Vantage Airport Group Welcomes Sade Olanipekun-Lewis as Vice President, Operating & Community Partnerships

Vantage Airport Group announced that Folasade (Sade) Olanipekun-Lewis has joined its corporate leadership team as vice president, Operating & Community Partnerships.

In this newly created role, Olanipekun-Lewis will lead the development and implementation of all community and organizational partnerships in support of Vantage’s airport and infrastructure development projects, including the Vantage-led $2.1 billion development of Terminal 6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, slated to break ground in 2022.

"At each of Vantage’s 30-plus airport projects over the past 27 years, we have seen the value of local community engagement and partnership to create best-in-class airport projects that deliver balanced outcomes for communities and stakeholders, from airport owners and airlines to employees, travelers and local businesses," said George Casey, chair & CEO, Vantage Airport Group. "Sade is uniquely qualified to lead and grow our community engagement and partnership efforts, and we are thrilled she is part of the team."

Reporting to Vantage’s chief operating officer, Stewart Steeves, Olanipekun-Lewis will take a proactive approach to engaging local, minority, and women owned business enterprises at every level of Vantage’s projects. These activities include building strong relationships with key stakeholders to drive local employment, educational and training opportunities, cultural partnerships, and contractual service arrangements to deliver successful project outcomes for all parties, to meet and exceed specific and defined participation goals.

“We are delighted to welcome Sade to the Vantage team. Her strong working knowledge of both the airline and airport industries will serve our team well as we seek to deepen and grow the relationships – with airlines, local businesses, government stakeholders, educational institutions, and community groups – that are critical to anchoring our projects in the communities they serve,” said Steeves.

Olanipekun-Lewis brings deep and varied experience in airline and airport management, infrastructure, and finance to this important role on Vantage’s executive team. Most recently, she served as regional director of Government and Airport Affairs for American Airlines, directing and coordinating all political, governmental, and community strategies to support the airline’s local and national business goals.

“It’s an exciting time to join Vantage, and I look forward to contributing positively to our airport and infrastructure projects by leading local and diversity outreach to create projects that truly reflect and represent their communities.” said Olanipekun-Lewis.

Prior to joining American, Olanipekun-Lewis was chief administrative officer for Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), responsible for planning, organizing, leading, and directing all administrative functions, from business diversity to community engagement and government and public affairs. Previous experiences also include executive leadership roles at the City of Philadelphia, where she provided oversight of a broad range of municipal activities, from aviation capital enhancement to economic development agencies and commissions.

Olanipekun-Lewis joins Vantage as the organization broadens its U.S. footprint with commercial and terminal development projects at Kansas City International Airport, Amtrak’s William H. Gray 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, and the $2.1 billion international terminal development of Terminal 6 at JFK. Elsewhere in New York, Vantage’s new LaGuardia Terminal B is close to 90% completion and welcoming passengers to the award-winning new $5.1 billion facility.