Lauren Woods is appointed CIO of Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has confirmed the promotion of Lauren Woods from Vice President of Technology to Senior Vice President and CIO.

Since joining Southwest in 2010, Woods has led key initiatives across Southwest’s Technology Department, establishing cloud infrastructure and creating a new development and delivery platform for complex application ecosystems. 

Woods will play an important role in managing the airline’s technology investments, upgrades and system maintenance totaling approximately $1.3 billion in 2023 alone.

She is also heavily focused on the transformation of Southwest’s enterprise data platforms that drive the Company’s data science, analytics, optimization and system integrations. 

Woods assumes this role following Kathleen Merrill’s decision in September 2022 to move to an Executive Advisor in early 2023. 

“We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for the many positive ways Kathleen contributed to Southwest’s reputation as one of the most celebrated companies and we are grateful she will continue serving Southwest in her new role,” said Southwest Airlines President and CEO Bob Jordan. “Lauren’s vast experience has prepared her well for this important role, as she’s built a stellar reputation for being an innovative and transformational leader in our Technology Department and throughout the Company.”