Jonathan Clarkson

Vice President Marketing

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Jonathan serves as Vice President Marketing at Southwest Airlines, with a focus on ensuring that Southwest Wins More Customers and Grows More Revenue. Jonathan and his Teams are responsible for all marketing initiatives at Southwest, including shopping and Passenger goals that meet the airline's overall revenue plan; Brand, media, and go-to-market functions; general management of the Southwest Rapid Rewards™ program; the Chase Visa co-brand Credit Card portfolio; other partnerships and sponsorships; fare and ancillary products, including Early Bird Check-In® and Upgraded Boarding; and Business Performance Analytics & Data Science.

Jonathan is a member of the Southwest Airlines Senior Management Committee and is a popular member of the speaking circuit, appearing at venues like SXSW, CRMC Retail, conferences at JP Morgan Chase and Visa, and on many Loyalty and Marketing discussion panels. In 2019, he was recognized as a "Rising Brand Star" by Adweek. During Jonathan's tenure leading Southwest's esteemed loyalty program, Rapid Rewards has garnered dozens of Freddie Awards and recognition from entities like JD Power, Newsweek, and The Points Guy, and he has contributed to many national, local, and industry publications, blogs, and podcasts.

Jonathan believes strongly in giving back to the community, and started his working career in the nonprofit space, providing counseling and housing resources for underserved communities in Dallas. He regularly engages in volunteer opportunities in support of the key pillars served by Southwest Airlines.

Jonathan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas and a Master of Arts of Clinical Psychology at Sam Houston State University. He is married to Natalie, and together they are proud parents to college-aged sons Jacob & Andrew. In his spare time, Jonathan likes to stay physically active by running 5k races and regular trips to the gym. He is a sports fanatic and loves to Travel, with Greece, Hawaii, Alaska, NYC, and Napa among his favorites.