Rocket Cos. CEO Varun Krishna will be applying his finance and technology expertise in a new venture outside of the mortgage industry as he joins the board of directors at Southwest Airlines.

Southwest executives highlighted his current and past strategic leadership experience at digital and customer-centric enterprises, citing them as key strengths that led to his selection as a new director. The Dallas-based air carrier announced Krishna's appointment this week. 

"Varun brings deep expertise in digital products, innovation and customer engagement," said Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan in a press release. Also appointed along with Krishna was Jason Liberty, the chief executive officer of cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group.

"Together, their perspectives will strengthen our board as we continue enhancing the customer experience, improving performance and executing our strategic priorities," Jordan added.  

Before being tapped for the CEO role at Detroit-based Rocket in 2023, Krishna served as vice president and general manager in the consumer group of Intuit Inc, the owner of TurboTax. Before Intuit, Krishna also held executive positions with PayPal and Groupon after beginning his career at Microsoft.

As chief executive at the mortgage and technology giant, Krishna currently also holds a director seat on Rocket's board, and he pointed to the similar qualities his company and Southwest shared in accepting the role. 

"Southwest has a remarkable legacy of democratizing travel and building deep loyalty with customers and employees," Krishna said. "As a loyal customer, I'm honored to join the board and contribute as Southwest continues innovating to serve customers and build on its successes."

Krishna's impact as Rocket CEO

Since taking the helm at the company, Krishna has led Rocket through two landmark mergers with loan servicer Mr. Cooper and digital real estate brokerage Redfin, both of which occurred in 2025. Those acquisitions are largely acknowledged as game-changing moves that continue to transform the corporate landscape less than two years later, upending business strategies and playing a huge role in industry consolidation among its peers and rivals.  

Krishna was also in charge of the company as it underwent a corporate rebranding in 2025, introducing a new logo and unifying its various subsidiaries under a single "Rocket" name.  

The news comes just days after the lending giant reported its latest earnings, celebrating its most profitable quarter in four years. Based on the latest quarterly production data, Rocket ranks as both the No. 1 originator and servicer in the country, Krishna said in the company's earnings call. 

For full-year 2025, Rocket finished as the nation's leading lender based on unit count, according to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. By dollar volume, it came in second place behind its crosstown rival, United Wholesale Mortgage. 

As CEO, Krishna received $52.9 million in total compensation last year, most of it in the form of stock-related awards, according to Rocket's annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Krishna's base salary in 2025 clocked in at $1.26 million. 

As a director at Southwest Airlines, both Krishna and Liberty will earn an annual retainer fee of $100,000 and become eligible for standard stock grants through its equity-incentive plan for board members. Board leadership also includes free travel privileges for Krishna, his family and designated charities while he serves.