Airport Experience® News - Leadership & Culture Issue 2023

Industry Executives Share Their Unique Routes To Leadership BY TRISTAN LUECK AND CAROL WARD Editor’s Note: In some form or another, all of us are a work in progress. Whether one is nearing the end of their career or in the early building stages, the choice of “where to go next” is always lurking. In recent years, the airports and concessions industries have focused heavily on paving the way for the next generation of leaders. But how does one reach “the top” of our industry? AXN asked 10 industry executives to share a bit about their career paths – complete with decisive leaps, lateral moves, zigzags and even missteps. Their experiences and advice are outlined below.

JUDITH BYRD, PRESIDENT & CEO, BYRD RETAIL GROUP, LLC

entertainment industry and empathy for various stakeholders’ issues, I was able to find common ground to gradually improve the relationships with the client, union, team members and customer perception. Host Marriott Leadership recognized my potential in bringing everyone together and selected me to attend the Aspen Institute Leadership Program. This experience led to greater opportunities with new challenges that continued by career growth and development. What is your best advice for individuals seeking a position similar to yours? I would say that it’s great to have career goals, but for me, it was also about doing the current job to the best of my ability and taking an ownership approach to whatever job I had. I was never one to take the easy job and instead prefer to take a high profile or “problem account.” I approach the challenge by walking in others’ shoes and staying the course to resolve issues favorably to all parties involved. I was willing to take risks if I felt it would provide me with an opportunity to develop new skills, have exposure to a new business, and/or there was an acceptable risk/reward opportunity. The bad news is not all those opportunities penciled out financially. But the learnings and the relationships that I developed were irreplaceable.

How did your first opportunity in the aviation/concessions industry come about? I have worn many hats in the aviation industry and touched the business from different angles. My trajectory has been anything but a straight line. I’ve gone from airport management to airport consultant to brand advisor to concessionaire. Countless doors have opened for me over the years, but my very first opportunity came during the O’Hare International Airport (ORD) expansion program in the 1980’s when I was appointed assistant commissioner of aviation for the city of Chicago. As a young lawyer, I worked with the legal team negotiating the airline use and lease agreements while simultaneously overseeing the O’Hare and Midway concessions programs. This truly put me “in the room where it happened,” providing a front row seat to the dynamic relationship among the three primary stakeholders (airport, airlines, and concession operators) and a clear view to the dependency that each has on the other in supporting a healthy airport business environment. A second opportunity that had a huge impact on my career occurred during Unison’s development of the concessions masterplan for Miami International

CARLOS BERNAL, CEO, AREAS USA

How did your first opportunity in the aviation/concessions industry come about? My early career was

primarily in the sports and entertainment industry. I transitioned to the airport business after I was recruited by HMSHost to manage their Dodger Stadium business unit. In 1993, I jumped in the airport industry with both feet after I was promoted to oversee Los Angeles, Ontario, and John Wayne airports for HMSHost. Can you point to 1-3 turning points in your career that influenced your path to leadership? I was fortunate to be under the leadership of a number of outstanding mentors who I greatly admired throughout my career. They each helped mold my view of what it took to be an effective servant-leader of people. It wasn’t only their leadership that I wanted to replicate, but also the unbelievable work ethic and an uncompromising value system they demonstrated. In 1993, one such leader recognized my persistent effort over two years to turn around unrest with multiple stakeholders at Dodger Stadium. With my understanding of the sports

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AX NEWS LEADERSHIP ISSUE 2023