Herb Kelleher Biography

Herb Kelleher is a Founder of Southwest Airlines Co. and currently serves as its Executive Chairman, a position he has held since March 1978.  From September 1981 through June 2001, Kelleher also served as president and CEO of Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines began service with three airplanes in 1971 and today operates a fleet of 375 airplanes performing almost 2,800 flights per day.  Southwest has been profitable for 30 consecutive years and has never furloughed an employee. The Fall 2002 edition of Money magazine revealed that, during the 30-year period 1972-2002, Southwest produced the highest return to shareholders of any company included in the S&P 500 during that 30-year period:  $10,000 invested in Southwest in 1972 was worth $10,200,000 in 2002 (an average increase of 25.99% per year). In Fortune magazine’s annual surveys, Southwest has consistently been selected as the most admired airline in the world and as one of the ten most admired companies in the United States.

Considered to be among the most influential CEO's of our time and mentioned along with industry pioneers such as Jack Welch, Michael Ovitz, Fred Smith, William Paley, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Lou Gerstner.

Herb Kelleher has received numerous awards and honors, including membership in the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Business Leadership Hall of Fame; CEO of the Year, Chief Executive magazine; CEO of the Century, Texas Monthly magazine; membership in the National Sales and Marketing Hall of Fame; U. S. Master Entrepreneur, INC. magazine; CEO of the Decade-Airline Industry, Financial World magazine; Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy; Bower Award for Business Leadership, Franklin Institute; Smithsonian Aero Club Trophy; Tony Jannus Award; Wings Club Distinguished Achievement Award; San Diego Aerospace Hall of Fame; and the Business Halls of Fame of the State of Texas, the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and the City of Dallas. Kelleher graduated with honors from Wesleyan University, where he was an Olin Scholar and majored in English with a minor in Philosophy. He also graduated with a law degree from NYU Law School where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar.

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