Speakers
Liji started her career lobbying on Capitol Hill for an increase in affordable housing for low income women and children.After a brief stint at a law firm, she worked as a Systems Analyst for USData Corporation, developing and modifying complex information systems. In 2005, Liji joined Countrywide Home Loans as a Project Manager in the Foreclosure, Bankruptcy and Risk Management Division. Liji quickly rose through the ranks at Countrywide and was named an Assistant Vice President in Compliance and Risk Management. In this role, she oversaw compliance and risk assessment in Countrywide’s offshore operations, primarily focused on operations in India. During this time, she authored Countrywide’s Model for Offshore Compliance, a cross functional, global, risk-based approach to the company’s compliance efforts while also obtaining her Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation.
In 2008, Liji joined the Internal Audit Department of Southwest Airlines. During her time in Internal Audit, Liji led the company’s first Capitalization of Labor Audit and published an article based on her experiences in the October 2010 issue of Internal Auditor magazine. She then assumed a role as Manager of Business Strategies in Customer Support & Services (CS&S). In this role, Liji implemented new business initiatives impacting over 3,600 individuals. These initiatives included strategies to increase revenue, improve Customer experience and realize process efficiencies. In the first six months of 2012, Liji impacted revenue generation in excess of $40 million across nine call centers. Currently, Liji serves the company as Senior Manager of Diversity and Inclusion, informing all aspects of Diversity and Inclusion strategy for the nation’s largest domestic airline.
Liji is married and has two daughters, Athena and Ava. When she is not working on Diversity and Inclusion efforts for Southwest Airlines, she lends her time to various civic and charitable causes. Liji is a Former Jesuit Volunteer and a 1998 graduate of Vanderbilt University. She has an MBA in Finance, a Master’s in Information Technology Management and Consulting and a Master’s degree in Accounting. In addition, she holds Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), SHRM-CP (Certified Professional) and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) designations. She was chosen to deliver her graduate school commencement address and sits on the Community Diversity Advisory Council of the University of Texas at Dallas.