Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> May 1, 1998

Herbert D. Kelleher – Southwest Airlines (luv)

HERBERT D. KELLEHER is a Founder and Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Airlines Co., our nation's fifth largest air carrier in terms of domestic passengers boarded. For the accomplishments of Southwest's people in the airline industry, Mr. Kelleher, on their behalf, has received: the Tony Jannus Award; selection as 1993 CEO of the Year for the U.S. Transportation Industry, Financial World; selection as the Gold Award Winner, Best CEO of a Major Airline (1993 and 1992), Wall Street Transcript; Selection as 1992 Laureate, Airline Industry, Aviation Week & Space Technology; selection as CEO of the Year for the Airline Industry (twice), Financial World; Person of the Year 1992, Travel Agent Magazine; The Outstanding Financial Performance by an Airline, Aviation Week & Space Technology (twice); World Airline of the Year 1991, Air Transport World; Best Manager, Business Week; U.S. Master Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine; Texas Business Hall of Fame; University of Texas College of Business Hall of Fame; Kupfer Distinguished Executive Award, College of Business, Texas A&M University; Best Managed Airline, Airline Executive; One of the Three Best CEO's of the 1980s Decade, Airline Industry, Financial World; Best Financial Management, Air Transport World; Airline Industry Service Award, Air Transport World; Best Chief Executive Officer, Regional Airline, Wall Street Transcript (numerous times). Mr. Kelleher is a graduate, with honors, from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he was an Olin Scholar, and he received his law degree, with honors, from New York University, where he was a Root- Tilden Scholar. Profile
TWST: Give us a brief synopsis of Southwest Airlines and then, if you

could, summarize what you see as the challenges and opportunities for

Southwest Airlines today.

Mr. Kelleher: Southwest,