DALLAS, March 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced recent Leadership updates across the Company. These changes are effective immediately and represent a continuation of the organizational structure work at Southwest Airlines® that began in September 2022 and has continued into 2024.
Technology
- Carrie Mills has been promoted from Vice President Technology, Cybersecurity to Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer—Cybersecurity.
As Chief Information Security Officer, Mills will be responsible for all aspects of cybersecurity across Southwest’s® facilities, airports, and aircraft, comprising security engineering, security operations, incident response, threat intelligence, risk and compliance, and vulnerability management. She will continue leading the Cybersecurity Team, where she is responsible for the daily operation of the Cybersecurity function and lead our top Cybersecurity initiatives, including Privileged Access Management, Technology Data Privacy, expansion of Multi-Factor Authentication, Vulnerability Management, and Incident Response and Recovery.
Mills joined Southwest in 2017 as the Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence and Response. Her Leadership and guidance have driven Team wins across numerous efforts to improve Southwest’s Cybersecurity posture. Key initiatives include the buildout of an around-the-clock Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) capabilities; enhancing the Cybersecurity incident response processes and procedures; the original implementation of Shape Security to combat Customer account takeover attacks; the rollout of improved technologies to aid in vulnerability management and reporting; the deployment of an enterprise-wide Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platform; and the development of a Cybersecurity Aviation Team to help meet the requirements of many Federal Agencies, and leading a project to implement an Integrated Risk Management platform. Mills’ Cybersecurity domain expertise and Leadership talents have been invaluable in growing Southwest’s Cybersecurity capabilities. Mills earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems from the University of Oklahoma, and she’s a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with a long-standing passion for Cybersecurity.
- With Mill’s shift in responsibility. Jim Dayton’s role has changed from Vice President & CISO Technology—Platforms & Architecture to Vice President Technology—Platforms & Architecture.
In this role, Dayton will be responsible for building out modern foundational data and technology platforms used and leveraged by Development Teams. The Team’s work includes Cloud and DevOps development platforms as well as all enterprise data platforms comprising analytics, optimization, integration, data lake, and data warehouse. Dayton also leads the Technology Architecture function, responsible for the overall technical design of Southwest’s systems to ensure the resiliency, security, and effectiveness of the Company’s technology solutions.
Before this transition, Dayton led cybersecurity as Vice President and CISO, overseeing all aspects of cybersecurity across Southwest Airlines’ facilities, airports, and aircraft, including security engineering, operations, incident response, threat intelligence, risk management, compliance, and vulnerability management. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Technology–Operations Portfolio, supporting Southwest’s complex operating systems such as Flight Operations, Inflight Operations, Network Operations Control (NOC), Safety & Security, and Technical Operations Departments. He collaborated closely with these Teams to ensure the successful delivery of new technologies that redefined necessary capabilities for Southwest’s critical operating systems. Since joining Southwest in 2012, Dayton has served as a Leader in multiple areas of Technology including Operations Recovery, Network Planning, and Revenue Management, and was the Technology Delivery Leader for Southwest’s multi-year Reservation System implementation. Before Southwest Airlines, Dayton worked as a Director of Consulting at several companies, including PeopleSoft, i2 Technologies, and Oracle. He previously worked at Capital One Auto Finance as Director of Loan Servicing Systems.
“The biggest thing that makes us ‘us’ is our People, and the unique and unrivaled Hospitality they deliver,” Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines President & Chief Executive Officer said. “No one has a Heart of service like the People of Southwest Airlines, and we’re proud to not only individually recognize our amazing folks, but continue to enhance our organizational structure, making sure can deliver our very best selves to the People of Southwest and our Customers.”
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world’s most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its nearly 75,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 137 million Customers carried in 2023. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3 of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a three-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet.
- Based on U.S. Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination Survey since Q1 2021
- Fulltime-equivalent active Employees
- 1973-2019 annual profitability
SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.
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