization of directors from public, private, and nonprofit organizations who are committed to the highest standard of excellence in board leadership, director development, best practices, and serving as strategic assets for their organizations. To learn more about the Southwest Airlines’ Board of Directors, visit this link.

Media Contacts:

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Source: Southwest Airlines

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