It would be hard to imagine Southwest Airlines now without the influence of Bob Jordan. He arrived as a 27-year-old computer programmer with little management ambition, but he has gone on to hold fifteen titles with the airline that has changed as much as Jordan has over the years.
When Jordan joined the company in 1988, Southwest was a scrappy underdog of an airline made resilient by several close calls with annihilation. Since then, its fleet and its workforce have grown nearly eight-and-a-half times. During these years, the numerous titles Jordan has held include corporate controller, vice president of technology, and chief commercial officer. In February 2022, the 61-year-old Jordan added another: Chief Executive Officer.