Edmonton Airports Announces Appointment of New President and CEO
November 14, 2013 (Edmonton, AB) – Edmonton Airports Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Mr. Tom Ruth has been selected as incoming President and Chief Executive Officer of Edmonton Airports. The selection was made following a competitive international search process that commenced earlier this year. Mr. Ruth will commence his new role at Edmonton Airports on January 20, 2014.
“Tom joins Canada’s fastest growing air service market at a key point in our growth and development,” said Edmonton Airports Board Chair Tom Redl. “He stood out in a very strong candidate field for his extensive experience in both passenger and cargo markets across North America and for having worked in both airline and airport environments. He has a very strong understanding of the strength of the Edmonton region air service market and the potential that exists here to leverage our economic and passenger assets to develop more flights to more places.”
“Tom also stood out, along with his wife Micki, as enthusiastic new citizens of Edmonton,” added Tom Redl. “He has worked closely with Edmonton in the past during his tenure as President of Canadian North, and has both family and community ties here. Tom and Micki are both very excited to get settled in Edmonton, and I know our entire regional community will be excited to welcome them.”
Mr. Ruth is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the Halifax International Airport Authority, the largest air transportation complex in Atlantic Canada. He has an extensive background in both airline and airport operations and is currently also Chair of the Canadian Airports Council.
“I am very pleased to be joining Edmonton Airports during this exciting time in both airport and regional economic development,” said Tom Ruth. “Over the last number of years, investment has been rewarded with strong growth in passengers and flights. Now I know we are poised to move to the next level by working closely with stakeholders in this region, and across Canada’s North, to offer a strong competitive case that will deliver even more success in passenger and cargo markets.”
Over the next few weeks Mr. Ruth will be working with his team at the Halifax International Airport Authority in order to ensure a smooth transition, and he and his wife, Micki will begin to make plans for their move to Edmonton.
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BIOGRAPHY Mr. Tom Ruth
Tom Ruth is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA), a position he has held since 2008. He is also currently the chair of the Canadian Airports Council, the leading federal representative for airports.
Prior to his appointment to HIAA, Tom was President and Chief Executive Officer at Oceanex, a leading intermodal transportation specialist in Newfoundland, which he led until its privatization late in 2007.
From 2004-2007, Tom was President of Canadian North Airlines, a 100 percent aboriginal-owned airline connecting Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton to Canada’s North. During Tom’s tenure, the airline had three record years of revenue and profit growth and diversified substantially into a full service scheduled passenger, cargo and charter airline. His time with Canadian North also gave him a strong understanding of Edmonton’s unique position as a key, strategic industrial and community hub for northern communities.
From 1994-2004, Tom held executive level positions at Livingston International, a Canadian-based logistics, freight forwarding and brokerage company that processes over $70 billion in annual cross border trade and collects 15% of Canada’s GST. During his last five years at Livingston International, they more than tripled profits, grew their market capitalization seven-fold and twice received the annual award as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed private companies.
A citizen of both Canada and the United States, Tom spent the first half of his career working in progressively more responsible roles in cargo at Northwest Airlines(now Delta) in Los Angeles, Boston, Houston and Washington DC. He moved to Canada in 1994 with Livingston International Inc. Tom and his wife, Micki, have a grown daughter, Michelle who lives and works in Toronto.