Wednesday 27 May 2026

08:00	Registration, coffee & networking
	Chairperson: David Feldman, Managing Partner, Exambela Consulting
09:00	Chairperson's welcome David Feldman, Managing Partner, Exambela Consulting
09:05	GAD Host Welcome Mayor William Cogswell, Mayor, City of Charleston
09:15	Presentation: U.S. Airport Investment Outlook An overview of the U.S. airport investment landscape: federal funding trends, private capital appetite, macroeconomic pressures & the policy environment shaping airport development over the next decade. Chris Elmore, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
09:35	CEO Panel: Airport leadership 2035 Airport CEOs discuss the leadership, culture, and strategic capabilities required for the next decade - from digital transformation and sustainability to workforce evolution and capital discipline. Moderator: Michael Bell, Senior Client Partner, Aviation & Aerospace Practice, Korn Ferry Panellists: Jim Szczesniak, Director of Aviation, Houston Airport System (HAS) Brian Ryks, Executive Director/C.E.O., Metropolitan Airports Commission Lance Lyttle, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Atif Saeed, President/CEO, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
10:30	Networking Coffee Sponsored by Ferrovial
11:15	Fireside Chat: Can Public-Private Models Fix the Bottleneck at Airport Security? What innovative privatization solutions - from TSA's Screening Partnership Program (SPP) to hybrid public‑private models - can unlock better technology, faster throughput, improved staffing flexibility, and a more seamless passenger journey. What works, what doesn't, and how to build a checkpoint model that is secure, scalable, and future‑ready. Moderator: Evan Berg, Director, ASM Adam Stahl, Deputy Administrator, TSA
11:35	Panel: Collaborative Capital: Aligning Stakeholders for Resilient Airport Investment How to align incentives and share risk amongst all stakeholders. Moderator: Eric Richards, Corporate Department Co-Chair/Partner, O'Melveny & Myers LLP Panellist: Gerrard Bushell, Partner and Chair, CAG, the Carlyle Airport Group Kunal Dasgupta, Vice President, Acquisitions, Vantage Group Darcy Wilson, Managing Director, Transportation, Fengate
12:15	Presentation: The Apron Reset: Why Pooling Changes Everything (Not Just GSE) Kristof Philips, Divisional CEO of Airport Solutions, TCR International
12:35	Networking Lunch Sponsored by Ferrovial
	Chairperson: David Feldman, Managing Partner, Exambela Consulting
14:00	Fireside Chat: Airport & Airline Collaboration Moderator: Christine Boynton, Senior Editor, Aviation Week Network David Neeleman, CEO, Breeze Airways Elliott Summey, CEO, Charleston Regional Aviation Authority / Charleston International Airport (CHS)
14:25	Panel: The Human ROI: Why CEOs are prioritizing culture over capacity Moderator: David Feldman, Managing Partner, Exambela Consulting Panellists: Atif Saeed, President/CEO, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Lawrence J. Krauter, CEO, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) Nick Hays, President and CEO, Winnipeg Airport Authority
15:05	Presentation: P3 success story Suzette Noble, Chief Executive Officer, LaGuardia Gateway Partners
15:25	Networking Coffee Sponsored by Ferrovial
16:00	Presentation: Airports are Doing Big Things. What's driving the Next Era of Aviation Tommy Bibb, Aviation Development Director, EXP U.S. Services
16:20	Panel: Size Matters… Or Does It? Making PPPs Work Beyond Mega-Hubs While private sector participation in airports has traditionally centered on larger airports, the majority of airports worldwide handle fewer than 5 million passengers per year yet play a critical role in regional connectivity and economic development. Does size really matter, or well-designed PPPs and smarter risk allocation matter more. Panellists will explore how flexible partnership structures and pragmatic risk-sharing models can deliver sustainable, bankable outcomes beyond the largest hubs. Moderator: Patrick Lucas, Principal and Founder, Airport Economics Consulting Inc Panellist RJ Steenstra, President and CEO, Toronto Port Authority Ionut Doldor, Director M&A, AviAlliance GmbH Maximilian Kalis, President & CEO, TBi Airport Management Inc. (VINCI Airports) Juliana Salim Faria Dantas, Investments and Quality of Services Manager, National Civil Aviation Agency - ANAC (Brazil)
17:10	End of Day 1 sessions
19:00-21:00	Joint CAPA/GAD Dinner The Cooper

GAD Americas 2026