Accelya appoints former Southwest Airlines CIO Kathleen Merrill to board

New non-executive director brings extensive airline technology expertise

Airline retailing and technology solutions firm, Accelya, has announced the appointment of Kathleen Merrill to its Board of Directors as a non-executive director. 

Merrill brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience in airline technology and operations. She joins from Southwest Airlines where she was chief information 

Prior to serving as CIO, she held several leadership roles at Southwest, including vice president of business transformation, corporate delivery, and technology, as well as vice president of strategic planning and implementation. 

Before joining Southwest, she held leadership positions at American Airlines and Capital One Auto Finance.

She joins at time where the company plans to accelerates its investment in enabling advanced airline commerce technology through its FLX ONE platform.

The firm said her "deep understanding of airline technology, operational excellence, and digital transformation will be instrumental in guiding Accelya’s strategic direction".    

"We are delighted to welcome Kathleen to Accelya’s board," added Sam Gilliland, CEO of Accelya.

"Her proven leadership in driving technology transformation for one of the world’s leading airlines will bring invaluable insights as our organisation continues to grow and scale further."   

Merrill said: Accelya has made remarkable strides in recent years and is increasingly recognized as the leading choice for airlines seeking advanced, interoperable technology that drives Offers & Orders transformation.

 "I’m truly thrilled to be part of this exciting journey and support Accelya’s continued growth and innovation."    

Merrill was onboarded via an external board program operated by Vista Equity Partners, a global investment firm focused on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses and a majority investor in Accelya. 

It leverages Vista’s ecosystem and additional resources to identify, train, and appoint qualified board candidates for its portfolio companies.