Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic
Mark G. Sutcliffe

Mark G. Sutcliffe

Dallas,TX

Summary

Respected Crew Planning Leader with 19 years of key airline experience leading through substantial change and finding solutions during high stakes events.

  • Foundational Network and Schedule Construction Knowledge-Complete end to end knowledge of the airline scheduling process from Network Planning to Crew Planning and Crew Scheduling, including day of operations management & recovery.
  • Transformative Leader with a focus on creating high performing Teams- Crafted a vision for what Crew Planning could become and built an organization with a focus on People, analytics, adaptability, optimization, and schedule design.
  • Crisis Leader who performs best under high pressure- Led the Winter Storm Elliott response and designed the plan to successfully return to full scheduled operations (2022). Managed Crew Planning during the worst crewing crisis in history (2021). Drove the response to and analysis of ~12 mass crew disruption events, participated in the family assistance to 2 fatal aircraft accidents.
  • Persistent drive to improve Analytics- Intense focused over many years to improve the data storage across all Crew applications. This has resulted in substantial data advancements, including a new combined Pilot & FA Crew cloud-based database (CDE), the storage of Skysolver and recovery data, and our own data labs. 2025 will bring the storage of Pay data. This has allowed us to gain substantial new insights to improve our negotiations, cost forecasting, crew recovery methodologies, crew staffing plans, and schedule builds.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience

Work History

Managing Director Crew Planning & Analytics

Southwest Airlines Co.
Dallas, TX
07.2022 - Current

In addition to leading the core Teams responsible for Crew Planning (Schedule Production, Crew Resource Planning, and Analytics), the Crew Pay Team was added into my organization (growing the Team to 50 Employees, including 9 Leaders). This allowed for a complete focus on SWAPA CBA negotiations and implementation once the deal was reached.

  • Created comprehensive negotiations strategy for the final year of negotiations to bring the Crew Scheduling, Planning, and Pay sections to an acceptable conclusion. Utilized the latest in analytical methods and modeling to predict work-rule impact and cost.
  • Maintained focus on the establishment of the Crew Recovery pillar within Crew Scheduling. Worked cross-functionally to create new tools and methods, including leading an offsite sprint to document and write our first ever Crew Recovery Standards for immediate actions to be taken to protect the Pilot and Flight Attendant crew networks during disruptions.
  • Led the response effort during Winter Storm Elliott to return SWA to full scheduled operations by 12/30 with an unprecedented overnight ramp- up from ~1200 flights to ~4000. Took immediate action post Winter Storm Elliott to automate manual steps taken during the event by creating the new optimizer CAIRO (Crew & Aircraft Integrated Recovery Optimizer). Represented SWA during the BOD, DOJ, DOT, and FAA inquiries into Winter Storm Elliott.
  • Established Future Crew Planning division with a new Director to oversee the future optimization, R & D, and Crew Resource Planning Teams to manage the full end-to-end Crew Network design process flow. This included creating a new Intermediate Crew Planning Team focused on schedule optimization 3-9 months in advance of operation.
  • Developed Cost-Focused Crew Planning strategy in the wake of slowed Boeing delivery delays and a change in financial performance. This included an innovative way to jumpstart Red Eye operations, a voluntary paid time off program for our Pilots, new predictive analytics to add pairing buffers to lower actual costs, and a focus on improving reserve utilization.
  • Film regular "From the Source" video updates that generate a loyal following and viewership of 5,000-6,000 Pilot views per episode.

Director Crew Planning & Analytics

Southwest Airlines Co.
Dallas, TX
10.2019 - 07.2022

Led the Flight Operations group consisting of 3 core Teams (Schedule Construction, Crew Resource Planning, and Crew Analytics). This included a focus on the advancement of our data to make immediate improvements in our staffing and training plans. Utilized the latest in optimization technology to improve our schedule construction and the end product for our Pilots.

  • Transformed Crew Planning from an area primarily focused on schedule construction (5 People) and administrative tasks to an analytics -focused organization (22 People).
  • Created cross-functional Crew Resource Planning Team that consolidated Pilot Staffing, Training Device Utilization, Check Pilot Staffing, Flight Instructor Staffing, and long term crew planning.
  • Negotiated and participated in key conversations with SWAPA including furlough discussions.
  • Developed new tools to manage the unprecedented schedule reductions/modifications during the initial COVID crisis. This included the development and analytics support for 2 new optimizers (Hindsight and Homeward Bound).
  • Supported the response to extremely dynamic capacity plans that required the initiation of the ExTO/VSP programs and then the urgent cessation of these programs to recall our Pilots to work.

Sr. Manager Crew Planning & Analytics

Southwest Airlines Co.
Dallas, TX
10.2016 - 10.2019

Led the Teams responsible for the staffing and schedule construction for 9,000 Pilots across 20 crew categories. Managed these Teams through the initial MAX grounding and subsequent schedule modifications, potential MAX segmentation scenarios, and the launch of our ETOPS operation.

  • Partnered with Network Planning to build “crew logic" into their optimization tools.
  • Led the development of a new line optimizer that increased schedule quality and automated a manual process while lowering the time needed to complete this process from 5 days to 2 hours.
  • Designed and implemented a new Pilot Staffing Model.
  • Managed our ETOPS Crew Basing Strategy and completed a multi-month analysis that led to the opening of a new domicile in LAX.
  • Created and led a new Crew Design Team composed of leaders from across the Company to brief SVP of Air Ops, VP of Inflight, and VP of Flight Ops on current crew challenges and future initiatives.

Manager of Crew Planning

Southwest Airlines Co.
Dallas, TX
11.2012 - 10.2016

First leadership position at Southwest post acquisition of AirTran. Focused on the implementation of FAR 117 and the associated impacts to our Crew Scheduling operation. Integrated the AirTran Crew Planning Team into the Southwest Team and began the integration of our Pilots.

  • Studied buffers for new FARs (117) around Pilot Crew Planning & Scheduling and implemented substantial changes across our systems.
  • Completed combined AirTran/Southwest Crew Base analysis that resulted in the opening of an ATL crew base and the gradual reduction/closure of the AirTran bases in ATL/MKE/MCO including the elimination of the 717 fleet.
  • Managed the Pilot conversion process from AirTran to Southwest.

Manager of Crew Planning

AirTran Airways
Orlando, FL
05.2010 - 11.2012

Responsible for the schedule construction and analysis for 1800 Pilots and 2200 Flight attendants. This period marked the end of AirTran Airways and the initiation of integration plans.

  • Successfully transitioned AirTran from a single-domicile airline to a multi-domicile airline that was better positioned to handle fundamental network changes.
  • Negotiated/Implemented AirTran’s first ever Flight Attendant Language Program to support the launch of MEX service.
  • Provided leadership support and analysis for the Seniority List Integration between AirTran/Southwest.

Scheduling Analyst-Network Planning

AirTran Airways
Orlando, FL
09.2008 - 05.2010

Primary network planner responsible for the schedule construction for both the 717/737 schedules. This period included a significant change in network strategy with a more diversified, less ATL-focused network.

  • Primary liaison with all operating groups (Station Leaders, Systems Ops Control, MX, and Crew), competitive analysis, schedule distribution, and hub development.
  • Developed schedules during the downturn of 2008-2009 that led to a focus on costs, expanding our charter and vacation business, selling airplanes, and minimizing losses.

Crew Pairing Analyst/Crew Planner

AirTran Airways
Orlando, FL
09.2006 - 09.2008

Developed monthly pairings and lines across the 717, 737, and flight attendant schedules. This period included the analysis of crew plans related to our failed hostile takeover of Midwest Airlines.

Crew Scheduler

AirTran Airways
Orlando, FL
09.2005 - 09.2006

Entry into the airline business as a Pilot and Flight attendant Crew Scheduler.

Education

Accelerated Development Program

Southwest Airlines Co.
01-2024

Program On Negotiations

Harvard University
01-2016

MIT 1 Program

Southwest Airlines Co.
2015

Bachelor of Science - Aviation Management

Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL
01-2005

Skills

  • Crew Analytics and Optimization
  • Crew Staffing and Resource Planning
  • Irregular Operations Management and Review
  • Crisis Leadership
  • People Leadership and Mentorship
  • Schedule Construction Expert
  • Passionate Airline Enthusiast
  • Negotiations and Contract Implementation

Accomplishments

  • Heroes of the Heart - Crew Planning & Analytics (2022)
  • President's Award Recipient (2013 and 2021)
  • De facto Leader of North American Crew Utilization (NACU) industry-wide Crew Planning & Scheduling conference (2014-2019)

Timeline

Managing Director Crew Planning & Analytics

Southwest Airlines Co.
07.2022 - Current

Director Crew Planning & Analytics

Southwest Airlines Co.
10.2019 - 07.2022

Sr. Manager Crew Planning & Analytics

Southwest Airlines Co.
10.2016 - 10.2019

Manager of Crew Planning

Southwest Airlines Co.
11.2012 - 10.2016

Manager of Crew Planning

AirTran Airways
05.2010 - 11.2012

Scheduling Analyst-Network Planning

AirTran Airways
09.2008 - 05.2010

Crew Pairing Analyst/Crew Planner

AirTran Airways
09.2006 - 09.2008

Crew Scheduler

AirTran Airways
09.2005 - 09.2006

Accelerated Development Program

Southwest Airlines Co.

Program On Negotiations

Harvard University

MIT 1 Program

Southwest Airlines Co.

Bachelor of Science - Aviation Management

Florida Institute of Technology

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Mark G. Sutcliffe