New CFO announced as part of Southwest Airlines’ transformational plan

Southwest Airlines Co. announced Tuesday that Tom Doxey has been named executive vice president & chief financial officer effective March 10, bringing extensive experience in aviation finance, operations, and strategic transformation.

"Tom's expertise in financial planning, fleet management, and operational leadership makes him a tremendous asset to our executive team as we drive progress on our transformational plan," said Bob Jordan, president, chief executive officer, & vice chairman of the Board of Directors at Southwest Airlines. "We are confident that his experience in strategic transformation will be an asset as he builds upon our financial strength, operational excellence, and our deep commitment to our employees, the investment community, and our shareholders."

According to a CNBC article, the airline was facing pressure from activist Elliott Investment Management pushing for leadership changes at the company.

Last month, Southwest Airlines announced two of the company’s longtime executive officers have made plans to retire. Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Tammy Romo and Chief Administration Officer Linda Rutherford will retire from their positions effective April 1.

Doxey Experience

Doxey most recently served as President of Breeze Airways, where he led the airline through a successful transformation from a startup to profitability in under two years. Under his leadership, Breeze developed a strong guest-focused brand, launched a loyalty program and co-branded credit card, optimized its fleet and network, and became the country's largest NCAA basketball charter operator.

Before Breeze, Doxey held several leadership roles at United Airlines, including Senior Vice President of Technical Operations and CFO of Operations. At United, he oversaw global maintenance, supply chain, and engineering teams, managed a $5 billion budget, and led strategic initiatives, including a complex aircraft storage program during the global pandemic. He also led United's fleet transactions and planning teams and had financial oversight for United's $18 billion operations budget.

Doxey's aviation career began in financial planning and fleet management roles at Allegiant Air and US Airways, where he gained deep expertise in aircraft transactions, cost optimization, and corporate finance.