Our Management
Vincent Hodder, CEO
Vincent is a global aviation professional with more than 25 years of executive experience in airlines all over the world and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Leeds Bradford Airport in February 2021. Taking over the leadership of the airport in the middle of the pandemic Vincent has stabilised the foundations of the business and put in place an exciting growth strategy and compelling future vision for Leeds Bradford Airport.
With a background in strategy consulting with Bain & Company, Vincent is a strategic thinker and a specialist in business transformation and startups. Having lived and worked in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, Bahrain, South Korea, Mexico, El Salvador, Chile and the UK, Vincent brings a true global perspective, experience working with diverse cultures and highly developed capabilities at bringing people together.
Innovative, passionate and determined, Vincent is driven by team success and is committed to developing the next generation of aviation leaders. He thrives in high challenge environments dealing with intractable business problems.
Vincent is married with 4 children, each of whom was born in a different country and is proud to be an adopted son of Yorkshire.
Damian Ives, Chief Operating Officer
Damian brings over 30 years of aviation experience, having held senior leadership roles across multiple UK and European airlines. With a strong background in Global Ground Operations, Safety, and Operations Control, he has played a pivotal role in shaping industry standards and driving operational excellence.
His extensive expertise across both airline and airport operations is instrumental in supporting the continued growth and success of LBA. Damian’s deep understanding of the aviation landscape ensures we remain at the forefront of safety, efficiency, and customer experience.
Alex Tong, Chief Financial Officer
Alex is an experienced finance leader and joined the business in 2021. Prior to this he held a number of senior finance roles at KCOM Group PLC, including latterly the role of Group CFO. Alex is a qualified chartered accountant and fellow of the ICAEW having trained with PwC.
Kunaal Wharfe, General Counsel and Company Secretary
Kunaal Wharfe was appointed General Counsel and Company Secretary in January 2023. Kunaal is a highly experienced lawyer, having trained and qualified at Simmons & Simmons LLP in London. Prior to joining Leeds Bradford Airport, Kunaal held a range of in-house legal roles including at Apple, HP and most recently at dentsu international as its Deputy General Counsel for its UK & Ireland business.
Kunaal is responsible for managing the legal team and ensuring proper governance of the business, including being a member of the Board as Company Secretary. Kunaal is passionate about the region and is an advocate for Leeds Bradford Airport’s environmental, social and governance agenda as well as the Executive sponsor of the airport’s Inclusion Champions Network.
John Cunliffe, Commercial and Strategy Director
John is an accomplished commercial executive and joined LBA in 2018. Prior to this John held senior commercial roles in the airline sector, notably with easyJet and Emirates. John is responsible for car parking, retail/F&B concessions and a variety of other commercial income streams together with the ownership of LBA’s customer proposition including LBA’s customer care team. John also heads up LBA’s in-house marketing, digital and website teams.
Lindsay Beresford, HR Director
Lindsay joined LBA in 2022 after over 20 years at Royal Mail, initially in operational management roles but later working in senior Human Resources roles. Lindsay is an HR generalist but has also specialised in People Change Programmes, Industrial Relations, Organisational Design and Employee Experience over her 15 years in HR. She has a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.
Declan MacGuire, Aviation Director
Declan Macguire – Aviation Director
Declan brings over 15 years of experience in the aviation sector, spanning both passenger and cargo operations. His career includes senior roles at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Doncaster Sheffield Airport, followed by consultancy and data analytics work supporting governments, investors, and airports worldwide on route development and market growth.
With expertise across network planning, pricing and distribution, account management, commercial analysis, forecasting, business planning and contracting, Declan has a proven track record of delivering sustainable growth. He is passionate about building strong partnerships, identifying new opportunities, and keeping a close eye on the competition to stay ahead in an ever-changing industry.
In 2017, Infrabridge bought a 100% majority share in Leeds Bradford Airport and are represented on our Statutory Board:
- Justin Symonds, Chair
- Karim Eid
- Isabelle Fox
- Vincent Hodder
- Alex Tong
- Damian Ives
- Kunaal Wharfe
