GAD Americas is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

Informa
Informa

11-13 December 2024

Marriott Hotel City West
Munich, Germany

GAD World Advisory Board

Jody Aldcorn
Partner
McCarthy Tetrault

Jody is a partner in the Vancouver office and a member of the firm's Business Law and FinancialServices Group. Known for her in-depth experience and holistic approach, her practice is primarily focused in the areas of infrastructure development, project finance, and general corporate and commercial law.

Jody advises clients on a broad range of project and governance matters across various industries and sectors. Prior to joining McCarthy Tétrault, Jody was the Director of Legal Services for theVancouver Airport Authority where she oversaw virtually all aspects of its legal services, including construction and engineering, commercial development, and treasury and finance. Jody has also acted as lead counsel and corporate secretary to one of the world's premier international airport developer and operators. She regularly draws upon this experience to offer clients a broader perspective while delivering value and seamless coverage.

Some of Jody's recent advisory roles include:

  • Vantage Airport Group and Corsair Infrastructure Partners (through their involvement in the JFKMillennium Partners consortium) on the close of a US$4.2B deal to develop a new internationalTerminal 6 at JFK;
  • a member of the successful bidder in the financing and development of an airline passenger terminal at JFK
  • a member of the successful bidder in the redevelopment and operation of retail space at ChicagoMidway
  • a Canadian infrastructure concessions company in the 30-year concession to finance, construct and operate a new airport terminal at L.F. Wade International Airport, Bermuda
  • a member of the successful bidder in connection with the US$4 billion LaGuardia Airport CentralTerminal Building Replacement Project
Bio
Bio

Michael J. Bell
Senior Client Partner, Aviation & Aerospace Practice
Korn Ferry

Michael Bell is a Senior Client Partner, Global Sector Leader for the Aviation & Aerospace Practice, based out of the firm’s Miami office.

Michael was previously with a global recruiting firm, where he founded and led the Global Aviation, Aerospace & Defense Practice. He provides top-level executive search and leadership advisory services to a broad range of clients in the airline, airport, aerospace, aviation services, and cargo sectors.

Over his 30 years in the profession, Michael  has led over 1,300 searches for aviation and aerospace organizations around the globe, including numerous CEO and C-level mandates. Mr. Bell is also active in the Board Practice and has assisted numerous aerospace and aviation sector clients in the recruitment of outstanding board directors.

Earlier in his career, Michael enjoyed seven years at McKinsey & Company with a specific focus on the firm’s Organizational Performance Practice. Prior to McKinsey, he worked at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto, where he partnered with the dean, the faculty and the dean’s advisory council on a broad range of development areas, including strategic planning, program development, fundraising, community and alumni relations.

Michael is an active contributor to the latest thinking on leadership in the aviation arena and serves as a regular speaker and moderator at industry conferences, having addressed audiences at over 100 events on five continents. In addition, he has authored several industry studies on leadership and published numerous articles in aviation and aerospace industry trade media.

Michael holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto.

He speaks English, French and Arabic and has worked in more than 95 countries around the globe.

Bio
Bio

Clive Condie
Airport Operating Partner
Ardian

Bio coming soon!

Bio
Bio

Fabio Luiz Teles Cruz 
Head of Institutional Relations & Legal Affairs Zurich Airport Latin America

Brazilian, with an International Executive MBA (FIA Business School) and 
a lawyer. 14+ years of expertise in business development, strategic 
negotiations, M&A, and innovation. Career includes experience on 
private sectors such as infrastructure, mobility, real estate, in regulatory 
environments, and airports public auctions. Currently heading/leading 
Institutional Relations and the Legal Affairs department at Zurich Airport 
Latin America in Brazil, focused on business development, corporate 
governance, and supporting asset management of the LATAM portfolio. 

Also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Zurich Airport 
Brasil's airports.

Bio
Bio

Rafael Echevarne
Director General
ACI-LAC Airports Council International, Latin America & Caribbean

Bio coming soon!

Bio
Bio

David Feldman
Managing Partner
Exambela Consulting

David Feldman has nearly 30 years of experience in the global airport industry.

David is Managing Partner of Exambela Consulting, a specialist consultancy based in Switzerland that works with airport CEOs, their boards and their investors to solve strategic problems.  Clients include both private and public airport airport clients, and their investors, around the world.

Before founding Exambela Consulting, David was based in Paris and was a partner at Oliver Wyman Consulting and leader of the firm's global airport practice.  Previously David also worked at United Airlines' headquarters in Finance and Route Planning.

David received a BFA, magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Bio
Bio

Patrick Folley
Head of Aviation – UK & Ireland
Ramboll

Bio coming soon!

Bio
Bio


Burcu Geris
Deputy CEO, CFO
TAV Airports Holding

Burcu Geris, Deputy CEO and CFO, TAV Airports Holding holds a Business Administration degree from Bogazici University, MBA degrees from Columbia Business School and London Business School. 25 years experience in project finance, M and A and treasury. Previously worked in the banking sector. Joined TAV Airports in 2005 where she was Head of Project and Structured finance team and completed financing and refinancing of eight airport projects totalling US$4.5bn. Appointed CFO in 2012 and Deputy CEO in 2022. Selected as Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum in 2015 and as Rising Talent by Women’s Forum in 2013. Voted as Best CFO in Investor Relations in Turkey by Thomson Extel, Most Effective 50 CFOs and Most Powerful 50 Business Women in Turkey by Fortune magazine.

Bio
Bio

Dan Galpin
Managing Director | Head of Aviation, Travel & Tourism
ICF

Dan Galpin is a Managing Director and leads ICF’s Aviation, Travel & Tourism Division.Dan has over 20 years’ experience in the aviation industry, having worked for NATS (theBritish Air Navigation Service provider), as well as Virgin Atlantic Airways prior to joiningICF as an aviation consultant in 2013.

Dan has extensive experience in air traffic forecasting, combining a strong backgroundin complex data analysis and modelling with an in-depth understanding of supply-sidefactors from his first-hand experience at Virgin Atlantic. He has deployed this expertiseon numerous high profile airport transactions in both buy-side and sell-side advisorycapacities, as well as helping airports understand their long-term infrastructurerequirements. In addition to airport-related work, Dan also advises airlines on a numberof different types of assignments, from high-level strategy and planning to developingdetailed network planning models. In recent years, Dan has become increasinglyinvolved in Sustainability, providing consultancy services to government agencies andaviation representative groups, helping to assess policy implications (for example,advising the European Commission on CORSIA and EU ETS policy options) and researchcomplex issues (for example, numerous projects with ACI).

Before joining ICF, Daniel worked at Virgin Atlantic in the Commercial Departmentwhere he was the route revenue manager responsible for delivering budgets on aportfolio of transatlantic routes. In addition, he set up and managed a new analyticsfunction within the department, providing analytical tools and ad-hoc support to avariety of internal stakeholders. Prior to Virgin, Daniel worked at NATS on a range ofprojects from analyzing safety incidents to modelling airspace improvements andforecasting passenger demand and air traffic movements in United Kingdom airspaceand at United Kingdom Airports.

Bio
Bio

Curtis Grad
Partner, President & Chief Executive Officer
Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc.

Curtis Grad is chief executive and founding partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners Inc., a strategic investment and professional advisory services company specializing in international transport infrastructure privatization, investment, development, operations, business intelligence and talent solutions. During his 25+ year career in the transport infrastructure sector, he has led extensive change management and redevelopment programs for various international airport and port facilities worldwide, spanning Canada, Jamaica, Cyprus, Jordan and Panama.

Bio
Bio

Alexandre Leigh
Global Sector Lead for Airports, Transaction Advisory Services-PPP
IFC

 With over two decades of international banking experience, Alexandre has held investment and advisory positions at HSBC, Macquarie Capital, and IFC. His focus at IFC has been on government PPP Transaction Advisory across the Middle East, and more recently he has been leading these efforts for West & Central Africa, in addition to his global role covering the airport sector.

In the aviation field, Alexandre has been involved in various types of transactions, including public sector sell-side advisory for ECM/IPO type transactions and PPP concession type models. He also has experience in buy-side airport advisory and investment mandates, and is currently involved in four active global airport sell-side transactions. 

Alexandre is a graduate of HEC Paris business school and holds an economics degree from McGill University in Montreal.

Bio
Bio

Patrick Lucas
Principal and Founder
Airport Economics Consulting Inc

An economist by profession, Patrick Lucas has over 20 years of experience in analytic and strategic roles for international organizations. He is the founder of Airport Economics Consulting Inc., a business advisory serving the needs of airport operators and related stakeholders on the economic, financial and regulatory aspects of the industry.

In his previous capacity as Vice President and Chief Economist for Airport Council International (ACI World), Patrick led ACI's policy positions related to economic regulation, user charges, privatization, commercial activities (non-aero), green finance, and infrastructure management. He also led the authorship of ACI’s major flagship publications: the World Airport Traffic Report and the Airport Economics Report. Patrick continues to deliver courses in airport economics as a member of ACI’s Global Training Faculty as well as for joint programs with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Patrick holds a bachelor’s degree from McGill University and a master’s degree in economics from Concordia University in Montreal.

Bio
Bio

Andy Ricover
Senior Air Transport Specialist
Ricover

Bio coming soon!

Bio
Bio

Amit Rikhy
President & CEO
Carlyle Airport Group - CAG Holdings LLC

Amit Rikhy is Co-founder and CEO of CAG Holdings, Carlyle’s dedicated investment and development platform for airport infrastructure. CAG is built to develop and invest in airport infrastructure at the intersection of decarbonization, energy transition and digitization, in conjunction with delivering positive community and customer outcomes.

Amit has 25+ years of airport development, investment and management experience and has led over 50 airport projects globally. Under Amit’s leadership, CAG led the sourcing, structuring, development and financing of the landmark $9.5 billion New Terminal One at JFK — the largest, privately financed aviation infrastructure project ever undertaken in the United States, which will deliver a world-class (Skytrax 5-star) experience for NTO’s airline partners, passengers, retail & catering partners and visitors. At the core of this world-class experience, will be a terminal that is powered by the largest rooftop solar array in United States, complemented with a next-generation sustainable and resilient microgrid and a fully digitized passenger journey from curb to the airfield. 

Amit also serves on the Management Committee of London Southend Airport, where he is working closely with airport management to grow passenger traffic, increase and diversify revenues and plan for future development. Prior to founding CAG, Amit was President and CEO of CCR USA, CCR Group’s international subsidiary, Senior VP at Airports Worldwide, a joint venture of OMERS and Houston Airport System; and VP, Business Development at Vantage Airport Group. 

Throughout his career, Amit has worked closely with management teams to drive business performance and transformation and has served on multiple airport boards, where he has provided guidance on development, regulatory, financing and business performance objectives.

He also serves on the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School Real Estate/Infrastructure Advisory Board and served on the Infrastructure Policy Committee for the US President Biden’s Campaign.

Bio
Bio

Dave Stroud
Managing Director, Air Transport Strategy & Consulting
ASM

David has over 20 years experience in the aviation industry and has played a crucial part in developing the ASM business. He joined ASM in 1998 and later transferred Routes. Following UBM’s purchase of ASM and Routes in 2010, David led the integration of the two companies into the new organisation. He decided to return to ASM in 2013 to help shape the company’s future direction. David previously worked for BAE Systems, Manchester Airport and London City Airport.

Bio
Bio