DALLAS – Southwest Airlines has named Rakesh Gangwal as the independent chair of the board of directors.
Gangwal, an airline executive and entrepreneur, has been a member of the Southwest Airlines board of directors since July 8.
Previously, he served on the boards of US Airways Group, CarMax, Office Depot, OfficeMax and PetSmart.
“We are embarking on the next era of change at Southwest as we build upon its many successes and storied past,” Gangwal said. “Our critical priority as a newly constituted Board is to come together to work closely with Bob Jordan and the rest of the management team to return the carrier to superior financial performance.”
On Oct. 24 , the Dallas-based company announced the six new members of the board, the same day it announced former Executive Chairman Gary Kelly was accelerating his retirement, which went into effect on Nov. 1.
The new directors include David Cush, Sarah Feinberg, Dave Grissen, Gregg Saretsky, Patricia Watson and Pierre Breber. Their appointments also went into effect on Nov. 1.