Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), the operator of Brisbane Airport in Australia, has appointed Gert-Jan De Graaff (left) as the new CEO with effect from June 2018.
De Graaff is currently the president and CEO of JFKIAT, the operator of Terminal 4 at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York City, New York. He has also previously served as a senior executive at BAC. De Graaff will replace Julieanne Alroe, who will retire at the end of the financial year.
David Peever, BAC chairman, said, “Brisbane Airport is currently Australia’s third busiest airport and will, with the completion of its new parallel runway in 2020, be the best positioned airport in the country for domestic and international growth.
“The board’s focus is on ensuring that the company’s success continues to be derived from an airport that serves the needs of the traveling public, the aspirations of its commercial partners, and the interests of the community as a whole. Gert-Jan shares these values and we are confident that this, combined with his extensive international experience, will enable BAC to deliver on its considerable potential as a catalyst for economic growth for the city, region and nation.”
De Graaff said he was delighted to be returning to Brisbane Airport, where he held senior executive roles including general manager, commercial services, and general manager, strategic planning and development, between 2007 and 2012.
“The opportunity to lead Brisbane Airport at such a critical and exciting time was too good to ignore,” he said. “The airport’s potential is exceptional, particularly in international markets, and I look forward to doing what I can to ensure that potential is realized.
“Returning to Brisbane, a place I came to love in my five years there, is also very exciting. The city, indeed the whole of Queensland, offers so much and I look forward to helping the airport play its vital role in the growth of business, trade and tourism.”
Prior to JFKIAT, De Graaff held a variety of senior roles in Brazil, and at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands.