Citiri Brings on Former LAWA Chief Development Officer Bob Gilbert

Citiri a provider of operational readiness, activation, and transition (ORAT) software, on June 7, announced that 45-year aviation professional Robert (Bob) Gilbert will join the company as executive vice president. Gilbert comes to Citiri after spending the last four years as chief development officer for Los Angeles World Airports where he was responsible for the management and oversight of the Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) $17 billion infrastructure program.

Gilbert also brought the Operational Readiness and Transition (ORAT) process to LAWA and organized, developed, and managed its first dedicated airport operational readiness team.

“Few professionals understand airport operational readiness as well and as thoroughly as Bob Gilbert,” said Ortez Gude, Citiri founder and CEO. “His experience and expertise will be a tremendous resource to the Citiri team as well as to our customers, among which are some of the world’s busiest airports.”

A 1973 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Gilbert retired after 23 years of service that included time as a pilot and as an engineering officer. His military duties included the design, construction, and management of airports and other aviation facilities in the U.S. and overseas.

After he retired from active duty, Gilbert took his skills to the private sector, where he was responsible for construction management programs for some of the largest airports in the world. His first stint with LAWA was as program manager for the LAX improvement program. He has also served as Deputy Executive Director of Facilities at Orlando International Airport (MCO) as well as a Vice President of the Aviation Planning and Development firm Landrum and Brown. In the latter role, Gilbert was the senior project manager for airport operational readiness at King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“Experience has shown me the incredible value that the ORAT framework can yield for airport construction project owners,” Gilbert said. “Citiri’s automated platform is the key to widespread ORAT adoption. I’m proud to help bring this technology, along with its cost- and time-savings, to more airports in the US and worldwide.”

Gude said that Gilbert’s background and the respect he’s earned in the industry will help drive high-level conversations about the advantages of ORAT and help officials understand why Citiri plays a critical role in successful ORAT programs.

“Citiri is laser-focused on value delivery for our airport customers, but we face the challenge of educating more of them about ORAT before we can show them the value Citiri offers,” Gude added. “Bob Gilbert is well-known as an early adopter and longtime advocate of ORAT, so his experience gives weight to his insights. That will go a long way toward developing a broader understanding of the benefits to taxpayers, passengers, and airport staff."