INTERNATIONAL. Airports Council International (ACI) World has named Candace McGraw, CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, as its first woman Chair.
McGraw will chair the ACI World Governing Board (WGB) that consists of 28 leading airport CEOs nominated by the regional ACI Boards, plus the Immediate Past Chair.
Her appointment was approved at the ACI World Annual General Assembly in June 2023, and her two-year term will run until December 2025. McGraw has been involved in the ACI WGB since 2018 and has been ACI World Vice Chair since January 2022, succeeding Oman Airports CEO Sheik Aimen bin Al Hosni.
McGraw became CEO at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in July 2011 and has over 30 years’ experience in aviation, legal affairs, and public administration.
Key tasks have focused on positioning the airport for the future by completing a 2035 Master Plan Study; consolidating operations into a renovated terminal facility; diversifying revenues through concessions plus other improvements, and more.
ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said, “We are thrilled to welcome ACI World’s new Chair, Ms. Candace McGraw. Guided by her vision, we are confident that our organisation will chart a course towards a bright future and unlock new horizons in our mission to elevate the interests of airports worldwide.
“Our industry faces a crossroads, a balancing act between soaring demand for air travel and the urgent need for sustainable aviation. Ms. McGraw has served on the ACI World Governing Board since 2018, and has been our Vice Chair since January 2022; she is the first woman to Chair ACI World and we are very proud of that considering her brilliant career and contribution to the ACI federation. With the grace of Ms. McGraw’s leadership, we are poised to emerge triumphant, steadfast in our pursuit of success.”
McGraw said, “Nothing is more important to me than the future of this industry. Whether thinking about the long-term needs of ACI, how we can be a strong partner in the global aviation industry, or what we can do to accelerate the adoption of practices to ensure sustainable aviation, we are stronger as one. I commit to lead our World Governing Board with a sense of purpose and collaboration and appreciate the trust that has been placed in me.”
As of this month, Munich Airport CEO Jost Lammers succeeds McGraw as ACI World Vice Chair, also for a two-year term running until December 2025. ✈
