Chris Dinsdale has officially assumed the role as president & CEO of The Calgary Airport Authority (YYC).
A news release issued by The Calgary Airport Authority says, "After an extensive international search, Dinsdale was identified as the best strategic leader to take YYC through its next phase of growth. Dinsdale was chosen for his deep experience, passion and proven track record in airports, along with his emphasis on developing lean and efficient operations. In addition, his focus on providing a unique and high-quality passenger experience and his experience developing strategic airline partnerships will allow YYC to continue its development into the future. The board is confident Dinsdale will amplify YYC’s success in providing our guests with the memorable and exceptional experiences they’ve come to expect from YYC and providing strong leadership for our crew."
“Chris is a highly regarded leader in aviation, finance and business,” said Andrea Robertson, board chair. “We are confident his leadership, operational knowledge and focus on positive customer experiences will ensure The authority continues on its path of robust recovery and growth.”
Born and raised in Canada, Dinsdale joins The authority from the Budapest Airport where he has worked for almost eight years, most recently as CEO.
“I am honored to start work at such a great airport with such an amazing team, and I am very excited for the opportunity to continue to build on YYC’s solid foundation of ensuring a world class travel experience for our guests,” said Dinsdale. “As CEO, I believe that my task is to facilitate a discussion and ensure we leverage all the knowledge and experience that is encompassed within the YYC staff and its broader ecosystem in order to chart a bold path forward as we serve our guests and the community around us. I look forward to engaging with our partners in the coming days and weeks.”
Under Dinsdale's leadership, the Budapest Airport has recently received one of the highest awards in the airport sector from the Airport International Council, being voted by passengers as the “2022 Best Airport in Europe (15m – 25m PAX)”. Also, during Dinsdale’s tenure as CEO of the Budapest Airport, the airport received the 2022 Skytrax World Airport Awards, “Best Airport in Eastern Europe” award and received the 2022 “Cargo Hub of the Year” award at the distinguished Air Cargo News Awards. In addition, Dinsdale has pursued a strong focus on community engagement and sustainability, with the Budapest Airport setting an aggressive 2035 deadline for achieving net zero emissions.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Bob Sartor for his dedication and exceptional leadership. Guided by his North Star vision, YYC reached its highest point in 2019 and weathered its lowest period during the pandemic. Bob created a customer-focused organization with a strong leadership team, strong partnerships with airlines, and diversified revenue streams. We wish Bob the very best in his future endeavors,” said Robertson.
Biography of Chris Dinsdale
Chris Dinsdale served as the CEO of the Budapest Airport since April 2021. Dinsdale joined the Budapest Airport as the chief financial officer in 2015 and acted as the deputy CEO until being appointed CEO. He also served as the managing director of Airport Fuel Services, the market leading aviation fuel supply subsidiary of the Budapest Airport, until 2020 and has also held the position of chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2019 for BUD Security, which operates all passenger and staff security screening activities at the Budapest Airport. Prior to joining the aviation industry, Dinsdale worked as the chief financial officer of the publicly listed Wildhorse Energy. Dinsdale moved to Hungary in 2004 to join KPMG Hungary working in various capacities, most recently as director – Energy and Resource Advisory in Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to leaving Canada, he worked as a project manager at TD Bank Financial Group. Dinsdale has a Bachelor of Engineering Science, Engineering Physics degree from Queen’s University and a Master of Business Administration degree (Finance) from the Schulich Business School, York University. He is married with three children.
