Southwest Airlines recently announced Jon Stephens has been promoted from managing director fleet management to vice president fleet management and provides strategic direction and oversight of the management of the Southwest Airlines fleet plan. In this role, he is responsible for leading Southwest Airlines’ aircraft and engine fleet strategy and executing all fleet related transactions.
Stephens began his aviation career at Southwest in 1999 in Finance. He spent the first half of his career in Financial Planning & Analysis in various Leadership roles supporting many departments throughout the Company, serving as Financial Controller supporting the Tech Ops organization until 2012. In 2012, He moved to Tech Ops to lead the Fleet Transactions Team. Since then, his roles have included director fleet transactions, senior director fleet management and managing director fleet management. Prior to Southwest, he held various positions in Leadership and operations with Union Pacific Railroad.
He has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife Kristin reside in Waxahachie, Texas, and have two children, a son Evan and daughter Makayla.
Stephens says he prides himself on cultivating a collaborative team environment built on trust that is passionate about winning together.