Robert Sinclair - Bristol Airport
If he was going to leave, and nine years is arguably a long enough period for any CEO, now is as good a time as any with the major master plan re-evaluation due to take place in the coming months, the first for a decade. A new face, presuming that promotion does not come from within as BRS once did with the top job, will provide a fresh look at the situation. I think that Sinclair has done well but he had good material to work with.
I suppose that London City is a step up, even though it handles not much more than half BRS's passenger numbers at present, as it serves the heart of one of the world's major cities. I can see Sinclair doing a very good job there. His input to non-airport matters in the West Country will be missed.
Is he poor at media relations? When he is interviewed on radio or tv he comes across very well as an intelligent professional (as a qualified lawyer and accountant he should be reasonably bright at least) who knows his subject and is able to put it across articulately. His faint Kiwi accent is an asset in some people's eyes too.
His individual media prowess and the airport policy towards media relations are of course two entirely separate matters. The media pull-back seems to have occurred in the last two or three years. It might be because because the airport received a decent slap of egg in the face more than once, not least when a couple of years ago they suggested that a return of a NYC route was virtually in the bag for the following year. They have their own press officer who has been there for many years and he is highly competent, but he is no doubt guided by senior management as to what is put into the public domain.
Whoever is appointed as the new CEO will have a great opportunity to make their mark as the airport gears up for life up to and beyond 10 mppa (assuming that the planners allow the 10 mppa to be breached - I will be amazed if they don't although the usual suspects will try to stop it with lawyers again rubbing their hands).
BRS is an interesting counterpoint to CWL in the media relations stakes. In the final years under Spanish ownership CWL's media communication was almost non-existent and the little it did do was dire. Since public ownership and particularly since the new airport company chairman took office their approach has been revolutionised. It's interesting though that the CWL chairman does most of the big announcements whereas at BRS I doubt that many people had even heard of the airport company chairman, Janis Kong, who has an impressive track record of senior positions and directorships at major airports and in the travel industry. She rarely comments publicly on BRS although this time as the CEO is departing the task had to be hers.
For those who might not know her, this link to a personal interview gives a brief pen picture.
http://www.winserlondon.com/style-agenda/janis-kong
