Chris Mainz
Senior advisor, executive and strategic communications—Southwest Airlines
Sessions:Chris Mainz is a primary spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, the nation’s largest airline in terms of domestic customers boarded. In addition to handling the organization’s media relations, Mainz leads its executive communication efforts and specializes in speechwriting, internal and external storytelling, crisis communications, issues management, event planning and story placement in national and regional publications. Mainz is the chief writer for Southwest’s chairman and CEO Gary Kelly, and oversees the organization’s executive platforms and thought leadership efforts. In 2009, Mainz was named Spokesperson of the Year by PR News. Mainz has a degree in public relations at the University of Alabama with a minor in business administration.