Southwest Airlines Announces Speaker Lineup For Fourth Annual Award-Winning Diversity Summit On August 1

DALLAS, July 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) today announces its speaker lineup for the carrier's fourth annual, award-winning Diversity Summit to be held on August 1 in Dallas at the Company's headquarters. Themed "Reframe the Dialogue," the Summit will gather corporate executives, HR professionals, and community leaders to join the conversation about how a strong spirit of diversity and inclusion can impact the performance of a company, foster innovation, and bring a community together.

"Southwest is excited to celebrate diversity and host our fourth annual Diversity Summit to promote the importance of engaging in conversations about best practices in valuing and respecting each other in the workplace," said Ellen Torbert, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.  "At Southwest, diversity is more than a word—it's the fabric within our Culture—from the first click on southwest.com to our Employees greeting and serving Customers at the airport and onboard our flights, our multi-faceted workforce is our greatest asset."

Attendees will hear from Diversity Thought Leaders such as Ernst & Young's recently retired CEO James Turley, The Coca-Cola Company's Chief Diversity Officer Steve Bucherati, and Voto Latino's President and CEO Maria Teresa Kumar on topics ranging from advancing women and changing their lives to discussing the new rising majority's effect on America's businesses.  Additionally, Southwest Airlines' President Emeritus Colleen Barrett will join a panel with Vice President Diversity and Inclusion Ellen Torbert, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Bob Jordan, and Senior Vice President Customer Services Teresa Laraba to discuss how Southwest is reframing the dialogue on diversity and inclusion and why it's always been the airline's recipe for success. To see a complete lineup of speakers and learn more about this year's Diversity Summit, visit the NUTS About Southwest blog.

The Southwest Airlines Diversity Summit was created and is hosted by the airline's Diversity Council. Formed in 2007, the Council is comprised of Southwest Employees from all walks of life who have stepped forward to volunteer their time to champion the best of diversity leadership and embrace the spirit of inclusion in all departments. If you are interested in attending the award-winning Summit, please register here as soon as possible; seating is limited.

About Southwest Airlines Co.

In its 42nd year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 46,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually.  Southwest is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, and including wholly-owned subsidiary, AirTran Airways, operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 97 destinations in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and six near-international countries. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the planet.  The 2012 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at southwest.com/citizenship.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines