James Ashworth

Vice President Customer Support & Services

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As Vice President at Southwest Airlines, James Ashworth leads the Customer Engagement (CE) and Customer Support and Services (CS&S) Departments, aligning all Customer support efforts and working closely alongside Customer-focused departments like (Customer Experience & Digital, Marketing, Innovation, and Travel Products) who collectively serve, attract, and build future products for Southwest Customers. James is responsible for leading efforts to develop and implement strategies that ensure innovative technologies are introduced, improve service quality, and align Customer satisfaction initiatives so Southwest Customers and Employees continue to feel welcomed and cared for.

James is a 30-year industry veteran, starting his career in the airline business with Ogden Aviation Services as an Appearance Technician. James joined ValuJet as a Reservations Agent in 1994, and when ValuJet became AirTran in 1997, James continued to grow with the company. He was promoted to several leadership positions at AirTran and was the General Manager of the Atlanta Reservations Call Center before joining Southwest as Sr. Manager Center Operations in 2012. During the merger of AirTran and Southwest Airlines, James played an integral part in the consolidation of AirTran Contact Centers and Southwest Call Centers. James later spearheaded the Salesforce Customer 360 project at Southwest and led the effort to convert the eight brick and mortar Contact Centers into a Remote Workforce for over 3,000 Employees in 2020.

James is a long-time advocate for the visually impaired. He is dedicated to supporting individuals and their families impacted by vision loss in various aspects of their life, including education, employment, and daily living skills. James is a donor and advocate for the Foundation for Fighting Blindness and served as a Board Member for the Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI). James served as a Georgia State Rehabilitation Council member supporting Georgians with disabilities. James is the Executive Sponsor for Southwest's ABLE Employee Resource Group and a member of the Black Excellence Advancing Together (BEAT) Employee Resource Group.

James is an Atlanta Falcons fan, but when he isn't watching football in his downtime, he can be found playing his favorite songs on his guitar. James and his wife Precious have been married for over 20 years and are the proud parents of two children, Jay and Skylar.