Heathrow Airport has confirmed John Holland-Kaye, its development director, will take over as chief executive this summer from Colin Matthews, who is leaving the company after six years in the top job.
Mr Holland-Kaye was named by analysts as a favourite for the job when Mr Matthews announced his departure last month, although some had expected an external appointment given Heathrow’s track record of recruiting chief executives from outside the industry.
Mr Holland-Kaye, 49, has taken an increasingly prominent role over the past year in Heathrow’s campaign for a third runway. He has also been overseeing Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 building, which will open to passengers next month. He will take over from Mr Matthews on July 1.
“I am very proud to have been chosen to succeed Colin as CEO. We have worked closely together for the last five years to improve passenger experience, efficiency and resilience, to a point where Heathrow is increasingly seen as Europe’s hub of choice,” Mr Holland-Kaye said.
“My aspiration is to improve Heathrow as much in the next five years as we have in the last five years.”
Mr Holland-Kaye’s main task will be to persuade policymakers that a third Heathrow runway is politically deliverable as the airport competes against its rival, Gatwick, for the right to expand. Heathrow will next week publish revised plans to the Airports Commission, which is investigating where to best to build the next runway in the South East of England. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/10815733/Heathrow-names-John-Holland-Kaye-as-new-chief.html . . John is reported to be a genuinely decent man, highly competent and hard working. He appears to still be very grounded. However, he must know that he’ll have a real prospect of a knighthood if he gets a third runway at Heathrow. He has a quiet personality but he should not be underestimated.