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Sometimes you need to take a step back so you can move forward. In 2018, Jason Shyung was an assistant general counsel at Accudyne Industries. He had already received one promotion from senior counsel and was on his way to managing a team and continuing to climb the corporate ladder. So why would Shyung vie for an entry-level legal position with Southwest Airlines? For Shyung, the answer was simple: It was Southwest Airlines.
“There are things you notice when you fly Southwest, and you hear about what a great place Southwest is to work and how strong the culture is,” Shyung says. “There was something about this company that I always admired. To join Southwest, I knew I would be starting at the very bottom, but I felt like it was worth the leap.”
Since taking that step back, Shyung has been recognized as Outstanding Senior Counsel of a Large Legal Department by the Association of Corporate Counsel and Texas Lawbook, cited as Outstanding In-House Counsel by D CEO Magazine, and rose through three promotions to assistant general counsel at Southwest. Most important, he’s learned to trust his own instincts.
“To Make a Difference in Someone Else’s Life”
Along with a host of awards for his practice, Jason Shyung was recognized as an Outstanding Mentor by the State Bar of Texas’s Asian Pacific Interest Section in 2019. Shyung has been a mentor to both law students and disadvantaged youth for the bulk of his career. Shyung served as a tutor, mentor, and eventually chair of the board for Cornerstone Crossroads Academy in South Dallas. The school is a second-chance high school helping students between seventeen and twenty-five earn their diplomas and find a career or educational path.
“When I look back at my life, I hope that I’ve done more than just have fun,” Shyung says with a laugh. “I try to fill my cup with chances to make a difference in the lives of people, especially those who haven’t had a lot of opportunities.”
If ever the time were right to doubt a life choice, it was 2020. And yet the pandemic underlined virtually every quality that made Shyung want to come to Southwest in the first place. Instead of involuntarily furloughing employees, the airline publicly took action to take care of its people, even though COVID had practically brought travel to a standstill.
Shyung worked long nights on teams focused on raising funds to support thousands of employees and their families, securing payroll support from the federally funded CARES Act and raising billions in capital. All the while, Southwest burned through tens of millions of dollars a day. Virtually every other airline was involuntarily laying off staff or cutting pay, but Southwest protected its employees.
“For me, it was an honor to help support tens of thousands of people in a completely unpredictable time,” the AGC explains. “Knowing that this organization and its leadership was going to do everything they could to stand behind all of us at such a scary time was inspiring, motivating all of us to do whatever it took to preserve the company we loved.”
“Jason’s leadership has taught me a lot. Airlines face complex challenges, such as decarbonization in a cost-sensitive industry. He works diligently to navigate legal boundaries and weigh business risks with practical judgment. His enthusiasm and energy create a positive environment that fosters trust, encourages open discussion, and inspires everyone to give their best,” says Chris Rowley, partner at Vinson & Elkins.
Shyung’s multiple promotions following the pandemic underline the trust and value he’s built since joining Southwest in 2018. He has taken on new practice areas and new people responsibilities. At present, the AGC oversees a team of five attorneys and a paralegal.
“What can I do to create a place where lawyers can do interesting work, have some balance in their lives, and have meaning behind what they do? I think about it every day.”
Jason Shyung
Shyung’s CliftonStrengths talent assessment highlights the value that the attorney places on learning and connectedness. The lawyer’s default mode of sitting down and talking through an issue creates the right kind of environment for his team to thrive.
“The law isn’t always the best place to work,” Shyung says, laughing. “It’s hard. The hours can be brutal. And there’s a lot of stress. What can I do to create a place where lawyers can do interesting work, have some balance in their lives, and have meaning behind what they do? I think about it every day.”
That philosophy, Shyung says, aligns well with the culture at Southwest, and he’s grateful for the chance to make work life better for other people.
But that doesn’t mean Shyung’s work product has gotten any less interesting or demanding.
Along with his more traditional supply chain, fuel, fleet transaction, treasury, finance, innovation, and certain corporate governance and investor relations matters, Shyung and his team handle Southwest’s ESG, sustainability, and energy transition efforts.
In March 2024, Southwest acquired Department of Energy–supported SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC, a startup operating in the development and production of ethanol from corn stover that can be converted into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In addition to supporting this startup, his teams support Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Southwest focused on making and managing Southwest’s SAF-related investments to support Southwest’s journey to net-zero carbon emissions.
Southwest’s public goal is to achieve net-zero by 2050. Airlines contribute around 2.5 percent of the world’s carbon emissions annually, and that number could rise as other sectors decarbonize faster. Moving from conventional jet fuel to alternative options is only in its infant stages at present, but Shyung says change has to start somewhere.
“You can see a problem like climate change and be so taken aback by the scale that you feel paralyzed,” the AGC says. “We have to take one step at a time, keep finding the right opportunities that help us evolve, and keep looking for ways that might help us move our timeline up. The pandemic allowed me to see how much Southwest can achieve when we work together, and we continue to face difficult challenges today. For some people, problems are things to run away from. For me, I’d like to be part of the solution.”
