Content Programme

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.

Atilla is a graduate in Civil Aviation & Transportation Management at Anadolu University and he holds an MA from Istanbul University. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. He joined Celebi in 1993, where he took several operational and executive roles within the group. After his tenure at Celebi Hungary as a Managing Director, he took up role of Ground Handling and Business Development President for the group in 2010. Currently, he is serving as President for Ground Handling & Cargo (EMEA) and is an Executive Director for the group of companies. Atilla is also an active Board Member of ASA.

Cisse is on the Board of Directors of NAS subsidiaries in the Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, India, Mozambique and Uganda. Cisse has been with NAS since March 2016 as the General Manger of NAS Cote d’Ivoire, handling all NAS operations, functions, personnel and business development in the country. He has over 32 years of experience in the ground handling, passenger handling and other aviation operations in Africa and in his previous position with Menzies Aviation last served as General Manager, Ground Handling, in Johannesburg. Prior to that, he worked as Operations Director at Aviation Handling Services – Ghana. He has also worked in Ghana and Guinee Conakry as a Country Manager for the national carrier where he helped launch the airline, Air Senegal. Cisse holds a Licence Certificate Specialisation in American Civilisation and Literature from the University of Dakar.

Gordon has been employed by Kenya Airways for the last 15 years. In that time he has had various roles, including Business Analyst for three years, Manager Hub Control Centre for three years and Manager Outstations (network-wide) for four years, Head of Ramp Services at the KQ hub Two years, responsible for ensuring safe and secure ramp services at JKIA for Kenya Airways and customer airlines, in compliance with regulations ,Acting Ground services Director ground services two years. Currently he is Head of Ground Services. Gordon holds a BSc in Applied Statistics from the Maseno University and a Diploma in Airline Management from IATA.

For the past 20 years, Tom has been working to connect African aviation professionals to best safety practices that are essential to their work. An important part of that experience is related to transfer of knowledge through training by the AviAssist Foundation, of which he is Director. Having lived, worked and flown in Africa for many years, Tom has gained unique expertise on African aviation safety issues. As a result, he is well versed in the technical as well complex political, social and cultural issues that play an important role in improving aviation safety in Africa. He has facilitated numerous safety trainings and workshops in Africa on a wide variety of subjects, is a regular speaker at meetings and conferences in and on the continent and is founder of the Africa’s only magazine dedicated to safety, SafetyFocus. Tom is a law graduate of Leiden University in the Netherlands, with a specialisation in Air and Space Law, and pursued African Studies at the same university.

Arnaud joined TCR six years ago as Business Development Analyst. He was actively involved in the change of shareholders while supporting the Group’s commercial expansion.   Since then, he has occupied different financial and sales functions within the Group, gaining a solid company background. Strong in hands-on, financial and people management experience, Arnaud shares his expertise with the remarketing team in their worldwide challenges.

Lukasz has 21 years of experience in airline ground operations, commercial, cross-cultural negotiations with airports and service providers across the Middle East, Europe, Russia, Central and South East Asia, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Before joining NAS, he served as Senior Regional Manager Airport Services at flydubai, where he was responsible for the management of carrier’s operations at 90 airports across their network. Lukasz was also in charge of airport services procurement, commercial negotiations and contract management for ground handling, cargo, airport, fuel and lounges. He holds a Logistics Management degree and a Master’s in Management and Marketing from the Warsaw School of Economics in Poland.

Sanjeev is the Founder and CEO of Astral Aviation. In 2020, Sanjeev was appointed Vice Chairman of AFRAA’s (African Airlines Association) Cargo & Route Network Committee, based on his extensive experience in the air cargo sector in Africa. Prior to that, in 2017, Sanjeev became the first Director from Africa to sit on TIACA; he is currently Vice Chairman. A banker by profession, Sanjeev has a Master’s in Business Administration from the Schiller International University in London, in addition to being a member of EO Kenya (Entrepreneurs Organisation) and YPO (Young Professional’s Organisation), Africa Great Lakes.

Thomas completed his post graduate MBA at Denver University. He has an outstanding track record in the area of sales and marketing across different industries, including ground handling. After completing his MBA he had experienced several businesses until taking Directorship roles in key account management and business development functions at Hilti in Liechtenstein. Thomas was subsequently Vice President Global Key Account Management (2013-2016) and Vice President Commercial Africa & Middle East (2016-2018) at Swissport International. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing at Celebi Aviation Holding.

With more than 40 years' experience in the airline industry, Bob has spent the past 20 years working for leading South African ground handling companies. He has a well-rounded perspective of the dynamics of the field of ground handling through being both a buyer and a seller of services over the past 30 years. His current role is that of VP Commercial for Swissport South Africa and he sits on the company EXCO. Bob chairs the Airside Operators Association of South Africa, representing providers of ramp, cargo, catering, security and fuel services to the airline industry. He also served as an Officer on the IGHC for eight years and as Vice Chair of the IATA GHC.

Danny is one of the partners and current Chief Executive Officer of AVIACO GSE. Danny has extensive experience in the field of aviation through more than 25 years working in the sector, initially as a technical engineer and afterwards as a Sales Manager. During this time he travelled globally, has meet a wide array of customers and has gained a profound understanding of the different requirements in the area of ground support equipment acquisition.

Dawit is the Founder and CEO of Krimson Aviation, an aviation support services company based in Ethiopia and Switzerland. He is a graduate of Purdue University in the US and holds a degree in Aeronautical Engineering & Flight Technology. He also has an MSc in Aviation Management & Marketing from the Basel Business College in Switzerland. Dawit holds an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic’s Licence (American FAA), Commercial Pilot’s Licence (American FAA, South African CAA, Swiss FOCA/EASA) and an EASA Frozen ATPL. Dawit also serves as Advisor to the Board of Directors of the African Business Aviation Association and is President of the AfBAA Ethiopia Chapter. For the last three years, Dawit has been advocating and promoting the growth of Business Aviation in Ethiopia. Dawit has close to 20 years of experience in the aviation sector, ranging across four continents, and has worked at various companies including TAG Aviation, Emirates, MAF and Ethiopian Airlines.

Gaoussou is an aviation professional who graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1979 at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, in France. Currently, he is senior aviation consultant and Chief Executive Officer. In this capacity he has just completed a nine-month contract with the African Development Bank and contributed to the development of the Bank Framework and Guidelines to Support the Aviation Sector. His corporate experience includes time spent in air transport and civil aviation in Africa. During his career in the sector, he worked for a decade at Air Afrique, then spent 11 years with the African Airline Association as AFRAA's Technical Director, where his assignments included airline operations, engineering, training and technical co-operation among African carriers. He subsequently moved to IATA, where he eventually became Regional Director Safety, Operations, and Infrastructure. Since 2012 he has successfully focussed on the African States in connection with the implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices.

Henry holds a BSc and a Master's and is an alumni of University of Cape Town’s Programme for management development. Has more than 25 years’ experience in IT, three of which were in the hotel industry, with five years in logistics and 16 in airline IT management. For four years, he was a member of IATA's StB Group and the IATA AIR Think Tank. Henry is also a member of PMI international and the PMI (Kenya) chapter, a member of the Computer Society of Kenya and CIO East Africa. He has been responsible for IT delivery at Kenya Airways since 2009, during which time he has led several IT delivery projects. He has also developed more than three mobile apps and seven websites, amongst many other solutions.

Rabiu is a pilot who started his journey in the industry in 1993 with the defunct Nigeria Airways as a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer. In 1997 he joined Kabo Air as a Co-pilot on a Boeing 727, where he steadily progressed to become a Captain on the B747, and subsequently Chief Pilot. In 2014 he was engaged as Deputy Director, and was Captain on the National Air Ambulance at NEMA. He has been a past Director of Airport Operations of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and supervised the strategy that led to the certification of Murtala Muhammed International and Nnamdi Azikiwe International airports. His education includes time spent at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology and Delta Aeronautics, in Texas; he is also a graduate of the Bombardier Aerospace Training Centre, in Dallas. Until his appointment as Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the FAAN, he was the Director of Airport Operations of the Authority.

With more than 40 years' experience in the airline industry, Bob has spent the past 20 years working for leading South African ground handling companies. He has a well-rounded perspective of the dynamics of the field of ground handling through being both a buyer and a seller of services over the past 30 years. His current role is that of VP Commercial for Swissport South Africa and he sits on the company EXCO. Bob chairs the Airside Operators Association of South Africa, representing providers of ramp, cargo, catering, security and fuel services to the airline industry. He also served as an Officer on the IGHC for eight years and as Vice Chair of the IATA GHC.

David is responsible for leading the sales & service teams for JBT's EMEA region.

Sanjeev is the Founder and CEO of Astral Aviation. In 2020, Sanjeev was appointed Vice Chairman of AFRAA’s (African Airlines Association) Cargo & Route Network Committee, based on his extensive experience in the air cargo sector in Africa. Prior to that, in 2017, Sanjeev became the first Director from Africa to sit on TIACA; he is currently Vice Chairman. A banker by profession, Sanjeev has a Master’s in Business Administration from the Schiller International University in London, in addition to being a member of EO Kenya (Entrepreneurs Organisation) and YPO (Young Professional’s Organisation), Africa Great Lakes.