City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation has named Kate Sullivan to the position of chief commercial officer. Sullivan, who most recently was vice president, business investment and regional marketing at the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, had previously served as deputy director of strategic partnerships for the Department of Aviation. The CCO is a new role and Sullivan’s appointment follows a national search.
“We are delighted to welcome Kate back to the Department of Aviation,” said CEO Atif Saeed. “We were looking for a strategic and innovative leader to lead our dynamic commercial division and are thrilled that we identified the best candidate right here in Philadelphia. Kate has a strong background of business development in our community, as well as experience in the aviation industry.”
As CCO, Sullivan will be responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling all functions and activities within the commercial division, which includes air service development, cargo development, concessions, retail, food and beverage, parking, real estate development and all other commercial activities at the airport. She will replace Chief Revenue Officer James Tyrrell, who is retiring later this year after 37 years with Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE).
“As we sought to fill this important leadership role, we determined that the job description of CCO is more aligned with how the role has evolved,” said Saeed. “Kate has a track record of building relationships, launching new programs, and scaling functions within organizations. I am confident that she will do a great job further enhancing the work currently being led by Jim, who will be staying with us for a few more months to assist with the transition.”
