Officer Biographies

Dave Ridley

Dave Ridley

Leadership is...
Helping people by providing a sense of direction and purpose, a selfless attitude, an encouraging word, an available ear, an open mind, a level head, an (occasional) firm hand, a little knowledge, and a whole lot of common sense.
--Dave Ridley


TITLE: Senior Vice President, Marketing and Revenue Management
JOB DESCRIPTION: Dave is responsible for Marketing and Revenue Management, which includes activities related to building and maintaining our brand reputation; creating demand for our product through pricing, advertising, and promotion; managing our inventory of seats; and maintaining distribution of our product through various channels, including southwest.com.
EXPERIENCE: Prior to joining Southwest, Dave worked as a brand manager for Anderson Clayton Foods. He also worked at ENSERCH Corporation and Univest Development Corporation in marketing and business development capacities.
LENGTH OF SERVICE AT SOUTHWEST: Started June 1988; retired unsuccessfully from February 2006 to October 2007; returned November 2007.
EDUCATION: Dave earned an M.B.A from Southern Methodist University in 1981. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin in 1975.
FIRST PAYING JOB: Mowing lawns
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: “Throwing a 102-yard interception in the 9th grade!”
PROUDEST MOMENT: "The births of my three children."
BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED: “The Golden Rule.”


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