Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2024

“In fact, I was going to retire earlier and each time a new challenges came up the board asked me to stay,” Piccolo continues. “I’ve continued to do these short extensions, but the last time I said no.” Piccolo’s successor had not been named at press time, and among his senior leadership team no one had expressed interest in the CEO role. A national search is underway. As for life after SRQ, Piccolo says he has formed an LLC “as a preparation for if I want to do any consulting work. I’m not sure I will,” he says. “I’ll spend more time with my grandchildren, hopefully improve my golf game, and we’ll see from there.” Ivar Satero, Airport Director, San Francisco International Airport As the days wind down for Ivar Satero as director of San Francisco International Airport (SFO), he occasionally finds himself thinking he’s leaving too soon. “It’s hard to leave because of all the exciting things we’re doing,” he says, noting the ongoing capital programs, a new use-and-lease agreement, the return of traffic in the post-pandemic years and other recent achievements.

“On the other hand, I think the organization is in a great place to continue to do really wonderful things,” Satero says. “30 years (in his airport career) – that’s plenty of time. Satero’s 30 years in aviation have all been at SFO; prior to being named director in 2015, his roles included chief operating officer, deputy airport director for design and construction, project manager and others. He’s seen the airport weather numerous ups and downs during his tenure, and he’s honed the culture of the organization to better handle upheavals. “Our culture journey started some 15 years ago under our previous director, John Martin,” he says. “Over the last eight years, my focus has really been about the full engagement of staff in the culture at all levels of the organization, and really focusing on job quality and workers’ experience as well as the passenger experience. The two new values I brought during my tenure have been around care – care for our employees, care for our passengers; and equity, recognizing that the strength of our organization is built on the diversity of our organization. And we have a new mission where we deliver an airport experience where people and our planet come first. Satero says that culture extends to employees and employee development. “That’s been important in my own successes. I’ve had leaders that have given me opportunities to succeed and to grow,” he says. “When you talk

about succession planning, it’s so important to give folks important work and opportunities to be successful. “Another part of it is that we give people opportunities, deliberate opportunities, for leadership,” Satero continues. “These are folks that otherwise wouldn’t get an opportunity to have a visible role in the organization on an important initiative. We bring a task force together, and these folks get that opportunity to have visible leadership opportunities – they’re set up for success with an awareness and an oversight by the senior team of the airport.” The new SFO director is a product of that culture that Satero has worked so hard to implement. In early December, Mike Nakornkhet was tapped to lead SFO. He’ll return to SFO by way of Denver International Airport (DEN), where he currently serves as chief financial officer and executive vice president. But prior to his four-year stint at DEN, Nakornkhet spent 13 years at SFO, including eight years as SFO’s director of financial planning and analysis and acting managing director of finance. And while Satero will be retired, he’s not walking away completely. In between travel and “all sorts of hobbies,” Satero will be weighing in on SFO development. “The [SFO Airport] Commission has asked me to stay on in our executive advisory board to help oversee the capital programs, and I’ll probably pick and choose certain things in the industry if opportunities arise,” Satero says. “But I’m just ready to move on and let my wife decide how we spend our time traveling and where we go. We’re looking forward to it.”

Left, Above: Ivar Satero, director, San Francisco International Airport

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025