The company said this departure is separate from the 11 other senior level positions that were laid off this month.
DALLAS — The restructuring at Southwest Airlines continues as the company’s Chief Transformation Officer announced he would be stepping down from his role this week.
Ryan Green, also an executive vice president at the airline, informed the company on Tuesday, according to a regulatory filing. His departure will take effect on April 1.
Southwest emphasized that Green’s resignation is unrelated to the 11 senior-level positions that were eliminated earlier this week as part of the company’s ongoing restructuring efforts.
Green’s exit comes amid a wave of layoffs that marks the first major downsizing in Southwest’s history. As Chief Transformation Officer, Green was responsible for overseeing the smooth execution of key initiatives across the company, according to his profile on Southwest’s website.
His role involved leading significant changes, including the transition to assigned seating, a major departure from the airline’s traditional open seating policy.
Green’s departure adds to the series of changes at the Dallas-based airline.
On Monday, Southwest announced it would be laying off 1,750 employees at its Dallas headquarters, which represents about 15% of its corporate workforce. These layoffs include the elimination of 11 senior leadership roles as part of a broader restructuring plan.
This announcement comes amid a wave of shifts within the company. Southwest is undergoing a board overhaul and implementing aggressive cost-reduction measures. Recently, the airline also revealed significant changes to its service offerings, such as discontinuing open seating and adding redeye flights.
In a follow-up statement, Southwest said the layoffs, which are primarily focused on corporate and leadership roles, are part of its strategy to “boost revenues” and minimize costs. The layoffs will not take effect until late April, and until then, affected employees will continue to receive their salaries, benefits, and any applicable bonuses, although they will not be working.
According to Southwest, the move is expected to save the company approximately $300 million annually moving forward.
