CEO – Maastricht Aachen Airport

About Maastricht Aachen Airport

The activities
Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA) is in full development. It is the regional airport in Limburg – compact and fully equipped to take care of cargo freight (MAA is the 2nd cargo airport in the Netherlands after Schiphol) or to ensure a comfortable and carefree start of one’s holiday.
Together with airlines and tour operators, they continually plan new routes and look for destinations that match your wishes. In addition, they are here for private and business flights and for cargo carriers.

Passengers
Together with airlines and tour operators, they plan new routes and look for destinations that meet the needs of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. They also endeavour to provide a complete service in the field of private and business aviation.

In 2018, the terminal was completely renovated, making it one of the most beautiful airports in Europe. Here, passengers can find a Grand Café, bar, AKO Shop and various facilities for carefree travel.

Aviation Valley
Maastricht Aachen Airport plays an active role in Aviation Valley, the business area that is being developed at Maastricht Aachen Airport.

For more information about Maastricht Aachen Airport: https://www.maa.nl/

Key themes
The following ‘themes’ will be playing a key role in the years to come:

Organizational Vitality
It will be crucial to keep investing in the connection between the management team and the rest of the organization, to strengthen the talent bench, to stimulate creativity and collaboration and to continue fostering a culture of customer orientation and commercialization throughout the organization. Therefore, the CEO must bring demonstrated outstanding change management and organizational skills.

Stakeholders
Maastricht-Aachen Airport operates in a uniquely complex, demanding yet subtle stakeholder environment. The CEO needs to have the affinity, diplomatic skills, constructive mentality, but also clarity of vision and determination to successfully navigate through this field – defending Maastricht-Aachen Airport’s interest, while taking on board the other parties perspectives, objectives and constraints. A well-developed sense for governance, roles and responsibilities is key.

Strategy Execution
Executing the strategy to become a sustainable environmental conscious airport as envisaged in the Business Plan, while mitigating associated risks and solving unforeseen obstacles, will require outstanding project management and control skills. As Maastricht-Aachen Airport is a highly sensitive environment in terms of safety, the CEO also needs to have the stamina and character to cope with the constant awareness of this reality, while instilling the highest degree of discipline and responsibility throughout the organization.

Sustainable and environment conscious airport
A key element of the strategy is the development of the airport into a more sustainable and environment conscious airport that recognizes its position in the complex environment win which it operates. The CEO is expected to continuously engages with all the stakeholders to understand needs and take those into account in decision making to achieve the best outcomes for the region and develop the airport as sustainable and environment conscious airport.

Pride
Maastricht-Aachen Airport represents a crucial asset in the local economy, in terms of connectivity and employment, but also an anchor in the local society. The CEO will radiate the pride this creates in her/him, and leverage this dimension as a source of emotional connection and purpose for the entire organization.

The Position of CEO

• The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is ultimately responsible for the management and the implementation of the long term strategy of Maastricht-Aachen Airport towards a sustainable and environment conscious airport. The position reports to the Supervisory Board and is based in Limburg.
• The CEO is responsible for the relations with all stakeholders, such as the Government, public institutions, local council, Air Service, the local community and the important customers of the airport, including the airlines.
• The CEO will work with the Supervisory Board and Shareholders to build and execute the strategic direction of the Airport. The CEO will be responsible and accountable for the implementation of this strategy and business case.
• Internally, the CEO is responsible for ensuring a healthy work environment, the provision of strong leadership, building and development of a professional and high performance team (with the necessary skills), attracting the right talent, motivation of employees, clear communication, chairing and coordinating the Executive Leadership Team meetings.
• The CEO will be responsible for developing strong relationships with airlines and major customers, and leveraging those relationships to drive positive outcomes in negotiations of key agreements and driving route development activity.
• The CEO is the pivotal person driving the culture and health of the wider Maastricht Aachen Airport organization, as it is of paramount importance for the local economy and its reputation abroad. The objective is to create internal and external communities that are proud of their airport!
• One of the key roles of the CEO is to create space and momentum for Maastricht Aachen Airport, in a complex business and often dense stakeholder setting, to grow and innovate. In order to strengthen its international connectivity and the financial strength of the business through diversification and commercial developments (like real estate).
• The role has strong stakeholder management and business dimensions, especially with significant expansion projects and investments. He or she should be able to articulate a vision and realize it with and through people. This vision should be focused on strengthening operational results as well as digital innovations adding to the efficiency/effectivity and productivity of the company.
• In this process, the CEO should further strengthen the Maastricht-Aachen Airport organizational and governance capability, foster inclusion emphasize team building and individual development to ensure continuity and inspiration through a shared purpose of being the premier airport for its passengers, the airlines, its employees, its stakeholders and shareholders.

Personal characteristics and background of the new CEO

• Team player, connector, challenger and motivator; an inclusive leader able to build an appropriate culture and operate at Board level.
• Outstanding leadership skills.
• Willing to be the personification of Maastricht-Aachen Airport, both externally as well as internally.
• Result driven, cost-aware, disciplined and structured and a focus on decision making and delivery.
• Affinity with public and/or private organizations (experience in aviation or infra/logistics are preferred).
• Commercial oriented and culturally sensitive.
• A pragmatic person with courage and a “thick skin”.
• Open, transparent and direct in communication and behavior.
• Eager to assume and delegate responsibility; able to empower others.
• Decisive and effective, willing to take up the challenger role.
• Innovation-oriented; brings a digital transformational mindset.
• Authentic style with a genuine interest in people.
• Focused on big picture but ready, willing and able to zoom in on detail.
• The CEO should be of undisputed integrity.

The Procedure
Maastricht Aachen Airport is guided in this recruitment procedure by Nicole Boevé and Jeroen Schuur, partners at Partners at Work/Escalier. They will conduct the first interviews with potential candidates. The candidates best fit for this job will be introduced to the selection committee. A pre-employment screening and/or assessment can be part of the selection procedure’.

For further information about the position please do contact Jeroen Schuur (0611- 391039/ schuur@esalier.nl) or Nicole Boevé (035-548 0760/ n.boeve@partnersatwork.nl).