Jerry Moyes (1962)

CEO of Swift Transportation

What is Jerry Moyes (1962) known for?

Jerry Moyes is a successful American businessman, who graduated from Weber High School in Ogden, Utah, and later Weber State College. He is known as the founder, and former Chairman and CEO of one of the largest trucking companies in the United States, Phoenix-based Swift Transportation. Additionally, he owns the charter airline Swift Air and Swift Aviation at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. His portfolio extends to owning SME Steel Contractors Inc., a steel erector company based in Utah, and the Texas-based LTL freight carrier, Central Freight Lines.

Beyond his business ventures, Moyes has had significant involvement in sports. He was a majority owner of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League before the team filed bankruptcy and was sold to the NHL in 2009. He was also an owner of the Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League. Furthermore, he has held limited partnership in the Arizona Diamondbacks and was once a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns. His interesting relationship with the Phoenix Coyotes began when he bought controlling interest from Steve Ellman in 2006, also retaining Wayne Gretzky as part-owner and head of hockey operations. However, he was not interested in owning the Coyotes and had no passion for hockey.

His attempts to find a buyer for the club were interfered with by the league, which led to him filing for bankruptcy protection for the Coyotes in 2009 and announcing a plan to sell the club to Jim Balsillie. This was met with great resistance by the NHL, causing a public acrimony. The financial losses he endured while managing the Coyotes led him to an agreement in principle to sell the team to Research in Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie, who planned to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario. The league responded by stripping Moyes of almost all his ownership authority, leading to a court hearing that was scheduled to determine who actually controlled the team.

Moyes retired as CEO of Swift in 2017, transitioning into the role of CEO emeritus and retaining a seat on the board of directors. He has been married to his wife Vickie for over 50 years, and they have 10 children and 10 grandchildren.

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