Australia’s busiest air travel hub, Sydney Airport, is on the hunt for a new boss after current CEO Geoff Culbert announced he would be stepping down at the end of the year.
CEO since January 2018, Culbert helped steer Sydney Airport through the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought SYD to a virtual standstill.
But he also managed the Sydney facility through Australia’s largest ever take-private transaction (to a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners and IFM Investors).
“It’s been a privilege to have led Australia’s premier domestic and international airport since 2018, and to work with such a wonderful team through a unique and challenging period in the airport’s history,” said Culbert, who previously worked as President and CEO of GE Australia and New Zealand.
“By the end of the year, the airport will be close to fully recovered, and that will be the right time to hand over to a new CEO who will lead the airport through the next phase.
“Sydney Airport has been part of the social and economic fabric of Sydney and NSW for more than 100 years and I’m confident it will continue to play a crucial role for the next hundred.”
“Smooth transition”
Sydney Airport Chair David Gonski said the hub had appreciated “Geoff’s skilled leadership during one of the most significant and disruptive periods in aviation history”.
“This includes managing the airport through the pandemic when traffic was devastated by border closures, the recent rapid recovery, and dealing with the largest take-private transaction in Australian corporate history,” he said.
“As a leader, Geoff also built an outstanding team and culture that will endure long after he departs.
“We are pleased that Geoff will be staying on until the end of the year to give us the opportunity to conduct a global search and facilitate a smooth transition to a new CEO.”
Sydney Airport welcomed more than 44 million passengers a year before the pandemic.
It also generated more than $42 billion in economic activity per year, equivalent to seven per cent of NSW’s total GDP.
Last month, SYD welcomed its 50th airline, the first time it has reached that mark.
