Southwest Airlines has announced on Monday that its chief operating officer, Mike Van de Ven, will be stepping down.
The airline said that Van de Ven will step down as COO at the end of the month after serving in the position for about 14 years. He is giving up his position as president at the end of the year, at which time Southwest's CEO, Bob Jordan, will take over.
Jordan said in a statement that he wanted to thank Mike for the nearly three decades of leadership and his unwavering commitment to the cause that is Southwest Airlines. Without his countless contributions, we would not be where we are today. Andrew Watterson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, will replace Van de Ven, who joined the company in 1993, as COO, effective Oct. 1. Van de Ven will serve as an executive adviser starting in 2023, the airline said.
There are two leadership changes at Southwest at the beginning of October.
Southwest announced that Ryan Green, who is currently a senior vice president and chief marketing officer at the airline, will become an executive vice president and chief commercial officer. Linda Rutherford will be promoted to chief administration and communications officer.
Jordan, who became CEO in February, congratulated Watterson, Green and Rutherford on their promotions, saying in the statement that the company is in good hands with their expertise, Leadership, and LUV for our People. Southwest Airlines reported $6.7 billion in second quarter operating revenues in late July, compared to $4 billion in the same period the year prior. It posted $825 million in quarterly net income excluding special items. The third quarter earnings for 2022 are expected to be released on October 27th.