Southwest Airlines Co. today announced two Leadership promotions within the Company’s ranks.
Brendan Conlon is promoted from Senior Director Labor Relations to Vice President Crew Scheduling, effective immediately.
In this newly created role, Conlon will be responsible for developing and executing the daily Crew Scheduling operations and building plans for the future.
In addition, Conlon will work closely with cross-departmental Teams within Inflight, Flight Ops, Network Operations Control, and others.
Conlon joined Southwest in July 1986 as a Ramp Agent after emigrating from Ireland in June of that year.
He has held several positions in Flight Operations Crew Scheduling before joining the Systems Department in 2000.
In June 2006, he became the Director of Crew Planning, Scheduling, & Automation, where he was responsible for Inflight Crew Planning, Scheduling, Audit/Payroll, Automation, Inflight contract negotiations, and administration for Flight Attendants.
Conlon holds a Foundational Certificate in Accounting from Athlone Regional Technical College in Ireland.
Cole McGuire was recently promoted from Senior Director Performance & Projects to Vice President Ground Operations Support.
In this new role, McGuire will oversee Ground Operations support functions that ensure the department has the staffing, tools, products, and equipment necessary for a safe and reliable operation.
He started his Southwest career in 2007 and has held positions in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and Operational Strategy & Performance.
While in FP&A, McGuire was responsible for managing budgets across multiple departments, which included understanding the workforce and factors that drive productivity.
His experience across the operation, finance, and commercial areas of the business will help ensure that the network design meets the Company’s operational objectives.
McGuire holds a B.S and M.S. of Accounting & Information Systems at The University of Texas at Dallas.
“As we continue to modernize our operation to execute safely and with excellence, we also continue to invest in our Leadership Team to ensure our processes, capabilities, and tools are keeping up with the needs of our Employees, our operation, and our Customers,” said Southwest’s CEO Bob Jordan.
“Both Brendan and Cole bring strong Leadership experience to help move us forward, and we are so fortunate to have such a deep and talented Leadership Team to lead the charge.”
