Speakers

Brian Cobb

Chief Innovation Officer

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)

Brian Cobb was appointed Chief Innovation Officer of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in January 2018. Brian joined CVG as its first Vice President of Customer Experience in July 2010. He oversees the Airport’s team of professionals working in the fields of Customer Relations and Terminal Services, Graphics and Signage, Housekeeping and Custodial Contracts, Information Technology, and Innovation programming. His role includes strategic competitive and experience advantages through effective facilitation and talent and technology acquisitions. The surrounding Region’s status relies heavily upon CVG Airport’s transportation advocacy, economic excellence and service superiority.

Brian is a native Cincinnatian, a resident of Union, Kentucky and a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, having received his bachelors degree in Aeronautical Science and holding a commercial pilot and flight instructor licenses and associated aircraft ratings. He received Airport Council International’s “International Airport Professional (IAP)” designation in 2013. He has over 25 years of aviation experience, working in both the airline and airport sectors.

Among his key focal points are start-up innovations and integration into the airport ecosystem.

Recent CVG wins include

• Six (out of the last eight years) Skytrax award for Best Regional Airport – North America
• First domestic U.S. airport to implement integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sensing  technology enabling accountability measures for minimized security wait times and improved customer experience
• Pilot study of advance mobility transport for passengers with reduced mobility
  use of interior drone photography for advanced wayfinding purposes integration of wearable technology for employee and enterprise management deployment of IoT devices for monitoring and tracking 1980’s people-mover technology
• Founder of the Leading Individuals Forward Together (LIFT), a social engagement model for airport staff and disabilities organizations
• Collaborative curation opportunity with massive scale, in-airport museum displays courtesy of the Cincinnati Museum Center
• Street, pop-art, and interactive curation that includes famed global artists with a focus of live- events for customer engagement

Rami Hindieh

Associate Director

Greater Toronto Airports Authority

Rami is a key accountable member of the Senior Leadership team and is responsible for leading Toronto’s Pearson Airport to become a data centric driven operation by rationalizing information, processes, applications, systems, and people across multiple business lines and IT functions. He is accountable for the design and execution of the Enterprise Data Strategy and ensures the airport is aligned to the latest trends in leveraging data as a key asset. His many projects include work in the blockchain and predictive analytics space. Rami holds two degrees, a Master of Business Administration as well as a Bachelor of Engineering, both from Queen’s University in Canada.

Toronto Pearson Airport is Canada’s busiest and largest airport handling almost 50 million passengers in 2018 and is the third busiest in North America servicing 180 destinations worldwide.

Karen Ellis

Chief Customer Experience Officer

San Antonio International Airport System

Karen W. Ellis serves as the Chief Customer Experience Officer for the San Antonio International Airport System which comprises the San Antonio International Airport and Stinson Municipal Airport. Karen has almost 20 years of leadership and customer service experience in the Aviation industry by serving with the following airports; the Houston Airport System, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and now with SAT.

Karen holds a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources Management from Troy State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Jacksonville State University. In conjunction with her educational background, Karen is a Certified Customer Care Manager by the Customer Service Institute and a certified Customer Service Manager by the Customer Service Institute of America. Through Toastmaster’s International, Karen has achieved the status of Competent Toastmaster, Advanced Toastmaster Bronze and Competent Leader with Toastmasters International and served as President of the International Customer Service Association – Georgia Chapter. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Customer Service Working Group for Airport Council International and is the immediate past Chair of the Training Committee for the American Association of Airport Executives.

Roberto Castiglioni

Chair, Heathrow Access Advisory Group

Heathrow Airport

In the last few years, Roberto Castiglioni has worked with the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the European Commission on intelligence, policy, and compliance. Roberto frequently liaises with European National Enforcement Bodies.

He is the only independent accessible to air travel expert the European Commission invited to participate the meetings of European National Enforcement Bodies of 2015, 2017, and 2018.

Roberto has been a member of the UK CAA Access to Air Travel Advisory Group and the Easyjet Special Assistance Advisory Group since 2012.

He chairs the Airport Experience working group of ESAAG, and since 2015 the Ageing Population and PRMs track at Passenger Terminal CONFERENCE.

In September 2017, Heathrow Airport Limited appointed Roberto Chair of the Heathrow Access Advisory Group and HAL Accessibility Consultant.

Roberto provides consulting services to airlines, airports and PRM service providers to improve access to air travel for persons with disabilities.

Gerald Ong

Director Aviation Marketing

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport

Gerald Ong is currently the Aviation Marketing and Cargo Director of Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISG), 2nd largest airport in Turkey, handling over 31 million passengers in 2017.

He started his career as an Accounting Analyst in the Asia Pacific Regional Accounting Centre, IBM Malaysia in year 2007 before joining Malaysia Airports in year 2010 as Senior Executive in the investment team that manages existing and new investments in airports, during which he was involve in various international projects in India, Saudi Arabia, UK, Turkey and Philippines. Gerald was part of the project team that successfully completed the 40% acquisition of ISG, each from GMR and Limak in year 2014 and year 2015 respectively, making Malaysia Airports the first Asian company to fully own a European airport. Following the integration of ISG into Malaysia Airports group, Gerald was seconded to ISG in October 2015 as the liaison office and asset manager under the Executive Director office.