Herb Kelleher - Definition and Overview

Herb Kelleher (born March 12, 1931) is the co-founder, former CEO, and president of the low-cost airline, Southwest Airlines (based in the United States).

Kelleher was born and raised in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. He has a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and has a law degree from New York University. He is married to the former Joan Negley and both of them had four children. The Kellehers moved to Texas intending to start a law firm or a business.

Herb Kelleher and fellow Texas businessman Rollin King came together with the concept of a airline which offers low fares to airplane passengers but eliminates all unnecessary services. In 1971 they established Southwest Airlines.

During his tenure as CEO of Southwest Airlines, Kelleher's "everyman" personality created a corporate atmosphere which made Southwest Airlines employees generally well-known for their friendliness towards customers and made Southwest Airlines the fourth-largest U.S. airline.

External links

• PBS - Chasing the Sun - Herb Kelleher (http://www.pbs.org/kcet/chasingthesun/innovators/hkelleher.html)
• Business Week - Herb Kelleher on the Record (http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2003/nf20031222_1926_db062.htm)
• Forbes - Southwest Airlines: Profit for peanuts (http://www.forbes.com/global/2001/0108/119.html)

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