Conference Programme Speakers
Ronald Lam
CEO, Cathay Group
Ronald Lam is the Cathay Group’s Chief Executive Officer, leading the overall business direction of the Group. He is also the Chair of the Group’s wholly owned low-cost subsidiary, HK Express.
Prior to his appointment as CEO in January 2023, Ronald was Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer. He has also previously held the position of Cathay Director Commercial and Cargo, Chief Executive Officer of HK Express, and Chief Executive Officer Hong Kong of HAECO (Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited), a wholly owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited.
Ronald joined the Cathay Group as a Management Trainee in 1996 and has worked in a number of managerial positions in Hong Kong and overseas. His postings include Country Manager Sri Lanka & Maldives (based in Colombo), Manager Cargo Sales & Marketing, General Manager Sales & Distribution and General Manager Information Management.
Ronald graduated with a Bachelor & Master of Arts, Major in Computer Science with First Class Honours from the University of Cambridge in 1994. He completed the INSEAD Advanced Management Course in 2009 and Stanford University’s Executive Programme in 2015.
Ronald is a Director of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited. He was appointed as a member of the Tourism Strategy Committee under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government in January 2024, tasked with promoting the long-term and sustainable development of Hong Kong's tourism industry.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Majid Khan
CEO, Saudi Air Connectivity Program
Mr.Khan is leading the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, as part of Saudi Vision2030, to enhance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's air connectivity and further accelerate the development of the Kingdom’s tourism potential with the entire tourism and aviation Eco-system.
He also held many leadership positions in the aviation sector at Copenhagen Airports, Avinor airports and recently at IGA Istanbul Airport as Vice President of Aviation Development, leading the fastest COVID-19 traffic recovery globally with huge success among mega hubs.
Mr. Khan is educated Engineer in Business Administration (M.Sc) from Technical University of Denmark and with Executive Leadership degree from Cranfield School of Management.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Vicki Jaramillo
Chief Commercial Officer, Orlando International Airport
Participating Talks and Sessions
Stephen Smart
Head of Communications, Vancouver International Airport
Stephen brings more than 25 years of communications, media, and public affairs experience to his role as Head of Communications at Vancouver International Airport – YVR. He is responsible for both external and internal communications including media relations, issues management, YVR’s website, digital content and social media for the airport.
Prior to joining Vancouver International Airport earlier this year, Stephen was the General Manager for Western Canada for global consulting firm, Hill & Knowlton as well as being the agency’s Canadian mobility and transportation sector lead. He supported a number of global clients in corporate communications, marketing, and public affairs. He also served for two years as the Press Secretary to the Premier of British Columbia.
Before moving into communications, Stephen spent 15 years as an award-winning journalist with several of Canada’s leading news outlets covering a wide range of stories including the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Aidan Mooney
Vice President Consulting, ASM Global Route Development
Participating Talks and Sessions
Claudia Longo
Head of Marketing & Strategy and Program Coordinator, Milano & Partners
Claudia is currently the Head of Marketing & Strategy at Milano & Partners, the official Destination Management Organization of the city of Milan. With a solid background in international communication agencies, including WPP, she has held increasingly senior roles, from Account Director to Head of Operations, leading global campaigns for iconic brands such as Burger King, Coca-Cola, Lamborghini, and Campari.
After several years of experience in B2B marketing and strategic communication, Claudia chose to dedicate her skills to her hometown. For nearly a year, she has been leading high-profile cultural and territorial marketing projects, helping to strengthen Milan’s position as a premier international destination.
Edward Russell
Aviation and Transport Journalist
Edward Russell is an independent aviation journalist whose work regularly appears in The Washington Post, The Points Guy. Business Traveler USA and other publications. He has more than a decade of experience covering the airline industry at FlightGlobal and Skift. He is based in Washington, DC.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Ignacio Pedro Bosch
Vice President - Commercial Strategy Network and Partnership, Oman Air
Ignacio Bosch Nacenta is an aviation executive with over 15 years of international leadership in the aviation industry with experience across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. As VP of Strategy, Network, Partnerships, Fleet & Regulatory at Oman Air, he is currently leading a major airline transformation.
His previous key achievements include leading Vueling’s fleet expansion from 30 to 125 aircraft and leading AirAsia’s post-pandemic recovery of 250 aircraft.
He is an expert in driving profitability through strategic network and fleet optimization driving growth, profitability, and operational excellence on a global scale.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Trevor Chong
Divisional Vice President Route Planning, Emirates
Trevor has 20 years of airline experience, primarily in network planning at Emirates Airline. In his career, he was involved in growing the airline’s network from 60 destinations to more than 150 today across six continents, aircraft evaluation and orders and implementing strategic partnerships with Qantas and flydubai.
As Divisional Vice President of Route Planning, he leads a small team of network planners in the larger Strategic Planning Division at Emirates Airline, tasked with the sustained expansion of the airline’s passenger network.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Philipe Karat
Head of Transportation, Visit Brasil
Philipe Karat is ahead of the Transportation department in Visit Brasil / Embratur, caring for the relationship of Brazil's DMO with all transportation companies, including air service development and aviation stakeholders coordination.
Prior to Visit Brasil / Embratur, Philipe held leadership positions at renowned organizations like RIOgaleão – Rio de Janeiro Int'l Airport and LATAM Airlines. His experience spans various aspects of the industry, including business development, market research, revenue management, and governamental, policy & regulatory affairs.
In the past seven years, Philipe played a pivotal role in attracting new airlines to Brazil, including four low-cost carriers, through the creation of incentive programs and cooperation agreements to boost passenger traffic and the development of proprietary models assessing aviation and tourism impacts to engage governments into tourism development strategies.
He is also well-versed in quantitative research methods and innovative business development, being involved on RIOgaleão's product enablement for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and the transformation of data practices in both the airport and the Tourist Board.
Philipe's educational background reflects his well-rounded skill set. He holds a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of São Paulo and a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Polytechnic University of Turin."
Participating Talks and Sessions
Antonio da Costa
VP Market Analysis and Forecast, Airbus
Antonio joined Airbus in 1998 as an Aerodynamics Engineer at Airbus UK in Bristol, after obtaining his Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Lisbon Technical University (IST) and Aerospace Vehicle Design from Cranfield University. He joined the Marketing division in 2000, based in Toulouse, France, working with airlines like easyJet, Emirates, Japan Airlines or LATAM.
Subsequently, he joined the Strategy department working on future aircraft developments, bringing several developments to light such as the A320neo. In 2013, he rejoined the Marketing department, taking several executive management roles, the last one being VP for Single-Aisle Marketing. Currently he is the VP for Market Analysis and Forecasting, delivering mid- to long-term analysis and forecasts driving Airbus Commercial’s strategic decisions, as well as supporting the whole airline industry with the Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF).
Antonio is married with one daughter, who enjoys a double nationality, French from her mother and Portuguese from him. He is very fond of mountains and his hobbies include hiking and skiing.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Katie Mills
International Director, Commercial & Partnerships, Tourism and Events Queensland
Ms Katie Mills is the International Director at Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ). In her role at TEQ, Ms Mills leads the international team, who are collectively focused on driving conversion initiatives through aviation, trade, event, and media partnerships in 18 key source markets and growing inbound tourism for the State. In addition, Ms Mills works closely with the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation and leads the marketing activity on AAIF supported airlines services and the Connecting Queensland Fund.
Ms Mills has been with TEQ for 17 years and has worked in several roles during this time, including Global Marketing Operations Director, Eastern Markets Director and Destination Director for Brisbane and Southern Queensland Country. Prior to joining TEQ, Ms Mills worked for three years at Tourism Australia, and 10 years at Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Matthew Choi
General Manager, Corporate Planning, HK Express
Matthew Choi was appointed General Manager, Corporate Planning at HK Express in 2023. Since joining the airline, he has played a pivotal role in its expansion, overseeing the doubling of its size and the launch of over 20 new destinations.
Matthew began his career with the Swire Group in 2013, taking on various roles across Hong Kong, Vancouver, Chongqing and Jakarta. Prior to his current appointment, he served as the Country Manager for Indonesia at Cathay Pacific Airways, where he managed both internal and external affairs for Indonesia during the pandemic (2020-2023).
With over 12 years of experience within Cathay Pacific group, Matthew has held diverse roles in Strategic Transformation, Customer Experience Design, Sales & Distribution, and Flight Operations. Matthew is a sports enthusiast who enjoys go-kart racing, golfing, skiing and diving. As an adventure-seeker, he also loves to travel and is an avid landscape and drone photographer.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Chen Chuanren
Southeast Asia and China Editor, Air Transport World
Chen Chuanren is the Southeast Asia and China Editor at Air Transport World, where he covers airline strategies, route development, airport projects, and sustainability issues across the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on air traffic management.
He also contributes to Aviation Week on defense and technology topics.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Hon. Paul Chan Mo-po
GBM, GBS, MH, JP, Financial Secretary, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Mr Chan is a Certified Public Accountant. He is a former President of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Before joining the Government, Mr Chan held a number of public service positions including member of the Legislative Council and Chairman of Legal Aid Services Council.
Mr Chan served as Secretary for Development from July 2012 to January 2017. He has been Financial Secretary since 2017.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Richard Nuttall
President, Philippines Airlines
Richard Nuttall is PAL's newly appointed President. He has over 30 years of airline industry experience with multiple airlines around the globe.
He first started his career in John Swire & Sons (HK) Ltd., and was later seconded to Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd (CX). where he assumed multiple roles covering Commercial, Business Improvement and Country Management.
In 1999, he joined PAL for the first time as Senior Commercial Advisor/ Acting Commercial Director.
Since then he has worked for Polar Air Cargo, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Kenya Airways, Bahrain Air, Royal Jordanian, Saudia & SriLankan Airlines in senior leadership positions including several C Suite roles. He has also been on the Executive Board of Skyteam and the Governing Board of oneWorld.
Prior to joining PAL, he was the Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines. During his tenure, the Company delivered three years of operating profits after a decade of losses.
Richard obtained his Master of Arts in Mathematics from Oxford University. He also has an MSc in Sloan Masters - Senior Executive Leadership from the London Business School.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Lavinia Lau
Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Cathay Group
Lavinia Lau is the Cathay Group’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, and is responsible for three lines of business within the Group – Premium Travel (i.e. Cathay Pacific), Cargo and Lifestyle. She is also an Executive Director on the Board of Cathay Pacific. Prior to her current roles, Lavinia was Cathay Pacific Director Customer Travel. She has also previously held the position of Cathay Pacific Director Commercial. Lavinia started her career as a Swire Group Management Trainee and joined Cathay Pacific in 1999. Since then, she has held various managerial positions on the commercial side of the airline, including Revenue Management, Sales and Distribution, Planning, e-Business, Alliance, and Loyalty. Lavinia is Chair of the Board of Airline Representatives in Hong Kong (BAR) and Board member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).
Participating Talks and Sessions
Fred Lam
Chairman, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)
Appointed Chairman of the Board in June 2024. Member of the World Governing Board of Airports Council International (ACI) and Second Vice President of the ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Regional Board. Member of the HKSAR Government’s Lantau Development Advisory Committee. Member of The University of Hong Kong Council. Member of the Hong Kong–United States Business Council. Independent Non-executive Director of Wing Tai Properties Limited. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong from October 2014 to May 2024. Former Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. In 2007, Mr Lam was named “Director of the Year” by the Hong Kong Institute of Directors in the category of statutory and non-profit-distributing organisations. In 2011, he was given the Peace through Commerce Medal from the United States Government in recognition of his leadership role in boosting US exports to, and through, Hong Kong. In 2019, he was elected a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and received the Executive Award in the DHL/ SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Vivian Cheung
Chief Executive Officer, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)
Appointed Chief Executive Officer in April 2025. Director of the Aviation Security Company Limited Board. Holds a Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Computer Science from The State University of New York.
Cheung is an alumnus of Stanford University’s Executive Programme. She was appointed Chief Operating Officer in December 2022 and has been doubling up as Acting CEO since June 2024. Mrs Cheung worked for high-technology companies in New York and Silicon Valley for many years before joining Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) in 1992.
With more than 30 years of experience in airport management, she has held a number of senior management positions at AAHK. Mrs Cheung is Chairman of the Hong Kong Zhuhai Airport Management Company Limited and First Vice President of the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Co Limited.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Luís Rodrigues
Chief Executive Officer, TAP Air Portugal
Luís Rodrigues is Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of TAP Air Portugal since April 2023.
He holds a degree in Economics and a MBA from Faculdade de Economia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Nova SBE), in 2003 he took the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and enrolled in the PhD in 2019, in Political Science, at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas da Universidade de Lisboa (suspended for professional reasons).
Between 2003 and 2008, he was the marketing director of Portugal Telecom, having also been CEO of Fischer, between August 2008 and June 2009. Between June 2009 and December 2014 he was executive director at the holding company TAP SGPS and TAP S.A, having led the management of outstations in more than 90 destinations. He created and implemented a global cost reduction programme for the Company, and took over as CFO in April 2014. He was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of TAP Manutenção e Engenharia Brasil and executive director of SPdH - Serviços Portugueses de Handling, S.A.
Between 2015 and 2019 he was President of the Executive Committee of Nova School of Business & Economics, Nova Forum.
He also presided over SATA, the Azores Airline, from the end of 2019 to April 2023.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mike Szücs
CEO, Cebu Pacific
Mike Szucs, CEO of Cebu Pacific, leads one of Asia's most dynamic low-cost carriers through a period of significant expansion. Under his leadership, the airline has achieved remarkable post-pandemic recovery, carrying 24.5 million passengers in 2024. His strategic vision is evident in the recent order for up to 152 A321neo aircraft, positioning Cebu Pacific for substantial growth while advancing its sustainability goals. Szucs' focus on fleet modernization and operational efficiency continues to strengthen the carrier's position as a key player in Asia-Pacific aviation.
Mike started his airline career as a pilot with British Airways in 1990 flying Boeing 737, 757, 767 and Airbus A320 aircraft. He moved into management within British Airways in 1996 and by the year 2000, at the age of 34, was appointed as Chief Pilot of their Gatwick operations. In 2001, Mike moved into the commercial side of British Airways as General Manager World Sales.
By late 2003 Mike had moved to EasyJet as Operations Director responsible for all maintenance, pilots, cabin crew, airport operations, safety and security. Latterly, in 2005 Mike became Chief Operating Officer.
In 2006 Mike took the helm of his first airline, as the CEO of then start-up LCC VivaAerobus in Mexico. After three years, on very little cash investment, the company was thriving with healthy profit margins having weathered, amongst other things, fuel price shocks, excessive over-capacity, swine flu, and peso depreciation.
Since 2009 Mike has taken on a breadth of CEO challenges: trying to rescue a massively distressed airline in Europe (Spanair), successfully starting another Latin American LCC (VivaColombia) and leading the efforts to establish a new LCC for Qatar Airways in Saudi Arabia (Al Maha).
Having seen many other parts of the world, Mike was delighted to come to Asia in February 2016, taking the helm at Cebu Pacific Air.
Mike has five children, three of whom are “grown-up” and live in Australia, England and United States respectively. His other two children, both young girls (5 years and 3 years old) live with him and his wife Vida in Manila.
He is a graduate of the University of Manchester with a First Class Honours Degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Jonathan Song
Chief Commercial Officer, Plaza Premium Group
Jonathan Song, the Chief Commercial Officer at Plaza Premium Group (PPG), spearheads the company's commercial and development strategy, focusing on global expansion, strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and diversification to enhance the financial performance and competitive edge of its airport hospitality assets worldwide. He oversees teams across various functions such as commercial, sales, business development, loyalty, and analytics, driving strategic initiatives across all business segments.
Jonathan's passion for aviation, travel, and hospitality fuels his drive for innovation and tackling new challenges. With over a decade dedicated to PPG, his role as Global Director of Business Development saw him expanding PPG's global presence to be in over 600 international and domestic airports across 150 countries. This growth included airport hospitality services such as lounges, in-terminal hotels, airport concierge services, dining concepts and a loyalty program. Jonathan has played a pivotal role in PPG's digital transformation for seamless airport hospitality worldwide and is instrumental in tender processes, negotiations, and fostering key partnerships.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Yves Renard
Head of Fleet, Network and Commonality, Airbus
Yves has more than 25 years of experience in the airline and aerospace industry.
Yves started his career as an aeronautical engineer with Rolls-Royce in the UK, then moved to Air France in the Environmental Affairs Directorate.
Air France’s merger with KLM provided Yves with a unique opportunity to manage the build up of the cargo airline’s new 5-year strategic plan, and complete several aircraft conversion and acquisition projects as part of the Fleet and Business planning team.
Yves was then recruited by Airbus’s Customer Affairs Directorate, successfully marketing and selling our full portfolio aircraft to airlines of every size and business model around the world.
Yves now leads the Airbus team in charge of supporting aircraft sales campaigns through planning future airline route networks and developing business plans, assessing requirements for aircraft, crews, mechanics, spares and toolings. Yves also consolidates market feedback, driving Airbus product & services design improvements.
Passionate about air transport market trends, Yves is a regular speaker at major air transport industry conferences.
Yves holds a Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering from ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse, France.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mayur (Mac) Patel
Head of Asia, OAG Aviation
Mr. Mayur (Mac) Patel is Head of Asia at OAG Aviation, based in Singapore.
OAG is the leading data platform for the global travel industry, powering the growth and innovation of the air travel ecosystem. It has the world's largest network of flight information.
Mr. Patel is responsible for business development and leading the sales organisation in Japan and Asia Pacific for OAG Aviation to provide cutting-edge data services to the biggest global brands, airports, airlines, travel operators, and fast-growing start-ups to design the best services available today, and the finest innovations of tomorrow.
Prior to joining OAG, he was with Amadeus and IATA overseeing sales of Travel Intelligence solutions and services in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. In addition, he has extensive airline experience having worked for Qantas Airways, Air New Zealand, and Ansett Australia based in Sydney, Australia.
He serves on the Executive Board of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. In addition, he is an Industry Advisory Committee Member of the Hong Kong University (HKU) SPACE and Swinburne University of Technology.
He holds a Bachelor of Business (tourism management major) from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Daniel Galhardo Gomes
Strategic Marketing Director, Embraer S.A
Daniel is the Strategic Marketing Director at Embraer Commercial Aviation, responsible for Market Strategy, Product Strategy, Market Intelligence, Strategic Planning, and Sustainability Strategies.
Daniel has been working at Embraer for over 18 years. He began as an Engineer Trainee in the Product Development Department. Later, he held positions as a Customer Support Engineer and Product Strategy Engineer, contributing to the E-Jet E2 product requirements and leading conceptual design projects for Commercial Aviation. As the Strategic Marketing Director, Daniel leads the team responsible for developing strategic plans, market forecasts, future product roadmaps, market intelligence reports, and sustainable roadmap solutions. He has spoken at more than 20 events in the past six years.
Daniel holds a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica – ITA.
Daniel lives in São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Valeria Rebasti
International Market Director Italy, Greece, Germany & South-eastern Europe, Volotea
Valeria Rebasti serves as International Market Director at Volotea, the low-cost airline connecting small and medium-sized European cities, in particular she looks after Italy, Greece, Germany and Southeast Europe.
She holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Milan, and after a brief experience in the mass market industry, she entered the aviation sector where she established her career. After three years as Sales & Marketing Executive at Go Fly, the low cost airline from British airways, she was appointed Market Manager at easyJet in 2002. The following year, she advanced her career by taking the role of European Sales & Marketing Manager first and then General Manager - Marketing & Sales for Italy and Spain at Jet2.com.
Valeria joined Volotea in its start-up phase, in April 2012, right when the airline started its first flights from Venice, the first base launched by the airline. Initially appointed as Commercial Country Manager for Italy, she subsequently assumed the role of Country Manager for Italy and Greece, later extending her responsibilities to Southeast Europe, ultimately ascending to her current position.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Antoine Rostworowski
Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, ACI World
Mr. Rostworowski is Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Airports Council International (ACI) World based in Montreal, Canada, bringing over 34 years of senior[1]level experience in the airline and airport industries. He has held leadership roles with Canada 3000 Airlines, Air Canada, and Aéroports de Montréal, with a focus on operations, marketing, IT, passenger and baggage processing, self-service, innovation, change management, air service development, commercial and non-aeronautical revenues, and finance. He holds a degree in Business and Marketing from HEC Montréal (Université de Montréal) and earned an Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2010. Since joining ACI World in early 2015, Mr. Rostworowski has been responsible for strategic planning and coordination, member relations, events, international representation, communications, and marketing.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Evan Berg
Director, ASM
Evan Berg is a commercial and business development leader with 25 years of experience in aviation strategy, air service development, and capacity planning. His career spans roles at major airlines and leading aviation consultancies.
At Southwest Airlines, Evan served in multiple leadership positions for more than 15 years, including International Planning, where he established the airline's international planning team and developed the airline's international growth strategy. He also held leadership roles at Southwest Airlines in Network Planning, Network Initiatives, Capacity Planning, and Airport Affairs.
As Director at Informa (ASM Global – Air Service Development), Evan leads forecasting and demand planning projects for airport clients across North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.
Evan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has completed postgraduate studies at Appalachian State University and Coastal Carolina University.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Shinji Nishio
Senior Director, Airline Corporate Strategy Department, Japan Airlines
Mr Shinji Nishio joined Japan Airlines (JAL) in 2004, in passenger handling with ground staff at Osaka Kansai Airport. In 2016 he became responsible for JAL’s international route network planning. In 2020, he oversaw the corporate planning for JAL Group’s Okinawa based company, Japan Transocean Air (JTA).
Since 2022, he has been responsible for JAL’s corporate strategy.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Remon Essers-Aliende Moscoso
Manager Network Planning, Transavia
Remon Essers Aliende-Moscoso is Manager, Network Planning at Transavia (Air France–KLM Group), shaping the airline’s long-term network, fleet, and route strategy.
With a career spanning air traffic control in the Netherlands and Hong Kong, corporate finance, and aviation strategy, he combines operational expertise with commercial insight to deliver growth and innovative planning solutions.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Michael Moriarty
Managing Director, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
As managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL), Michael Moriarty is responsible for the overall management of the theme park and its three resort hotels, creating magical memories for guests from all over the world, while driving strategies that deliver business growth.
Following the successful launch of World of Frozen in 2023, most recently, he led the team to launch HKDL’s 20th Anniversary celebration, The Most Magical Party of All!, a year-long celebration with unparalleled joy and enchantment. HKDL has a solid pipeline for future growth with current expansion plans that include more Marvel-themed experiences and and a brand-new Pixar entertainment offering.
A Hong Kong resident since 2006, Michael is actively involved in the local business community. He and his family are active volunteers with local NGOs.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Mateo Asensio
Cruise Director, Barcelona Tourism
Mateo Asensio has over 20 years of experience in destination management and promotion, including 10 years as Director of Promotion at Turisme de Barcelona, leading international marketing, trade shows, and sector initiatives such as the LGTBI segment. He has also held positions in Tourism Offices of Spain in New York, Singapore, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires.
Currently, he is Director of the Cruise Department at Turisme de Barcelona, where he focuses on projects related to cruise management, mobility, sustainability, visitor experience, and coexistence with local citizens, while also strengthening the sector’s connection with air connectivity.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Joseph Boschulte
Former Commissioner, US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
Joseph Boschulte is the Commissioner for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
Commissioner Boschulte brings over 30 years of experience in business, finance, and government to the tourism department. The Commissioner has held high-level positions in transportation, utilities, telecommunications, finance, government development and investment banking with a proven track record of improving organizational performance and growth.
As Commissioner of Tourism, Boschulte has progressively led the Department of Tourism to expansive heights, rebuilding the territory’s brand, expanding the market reach, and increasing consumer visitation. Named the 2023 Caribbean Executive of the Year by Caribbean Journal, Commissioner Boschulte’s leadership in the US Virgin Islands expanded the depths of traditional destination branding, elevating the territory as a leading destination in the region.
Commissioner Boschulte earned his BBA from William and Mary and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
A family man first, Commissioner Boschulte is a husband to his wife Aisha and the proud parent of children Jaeden and Janae.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Edmond Rose
Director of Aviation Consulting, ASM
Edmond Rose has 25 years’ experience in commercial aviation as a senior executive in airlines, in airport slot coordination and as a consultant. His aviation career included roles at British Airways and at Virgin Atlantic where he directed the fleet and network planning, RM and pricing and alliances teams. He led strategy work leading to negotiating and implementing Virgin’s alliance with Delta.
As a consultant, he has carried out projects for airlines, airports and government bodies ranging from airline business planning to advice on joint ventures, airport strategy, airport slots and air service development.
Edmond served as CEO of Airport Coordination Limited, the world’s leading slot coordinator, from 2018 to 2021.
Participating Talks and Sessions
David Casey
Editor in Chief, Routes
David Casey is Editor in Chief of Routes, the global route development community's trusted source for news and information.
From Routes’ UK headquarters, David leads the content team which offers best-in-class on-stage conferences, print publications and digital news.
David joined Routes in 2017 following 11 years as a regional and national business journalist in the UK, five of which were spent as Editor of Insider Media’s award-winning digital news team.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Steven Small
Managing Director, Routes
Participating Talks and Sessions
Ged Brown
Founder and CEO, Low Season Traveller
A passionate advocate of the advantages of tourism, Ged has spent his entire career of over 30 years working at senior director level with leading travel and tourism organisations such as Thomas Cook, MyTravel, Kuoni, Routes, ForwardKeys, Travel Weekly and AviaDev. He is dedicated to ensuring that there is a sustainable tourism offering for future generations which protects and nurtures destinations, their people and their cultures. As such, he is frequently called upon to present keynote speeches at several travel industry events throughout the year and regularly writes articles and publications on the industry.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Victoria Moores
European Editor/Bureau Chief, Air Transport World
Victoria Moores joined Air Transport World as our London-based European Editor/Bureau Chief on 18 June 2012. Victoria has 28 years’ aviation industry experience, spanning airline ground operations, analytical, journalism and communications roles.
Victoria began her aviation career in 1997, working in airline ground operations in the UK and Belgium for British Midland International. She returned to the UK in late 2001 and took on the role of operations analyst for Bombardier Flexjet Europe, gaining experience in the business aviation sector.
In 2003, she joined Reed Business Information as an aviation journalist for its Flightglobal titles. After six years writing for newswire Air Transport Intelligence, Victoria became Features Editor of Airline Business magazine in spring 2009.
Most recently Victoria was General Manager Communications for the Association of European Airlines (AEA), an industry body which represents the interests of 34 major European network carriers. In this role, she was responsible for directing the association’s media relations strategy.
Victoria holds an Air Transport MSc from Cranfield University and a business degree from The University of Derby.
Participating Talks and Sessions
Michael Bell
Senior Client Partner, Aviation & Aerospace, 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.