Cassie Schmid
As chief strategy officer, Cassie Schmid manages enterprise-wide strategic planning and performance management for the department of aviation. As part of this role, Schmid oversees the communications, guest experience, marketing and brand and strategic planning units. This is especially important as the airports prepare for the influx of visitors anticipated for the major events taking place in Philadelphia in 2026. In her free time, Schmid enjoys practicing breathwork and ice baths.
Day -
3 - Airport business – leadership and strategy - 11:30 - 11:55
Why airports need a strategy
The aviation industry is always in a state of flux. Airlines are developing new routes, with new aircraft and new network strategies. Some are successful and others struggle to keep afloat. Passenger expectations are developing and increasingly sophisticated, and the business of running an airport is developing too, with constant demands on limited resources and a need to adapt to increasingly fast developments in technology. All this mixed with global challenges such as regulation and sustainability make the management of an airport a very complex challenge. Airports need clear and deliverable strategic plans to navigate the turbulent waters of aviation.
The audience will learn:
- The impact and benefits of having a strategic plan that is focused on deliverable outcomes
- The importance of working with stakeholders and understanding their roles in the strategic plan
- How a well-thought-through strategic plan can add real value and benefits to an airport
- Simple methodologies for making a strategic plan really work
- Why an airport strategic plan can help with employee satisfaction and retention
