Brisbane Airport names new chief executive

Brisbane Airport has named a senior executive from New York’s John F Kennedy Airport as its new chief executive.
Gert-Jan De Graaff will take over from Julieanne Alroe as Brisbane Airport chief executive from the end of June, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Since 2014, De Graaff has been president and chief executive of JFKIAT LLC, which operates JFK Airport’s Terminal 4.
De Graaff said he was excited to be returning to Brisbane, having been general manager of commercial services and general manager of strategic planning and development at Brisbane Airport between 2007 and 2012.
“The opportunity to lead Brisbane Airport at such a critical and exciting time was too good to ignore,” he said in a statement.
“The airport’s potential is exceptional, particularly in international markets, and I look forward to doing what I can to ensure that potential is realised.
In November 2017, Brisbane Airport announced Alroe would step down as chief executive after close to a decade in the role at the end of the 2017/18 financial year on June 30.
Brisbane Airport chairman David Peever said De Graaff’s appointment followed an international search.
The Brisbane Airport boss will be the second senior airport executive to head for the departure gate in recent times, with Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather leaving in January 2018.