Conference Programme Speakers
Abdulkadir Uraloğlu
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Government of Türkiye
Abdulkadir URALOĞLU was born in Trabzon in 1966.
After graduating from the Department of Civil Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University in 1988, he started to work as a field engineer in private sector the same year.
Starting his professional life at the General Directorate of Highways (GDH) in 1989 as a Survey Team Engineer at the GDH Erzurum 12th Regional Directorate, Mr. URALOĞLU was promoted to be the Chief Engineer of Road Construction Service for the Erzurum Regional Directorate in 1998 after having served as a Survey Team Engineer, Control Engineer and Control Chief at the GDH Ankara 4th Regional Directorate between 1990-1998.
He was appointed as Deputy Director of the Trabzon 10th Region in 2003, Director of the Kayseri 6th Region in 2005, and Director of the Samsun 7th Region in 2006.
After a brief period as Director of the Bursa 14th Region in 2009, Mr. URALOĞLU returned to Samsun and served as Regional Director in Samsun for 6.5 years.
Mr. URALOĞLU, who became Director of the İzmir 2nd Region in 2021, was appointed as Director General of Highways by the Presidential Decree issued on July 23, 2018.
He contributed to the implementation of the Build-Operate-Transfer Highway projects as well as the projects for the construction of Divided Roads and Bituminous Hot Mixture Paved Roads and for the improvement of single-platform roads, which gained momentum within the scope of the Emergency Action Plan launched in 2003.
Mr. URALOĞLU, who carried out the construction, planning and designing works of new highway, divided road, bridge and tunnel projects that would provide great contributions to the road network of our country, also attached special importance to research and development activities in order to renew the DGH Machinery Fleet and increase the rate of domestically-produced vehicle use.
Mr. URALOĞLU was actively engaged on the ground to facilitate transportation and fight the effects of the disasters right after the floods in Ünye in 2018, in Araklı in 2019, in Rize-Artvin in 2021, in Ayancık in 2021 and in Kastamonu in 2021; during the wildfires in Antalya-Muğla in 2021; after the earthquakes in Elazığ in 2020 and in İzmir in 2020; and after the earthquakes on February 6.
He also served as Board Chairman of the Turkish Road Association (YTMK), the Highways Foundation (KAV), and the TT Mobil.
He is married with three children.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Ekrem İmamoğlu
Mayor of Istanbul
Ekrem İmamoğlu was born in the Cevizli village of Trabzon's Akçaabat district in 1970. He graduated from Istanbul University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Following his undergraduate studies, he completed a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management in the same university. During his time as a student, he played football as an amateur. He served as a board member at Trabzonspor Football Club, Trabzonspor Basketball Club, and Beylikdüzüspor Sports Club.
In 1992, while still a graduate student, Mr. İmamoğlu started working for the family business. He then assumed the CEO role in the group's companies to lead housing and urban planning projects. While leading these projects, he encountered numerous problems stemming from local affairs, which led him to his decision to enter politics.
Mr. İmamoğlu joined the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in 2009, and became a member of the Beylikdüzü District Organization. In the same year, he ran as a candidate for nomination to Beylikdüzü District Mayor, and actively participated in the party's election campaign. Following the local election, he was elected the District Head of the CHP. After 5 years as a successful District Head who enhanced and improved the District Organization, Mr. İmamoğlu was nominated in 2013 as a candidate for Beylikdüzü District Mayor in the preliminary election within his party. In the March 30 local elections in 2014, he was elected Mayor of Beylikdüzü.
After his election as Mayor of Beylikdüzü, and between the years 2014-2019, he realized a wide range of projects that transformed the district's appearance. Following the positive changes he made in the district's living standards, social life, and infrastructural services, Mr. İmamoğlu captured the attention of the people of Beylikdüzü, the media, academia, and the upper echelons of his party.
Subsequently, the CHP nominated Mr. İmamoğlu for Mayor of Istanbul in the local elections of March 31, 2019. After an effective and inspiring campaign period of three months, he garnered 48.82% of the total votes and was elected Mayor of Istanbul. This was the highest percentage of votes that any Mayor of Istanbul had received in over 30 years.
Ekrem İmamoğlu is married with three children and has been living in İstanbul since 1988.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mehmet Kalyoncu
Board Member, iGA Istanbul Airport
- Board Member, iGA Istanbul Airport
- Founder of Türkiye Design Council
Architect and businessman, Mr. Mehmet Kalyoncu, besides being a member of the iGA Istanbul Airport Executive Board, is Chairman of the Executive Board of Kalyon Holding and is an invaluable asset in terms of his education and his work experience gained through his family business, the foundations of which were laid by his grandfather in 1944.
Born in Gaziantep and having completed his primary and secondary education in Istanbul, Mr. Kalyoncu graduated from Ümraniye Anatolian High School. As a senior student at the high school, Mr. Kalyoncu attended the academic program organized by Oxford University's St. Hugh's College, and was the first Turkish student admitted to this program. During this time, he conducted academic research on Renaissance Architecture.
Mehmet Kalyoncu completed his undergraduate studies at Istanbul Technical University, in the Department of Architecture, and was also a visiting student at the Architectural Association and Illinois Institute of Technology.
Mr. Kalyoncu started working during his undergraduate years. While carrying out his responsibilities in education and non-governmental organizations, he also completed internships in architectural offices and construction companies. After graduating from university, Mr. Kalyoncu worked at different levels in Kalyon Holding's subsidiaries.
Continuing his academic development along with his professional career, Mr. Kalyoncu attended various programs at international universities including Negotiation at Harvard University, Entrepreneurship at Babson College, and Corporate Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Mehmet Kalyoncu did not limit his education to business life and crowned his interest in music and studies in the piano with a certificate from the London School of Music.
Besides his professional career, Mr. Kalyoncu has been closely involved in non-governmental organizations since his university years. Kalyoncu, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Gaziantep Education and Service Association which is the founding association of Hasan Kalyoncu University, is Chairman of the Board of the Türkiye Design Council and the Association of Real Estate Investment Companies.
Putting his family above everything else in his life, Mr. Kalyoncu is married with three children.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Selahattin Bilgen
CEO, iGA Istanbul Airport
Selahattin Bilgen was born in 1981. He completed his undergraduate studies at Bilkent University in 2003, followed by an MBA at Boğaziçi University. He is married with two children.
Prior to his position as the Chief Financial Officer from January 2018 at the companies established under iGA Istanbul Airport, he worked in the fields of Corporate Banking, Corporate Finance, and Project Finance from 2003-2018 and served as the Finance Coordinator of Cengiz Holding, as well as the Executive Director of UniCredit Türkiye Financial Advisory, and the Corporate Project Finance Director of Yapı Kredi Bank.
Bilgen, who undertook important roles in the provision of financing and refinancing for the Istanbul Airport project, which was financed with the largest amount of project financing in Turkey to date, was listed among the "50 Most Influential Financial Leaders of Türkiye" by BMI Business School and DataExpert in 2022. He was also included in the list of "Türkiye's Most Influential Senior Executives" by Business Life magazine in the same year. He leads several essential processes such as establishing iGA Istanbul Airport related group companies and establishing the systems and processes of these companies in functions such as Finance, Budget, Financial Reporting and Planning, Revenue, Accounting, Contracts Management, Tax, and Insurance.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Güliz Öztürk
Chief Executive Officer, Pegasus Airlines
Güliz Öztürk started her career at Turkish Airlines. From 1990 to 2003, she served as Manager of International Relations and Agreements, Vice President of Marketing & Alliance Coordinator, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Turkish Airlines. During that time, she managed important projects such as launching the first code-share flights, execution of the alliance projects, launch of the airline’s loyalty and bank card programs and the first website as well as implementation of the online ticket sales. Between 2003 and 2005, she served as Aviation and Tourism Project Coordinator and Director of Human Resources at Ciner Holding.
In 2005, she joined Pegasus Airlines as Head of Scheduled Flights to manage the launch of the airline’s scheduled services. In 2008, she was appointed as Sales Director. Güliz Öztürk, who was appointed as Chief Commercial Officer responsible for the commercial department, which includes Sales, Network Planning, Marketing, Revenue Management and Pricing, Cargo and Guest Experience, in 2010 and assumed this important role for 12 years, has been working as CEO of Pegasus Airlines as of May 2022.
Güliz Öztürk is a graduate of Kadıköy Anadolu High School and the department of psychology at Boğaziçi University, and completed the Advanced Management Program at Columbia Business School in 2018. A Member of the Board of Advisors of Özyeğin University’s Faculty of Aviation, Güliz Öztürk, is also Co-Chair of the Women in Sales Network (WiSN) social project, which works with the mission of ensuring the balance between men and women in the sales departments of companies, on the Sales Network platform.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Samer Majali
CEO, Royal Jordanian
With more than 40 years of experience in the aviation industry, Samer Majali has been designated to assume the role of RJ President/CEO as of March 31, 2021. He comes back to RJ bringing with him a wealth of experience and expertise and widely credited for the companies’ growth and expansion in the region.
His latest tenure was in 2019 when he founded Plane Vision, a Corporate Strategy & Organization Advisory in Bahrain. At the same year, he held the position of Senior Advisor at Alton Aviation Consultancy in New York and Dublin. Between 2013 and 2019, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer SaudiGulf Airlines, which was formed in 2013 by Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al-Qahtani & Sons Group of Companies.
Meanwhile in 2013 to 2014, he was appointed the Senior Advisor to Chairman of Oman Air (Omani Minister of Finance). Before that- in 2009 until 2012, Majali ran Gulf Air as its Chief Executive Officer.
His career in aviation began, when he worked at RJ in 1979 with an illustrious career that gave him top executive positions across Flight Operations, Corporate Planning, Information Technology, Passenger Services, Engineering and Maintenance. He ran the airline as the President& Chief Executive Officer between 2001 and 2009, and was credited for transforming RJ into one of the most successful in the region.
Majali is currently the Vice Chairman of RJ’s Board of Directors, a former Chairman of IATA’s Board of Governors, former member of the Board of Central Bank of Jordan (2011-2020), and a fellow and board member of various high-profile aviation organizations and business councils.
He holds M.Sc. Degree in Air Transport Management from Cranfield Institute of Technology, UK, and B.Sc. Degree in Aeronautical Engineering and Design, Loughborough University of Technology, UK.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Luis Felipe de Oliveira
Director General, ACI World
uis Felipe de Oliveira has led Airports Council International (ACI) World as Director General since June 2020, applying his vast experience in commercial and technical aviation. He believes that aviation has a crucial role to play in fostering social and economic growth worldwide and is committed to helping ACI members and business partners sustainably recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Luis Felipe’s career in aviation began after serving 12 years at Shell (Latin America and Europe) when he joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Switzerland to lead fuel and airport campaigns, in collaboration with governments, oil companies, fuel service providers and airports for diverse world regions. His service at IATA lasted a decade before joining the World Fuel Services as Vice President of Supply Development for Latin America and Caribbean.
Just prior to joining ACI World, Luis Felipe successfully led the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), between 2017 and 2020, where he led a complete restructuring of the organization. This enabled it to be more effective and efficient, attracting members and strategic partners to support industry development in the region.
He is a Chemical Engineer graduate from Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and has a postgraduate qualification in Finance from the University of São Paulo, an MBA from Dom Cabral Foundation in São Paulo, and Post MBA from Kellogg University in Chicago.
He currently serves on the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), being particularly dedicated to the sustainability of the sector.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Maribel Rodriguez
Senior Vice President, WTTC
Maribel Rodriguez, SVP, joined WTTC in 2014. She has built an extensive network within the Travel and Tourism industry public and private sector, accumulating over 20 years of experience. She was an Executive Commercial Director and Board Member for Travelodge Hotels Spain from 2008 to 2014. Prior she spent 11 years in the aviation industry, managing among others the introduction of low-cost airline operations for Virgin Express, Go-Fly, EasyJet and Ryanair. She also worked for British Airways.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Olivier Jankovec
Director General, ACI EUROPE
Olivier Jankovec became Director General of the European Region of the Airports Council International (ACI EUROPE) in September 2006. ACI EUROPE is the European region of Airports Council International (ACI), the only worldwide professional association of airport operators. ACI EUROPE represents over 500 airports in 55 countries. Our members facilitate over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe. Air transport supports 13.5 million jobs, generating 886 billion in European economic activity (4.4% of GDP). In response to the Climate Emergency, in June 2019 our members committed to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions for operations under their control by 2050, without offsetting.
Olivier first joined ACI EUROPE in March 2006 as Director of Strategy & Communications. He has more than 25 years of governmental and lobbying experience, having worked for Alitalia (2002-2006), Air France (2000-2002) and the Air Transport Directorate of the European Commission (1994-2000).
Immediately prior to joining ACI EUROPE Olivier was the Director of Institutional Relations for Alitalia where he was in charge of governmental affairs at national, European and International levels. During this time, he was also Chair of the Association of European Airlines Policy Committee. In 2006 and 2007, he participated in the EU’s High-Level Group on the future of aviation regulation in Europe.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Peter Cerdá
Regional Vice President, The Americas, IATA
Peter Cerdá, based in Miami, leads the regional organization, which advocates the industry’s priorities with government authorities, airports and suppliers to make air transport safer, secure, reliable and as the indispensable network that drives nearly $958 billion in GDP and generates 12.8 million jobs in the Americas Region. His scope of responsibility extends from North to South America with a large local presence in more than 25 countries across the region. He is a member of the Strategic Leadership Team of IATA, which sets the strategic direction for IATA. Cerdá is also IATA’s major shareholder for Cargo Network Services (CNS) and the International Airlines Travel Agent Network(IATAN). Cerdá possesses a wealth of industry experience acquired over 27 years in aviation. He has worked in various functions for IATA and most recently, he served as regional director for safety, operations and infrastructure for the Americas and Atlantic until 2013. Prior to joining IATA in 1996, Cerdá started his aviation career with Iberia.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Richard Stephenson
Board Director and Chief Commercial Officer, Global Airlines
Participating Talks and Sessions
Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu
Acting General Manager and Vice General Manager, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA)
Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu is Acting General Manager and Vice General Manager - Tourism Operations and Development, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA)
Participating Talks and Sessions
Majid Khan
Vice President Aviation Development, iGA Istanbul Airport
Mr. Majid Khan is Vice President Aviation Development of iGA Istanbul Airport (IST) and part of Istanbul Airport top-management reporting to CEO.
He is 44 years old and is coming from Denmark. He is educated Engineer in Business Administration, M.Sc, from Technical University of Denmark.
Furthermore he holds a degree in Executive Leadership, Cranfield Directors Programme, from Cranfield University in United Kingdom. He has been part of aviation industry for almost 12 years by playing a central role in developing hubs around Europe.
Majid Khan joined aviation industry in 2011 at Copenhagen Airport where he was part of Aviation Development team to develop Northern Europe`s largest Hub.
From 2016 – 2020 he worked as Senior Director traffic development at Avinor, Norways`s 45 airports, where he was responsible for leading the team to develop Oslo Airport as a leading Hub in the region and Gateway to Norway.
Majid Khan has won several industry awards in 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2018 together with Copenhagen Airports & Avinor Airports and was nominated for “Individual Leadership Award 2022” globally.
Since 2020, Majid Khan has led Istanbul Airport`s recovery in terms of passenger numbers with succes. Istanbul Airport has been largest airport in Europe 2020, 2021, 2022 and we are on track to reach 75mio passengers in 2023 (69 mio in 2019).
Participating Talks and Sessions
Gokhan Sengul
Corporate Communications Director, iGA Istanbul Airport
Participating Talks and Sessions
İsmail Hakkı Polat
Chief Planning Officer, iGA Istanbul Airport
'Mr. Polat; Chief Airport Planning Officer of iGA, the operator of Istanbul Airport; has over 24 years of planning, design, construction, ORAT, and operation experience in the aviation sector. His experience in aviation started as Project Engineer at Boston Logan International Airport Terminal A & E projects with Skanska USA. Upon his return to Türkiye, he continued working in aviation, participating in several international projects in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia for public, private, and military clients. Currently at iGA, his team provides full technical and engineering studies to the entire airport organization to ensure the operational integrity of the airport master plan and flexibility for future development in terms of airspace and airside infrastructure, CNS/ATM development and integration, aviation safety & security, operational effectiveness, level of service, constructability, infrastructure capacity, logistics, and connectivity. In addition to his role at iGA, Mr. Polat has been selected as a member of the Performance Review Commission of Eurocontrol as Focal Point for Airports, providing independent measurement, assessment, and review of gate-to-gate Pan-European Air Navigation Services performance.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Wutcharin Thatan
Head of Commercial, Really Cool Airlines
Participating Talks and Sessions
Ali Rajab
Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Air Connectivity Program
Participating Talks and Sessions
Haydar Yalcin
Senior Aviation Expert, Former Deputy DG, Turkish CAA
Haydar YALÇIN is an Aeronautical Engineer, and retired from the Turkish DGCA in 2021 after having 33 years of experience. He is the Deputy Director General for the last 17 years. He is the former President of the Eurocontrol Provisional Council, and the member of the Board of Governors of the Flight Safety Foundation. He is currently working for Eurocontrol as Senior Expert.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Aaron Heslehurst
News Anchor / Presenter
Daily Telegraph Best Commentator 2009 (voted by the public)
Aaron Heslehurst is one of the main faces on BBC World News TV.
He has been a BBC business news presenter since February 2002. In May of 2017 he launched his own named show "Talking Business with Aaron Heslehurst" A daily half hour global show that's dynamic, exciting and very energized. Aaron cuts through the jargon with live top CEO interviews and brings you the latest innovations in technology.
Over the past 15 years Aaron has presented across all of the BBC television channels, including the 24 hour News Channel, the BBC Travel Show and as part of the presenter team on BBC Breakfast, the acclaimed morning program on BBC One.
He covers the latest from leading international and domestic corporate news to global finance as well as breaking major news stories.
Aaron has also interviewed some of the world's biggest corporate leaders and leaders, from the World Bank, the IMF, the European Union and the World Trade Organisation.
His specialty lies in the global aviation industry. Aaron has interviewed the heads of most of the world’s largest and leading airlines.
Prior to joining BBC World News, Aaron was a Senior News Anchor with CNBC Nordic, a branch of NBC America, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. And he was the European Bureau Chief for Paramount Pictures and Real TV News in the USA and later in London.
Aaron is a native of Sydney, Australia
Participating Talks and Sessions
Jordi Pla Pintre
Director of Network Strategy & Long Term Planning, Vueling Airlines
Participating Talks and Sessions
Carlos Mercado
Executive Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Participating Talks and Sessions
Andrew Charlton
Managing Director, Aviation Advocacy
Participating Talks and Sessions
Dilhan Haradasa
Group Head of Airport Partnerships and Incentives, AirAsia
Participating Talks and Sessions
Sebastian Ponce
VP Network Planning and Alliances, Air Transat
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mory Camara
Managing Director, SOGEAC, Guinea
Participating Talks and Sessions
Ashleigh Walsh
Head of Network Planning, Air New Zealand
Participating Talks and Sessions
Dhaz Hunjan
Acting Chief Commercial Officer, Gulf Air
Participating Talks and Sessions
Peter Glade
CCO, SunExpress
Participating Talks and Sessions
Yves Renard
Head of Fleet & Network planning, Airbus
Participating Talks and Sessions
Jay Lingeswara
Vice President (Commercial), VietJet Air
Participating Talks and Sessions
Serkan Kılıç
IOCC Vice President, Pegasus Airlines
He was graduated from Turkish Naval Academy in 2000 and became a Navy pilot after successfullly completing Turkish Air Force Flight Training School. In 2014 his civil aviation career started in Turkish Airlines and after 2018 he joined Pegasus Airlines. He is serving Pegasus Airlines as Examiner on A320 and as IOCC Vice President.
He is married and has two daughters, ages 11 and 8.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Henri-Charles Ozarovsky
Head of Strategy, Network & Partnerships, TAP Air Portugal
Participating Talks and Sessions
Matthías Sveinbjörnsson
Director Revenue Management and Pricing, Icelandair
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mohamed Yousif AlBinfalah
Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain Airport Company
Participating Talks and Sessions
Shahab Shayan
Senior Manager (Asia & Turkiye), International Operations Department, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing(DCTCM)
Shahab Abdulla Shayan is the Senior Manager of Asia pacific region and Turkiye, International Operations of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing(DCTCM) – the body responsible for the branding, promotion and marketing of the Emirate of Dubai .
With Dubai’s Tourism Vision to be the number one destination for tourism, the Corporation is dedicated to working with private and public sector tourism and commerce partners to promote Dubai’s position as a leading international business and leisure destination around the world.
Under his remit, he will oversee the planning, strategy, and activities in the Asia pacific region and Turkiye.
Shahab took up this post in May 2014, Joining DCTCM from Jumeirah group of hotels and resorts, where he was the cluster sales manager and then sales manager for Emirates Towers. In his role, he was responsible for generating sales from the government and diplomatic segment, maintaining and growing the current relationships, and developing new strategic partnerships with ministries.
Shahab’s background has over four years of experience in the Hospitality and Tourism industry, and he is a graduate from the number one school in the region for Hospitality Management, the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Tonderai Mangombe
Public Relations and Communications Manager, Airports Company of Zimbabwe
Participating Talks and Sessions
Christian Kaeser
Vice President Aviation Sales & Traffic Development, Albrecht Dürer Airport Nürnberg
Participating Talks and Sessions
Thiti Arayakhun
Head of scheduling, Thai Airways
Participating Talks and Sessions
Ryan Park
Strategy Planning Manager, Air Premia
- 2008~2013: Worked for Asiana Airlines taking the responsibility for airport service and IFE management
- 2016~2017: Worked for JEJU Air as assistant manager taking care of business strategy and ancillary revenue
- Since 2019~: Working for Air Premia as strategy planning manager responsible for route network and partnership
Participating Talks and Sessions
Trevor Chong
Vice President, Route Planning & Economics, Emirates Airline
Participating Talks and Sessions
Serkan Kaptan
Chief Executive Officer, TAV Airports
Participating Talks and Sessions
Darren Hulst
Vice President Commercial Marketing, The Boeing Company
Darren Hulst is vice president of Commercial Marketing for The Boeing Company. Hulst leads a team that markets the company’s family of commercial airplanes and services by understanding industry trends and market requirements, contributing to planning and product development, and supporting market positioning and sales activities. He was named to this role in March 2020.
Hulst joined Boeing in 2005 and has served in various leadership positions in Marketing including network and fleet planning, sales strategy, global market analysis, China & Asia regional marketing, and market analytics.
Before joining Boeing, Hulst spent eight years at Delta Air Lines, serving in various management roles in Network & Schedule Planning and Revenue Management. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University with degrees in Economics and Geography.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Francoise Crosnier
Head of Marketing Europe, Airbus
Participating Talks and Sessions
Tomislav Lang
Managing Director / Founder, flyv
Participating Talks and Sessions
Chen Yang
Director of Aviation Department, Chengdu Tianfu International Airport
Participating Talks and Sessions
Stephane H. Marcoux
Aviation Marketing Director, Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado
Participating Talks and Sessions
Maria Elena Rossi
Global Marketing and Promotion Director, ENIT - The Italian Government Tourist Board
Participating Talks and Sessions
Michael Bell
Senior Client Partner, Aviation & Aerospace, Korn Ferry
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 aviation aerospace, airline, and airport sectors.
Over his 23 years in the profession, Michael has led over 1,000 searches for aviation and aerospace organizations around the globe, including numerous CEO and C-level mandates. Michael 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 60 countries around the globe.
John Strickland
Director, JLS Consulting
Participating Talks and Sessions
Yolanta Strikitsa
Managing Director, Strikitsa Consulting
Yolanta Strikitsa is a British Entrepreneur with more than 20 years of global business experience. After successful career in private equity she set up Strikitsa Consulting that focuses on corporate governance and executive search in aviation and infrastructure. Strikitsa Consulting has offices in London and completed assignments for clients from Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Romania and other countries of emerging economies. Yolanta holds MBA in Finance from California State University.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Andrew van der Feltz
Senior Director of Business Development, Expedia Group Media Solutions
Andrew van der Feltz is a senior director of business development at Expedia Group Media Solutions. His team works closely with agencies, destination marketing organizations, hotel and airline partners on display advertising opportunities and campaigns across the portfolio of Expedia Group brands. Andrew previously led business development and oversaw the partner-facing teams for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
Prior to joining Expedia, Andy was the director of business development and operations at the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) since April 2011. Prior to this, he also worked at NBTC in the London office as country manager for the UK and Ireland. He started his career at NBTC as marketing manager, after his role as an international marketing manager at VisitScotland. Andy studied Marketing and French in Scotland, continued his postdoc education at the Institute of Marketing in Edinburgh, and attended the Executive Educational Programme in General Management at the London Business School.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mehmet Keyvan
Chief Executive Officer, KEYVAN Aviation
Mehmet Keyvan is the CEO & Chairman of the KEYVAN HAVACILIK A.S. (KEYVAN Aviation). Under his leadership, KEYVAN Aviation has successfully carried out a robust turnaround plan and achieved a strong growth path by certifying as EASA Type 1 DAT provider, to become the first Turkish company and 4th globally. With the decision to prioritize the aviation data analytic capability and activity, Mehmet has built a foundation for the company’s global success story. Mehmet Keyvan is an experienced CEO who has worked in the aviation industry for more than 20 years. He put his all effort to support digitalization transformation in aviation industries including with authorities, Airlines, Operators & Airports. He believes in the power of data analytics and the benefits of accurate data and detailed analytics in Airlines and Airport's sustainability plans, cost, and time management. Under the leadership of Mehmet, KEYVAN Aviation’s business model has gone from a local company, enabling it to expand operations, enter new ventures, and diversify into the global aviation market. Today, the company holds a portfolio of successful businesses and projects, offering a variety of Data and analytic solutions and services across the globe.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Semra Kandemir
Chief Product Strategy Officer, Hitit Computer Services
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mark Pilling
Editor, Airline Routes & Ground Services (ARGS)
Participating Talks and Sessions
Victoria Moores
European Editor/Bureau Chief, Air Transport World
Participating Talks and Sessions
Aidan Mooney
Vice President Consulting, ASM Global Route Development
Participating Talks and Sessions
Steven Small
Director of Events, Routes
An economic development and tourism specialist, Steven’s career has focussed on working with destinations supporting inward investment, tourism and economic development initiatives.
Roles in inward investment, specifically site selection, and project management led Steven to the Northwest Regional Development Agency, where he developed a grant to help support regional airport’s route development strategies.
As a consultant at Ernst and Young, Steven worked on a number of projects for both private and public sector organisations, including supporting the development of the business plan for Bath City Council.
Working at Marketing Manchester, Steven managed a variety of projects including funding packages for Manchester Central – the city’s main convention venue and the new National Football Museum, as well as delivering the route development fund for Manchester Airport. Steven then took on the role of Head of Business Tourism for Visit Manchester, working to attract major new events and conferences to the city.
Steven moved back to his hometown of Liverpool as Head of Tourism, working with public and private stakeholders to develop a long-term strategy to maximise the explosion of the visitor economy, since the European Capital of Culture in 2008, and ensure the city region continues to improve its tourism offer and grow sustainably.
In 2017 Steven took on the role of Director of Events for Routes – leading a team on the development and delivery of a portfolio of global aviation events, which provides live and digital platforms for airlines, airports and destinations to negotiate new air services.
Participating Talks and Sessions
David Casey
Editor in Chief, Routes
David Stroud
Managing Director, 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.
Lee Lipton
Sr. Vice President, Aviation Strategy, ASM
Lee’s 25-year career in aviation spans leadership roles in network planning, flight scheduling, and business strategy at WestJet in Canada, Southwest Airlines in the United States, and Ireland’s Aer Lingus. He directed the Vantage Airport Group Air Service Development team responsible for expanding passenger and cargo business at nine airports in the Americas and Europe. He also worked on airport infrastructure development projects, such as Vantage’s successful bid to rebuild LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminal in New York. Lee has been a featured speaker on airline and airport topics at a number of international events and has also lectured at the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business.
After graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Aeronautics from Miami University, Lee traveled globally as a 747 cargo loadmaster and worked on certification programs for engine fuel control systems on civilian and military aircraft. He received his Masters Degree from Northwestern University where he currently connects the school to students around the world as a Global Ambassador.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Edmond Rose
Consulting Director, ASM
Edmond Rose has 25 years of experience in commercial aviation as a senior executive in airlines, in airport slot coordination and as a consultant.
After 11 years in the British diplomatic service, Edmond’s aviation career began with government affairs roles first at Virgin Atlantic Airways and then at British Airways.
As Director of Airline Planning at Virgin Atlantic from 2008 to 2014, Edmond led the fleet and network planning, RM, pricing, alliances, and partnerships & teams. He sponsored the transformation of Virgin’s fleet with new Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 aircraft and led strategy work leading to negotiating and implementing Virgin’s alliance with Delta.
As a consultant, he has carried out business and network planning projects for a variety of airlines from legacy network carriers to LCCs. He has also worked on airline joint ventures, airport strategy, and slot valuation projects.
Edmond served as CEO of Airport Coordination Limited, the world’s leading slot coordinator, from 2018 to 2021.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Hang Zhao
Consultant, ASM
Hang joined ASM from Shanghai Juneyao Airlines where he had been a senior network manager. With a wealth of airline experience, Hang brings with him analytical capabilities in flight routes and project management, as well as a sound knowledge of international flight application process and systems as well as the different countries’ regulation processes.
Participating Talks and Sessions
David Appleby
Director, Air Service Development Consulting, ASM
David joined Routes in 2007 and his remit was later expanded to include ASM’s business in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2022. he joined ASM as Air Service Development Consulting Director. He previously worked at US Airways as a group sales representative and later as an analyst specialising in the Madrid market. David is also very interested in Latin American history, economics and politics.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Sanjay Jayanth
Business Development Consultant, Asia-Pacific, Routes