Speakers
Desiree is a recognised expert in the aviation industry for her work with leadership teams and individuals on leadership and professional development. Prior to her 18 years in aviation, Desiree lived in Argentina, then Germany, before being relocated to the US in 2011. Desiree served as a senior leader in the aviation industry on a global level, leading multicultural customer excellence teams for some of the most recognised airlines, airports and service providers. During that time she witnessed first-hand the importance of leadership development. Desiree currently speaks on the importance of leadership development in an ever-changing aviation environment, with an increased focus on profitability, customer service and safety.
Ingrid has served in executive capacities within global sales, strategy and business development in the aviation and electrical/electronic industry segments. Currently, she is the VP of Sales and Business Development for Airport Terminal Services and has oversight of its hospitality division which includes Airport Butler and Wingtips.
Max joined GHI in 2017 after launching and hosting conference and award events in the UK manufacturing industry. A trained journalist, Max strives to deliver innovative content on stage, online or in print that challenges, educates and entertains. As a non-aviation professional - Max is always eager to don the hi-vis jacket and get out on the apron to experience the everyday challenges facing ground handling businesses and their airline customers. Max graduated as a biochemist from Cardiff University in 2001. He became a NUJ/NCTJ accredited journalist in 2003. Max went on to an award-winning 14 year editorial career including stints at magazines in the UK pub, pharmacy and manufacturing sectors. Outside of work - Max is never far from a book, the fridge or the 5-a-side football pitch.
Neel is EVP and Global Head of Airfreight for Flexport and is experienced in commercial strategy, marketing, business planning and revenue optimisation. In addition to his Flexport duties, Neel sits on the Board of Directors of Amerijet International Holdings; is a Senior Advisor to The Boston Consulting Group and an Executive Board Member of The International Air Cargo Association. Prior to joining Flexport, Neel served as the Senior Vice President & Chief Cargo Officer for Delta Air Lines. As the head of Delta Cargo, he led approximately 2,000 employees worldwide and oversaw over US$1bn in freight and mail revenues. Before that, Neel served as VP of Sales and Marketing for United Airlines Cargo. He holds a Master's in Business Administration from Columbia University and a BSc from Swarthmore College.
Raul joined Menzies Aviation early in 2020 as SVP Commercial Operations and is leading the sales and operational growth for the group in the Americas. Prior to joining Menzies, Raul had a five year career with Swissport International in a number of roles including VP Sales, Marketing and Business Development, as well as leading the Cargo Handling Division for Swissport in Latin America. Before he joined the aviation industry, Raul had a 20 year career in supply chain management in strategic roles with companies such as Panalpina, SONY and IBM, working from different locations including Colombia, Canada, Thailand and the US. Raul is an industrial engineer and holds an MBA from York University.
Ruben started his career in Avianca as the Commercial and Airports Chief at Avianca Services. In this role he looked after the commercial and operational issues relating to airport services for Avianca Services customers. In August 2015 Ruben was promoted to Ground Operations Manager for the Bogota hub. In this position he was responsible for all the below the wing operations for Avianca, with a scope of 250 daily flights and 2,000 staff members. In 2017 Ruben assumed the post of Ground Operations Director, taking responsibility for all the below the wing operations (both in house and outsourced) of the network. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, Ruben holds a Business Administration degree, has a Master's in Business Administration and a Master's in Logistics and Operations; he has also accrued extensive training on related matters.