DALLAS, TX – Southwest Airlines Co today announced that Reid Grandle, Senior Director in the Corporate Strategy Department, has been promoted to Vice President Corporate Strategy, succeeding Mike Delehant, who recently left Southwest Airlines to pursue a role with a European airline.
Since joining SWA in 2002, Delehant has served the airline in a number of leadership positions in Strategic Planning and Technology. Prior to joining Southwest, he was a principal consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas.
Grandle joined Southwest in 2014 in the Financial Planning & Analysis Department. In his leadership role in Corporate Strategy, he will be responsible for Southwest’s Innovation, Data Science, and Continuous Improvement functions, as well as play a key role in the implementation of the Company’s long-term strategic plan to help Southwest achieve its vision of being the World’s Most Loved, Most Flown and Most Profitable airline. He will report to Southwest’s Executive Vice President Strategy & Innovation Tom Nealon. To view Grandle’s Biography and Photo, click here.
“Reid will help shepherd the organization and be laser focused on our priorities and sequence of investments that support our Vision to be the World’s Most Loved, Most Flown, and Most Profitable airline,” Nealon said. “Our corporate strategy is our roadmap to ensure our Low Fare Brand is strong and the organization is aligned to provide an innovative travel experience at the lowest cost—all with the best People and an unmatched Culture.”
Grandle is originally from Little Rock, Ark. He began his career with Oliver Wyman as a Consultant. Prior to joining Southwest, he was Principal in Oliver Wyman’s aviation practice, advising companies on strategic, commercial, and operational issues. Grandle received his undergraduate degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is married and has two daughters.
