Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA)

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is the operator of Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport, the largest airport in Canada, a top five gateway into the United States, and one of the most internationally connected airports in the world. The focus of the GTAA is to transform the passenger experience and its facilities, and create value for regional communities as it builds a more sustainable aviation sector. Technology and innovation play key roles in this pursuit, as does the health and safety of its passengers and employees. With approximately 1,400 employees contributing to the GTAA and with a legendary pre-pandemic track record as ‘Best Large Airport in North America serving more than 40 million passengers for five consecutive years by Airports Council International (the global trade representative of the world’s airports), GTAA is in a prime position to accelerate its transformational trajectory—developing the airport of the future while putting the joy back into travel, by making Pearson the chosen place to fly and for employment. GTAA’s partners across the world see Pearson as the preeminent and central artery for global travel. As Toronto is the world’s most multicultural city—home to a plurality of communities and people from varying ethnocultural backgrounds—the GTAA will continue to leverage this unique position in which it operates to be admired as the world’s front door to travel.

This is an auspicious chapter for the GTAA—one that will be marked by innovation and continued growth. It is within this context that the GTAA invites applications for the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), a critically important role that will have an indelible impact on this next era of the organization’s evolution.

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will play a pivotal role in shaping the GTAA’s technology vision and strategy. They will be directly involved in the organization's overall strategic direction, crafting a comprehensive technology development plan that facilitates successful digital transformation and modernization efforts across the entire airport environment. In addition to leading the GTAA’s technology and digital transformation initiatives, the CTO executive will also serve as a trailblazer and change agent for the aviation industry, collaborating closely with commercial partners and government officials and showing a plurality of stakeholders vast opportunities and potential even if they initially see limitations or constraint. This leader will be operating in a complex industry that is rapidly adopting advanced technology such as AI, biometrics, and automation; in this context, they will leverage their expertise and influence to encourage the development and implementation of information technology, cyber-security, data governance, and digital innovation strategies across all operational and commercial areas. Their ultimate goal will be to deliver a transformed and superior experience for passengers, partners, and employees while ensuring that all technology initiatives align with the GTAA’s overall objectives.

Qualifications

Among the qualifications being sought in candidates, the incoming CTO must have a deep and abiding commitment to advancing reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms and must believe, intrinsically, in the importance of leading with curiosity and welcoming ideas that can later be synthesized and turned into possibility. While all candidates are encouraged to apply and, in so doing, share how they see themselves adding value to the GTAA environment, the following credentials and/or experiences are seen as possible markers of the candidates most likely to realize success in the role: A) a degree from a recognized university, preferably in an area that relates to technology; B) several years of progressively senior-level experience gained within fast-paced and highly matrixed organizations; C) strong business acumen, paired with the ability to encourage innovation and build high performing teams; D) a reputation for being a highly adaptable leader, and the foresight to recognize where technological innovations are heading before new technologies emerge; E) a reputation for synthesizing complex technological concepts in a manner that becomes consumable for a broad range of stakeholders; F) a broad range of technology, strategy, and business capabilities and expertise overseeing the work and maintenance of both hardware- and software-related technology projects; and, G) experience in the area of risk management, and extensive program management experience in leading large-scale (billion-dollar) infrastructure and digital programs within complex customer-facing environments.

How to Apply

GTAA is partnering with BIPOC Executive Search to ensure an applicant list that is as diverse as possible. All interested applicants can send their resume, in confidence, to Jason Murray by e-mailing jmurray@bipocsearch.com.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), individuals requiring accommodation at any stage of the hiring process can notify Jason Murray at the e-mail address above.

We thank everyone for their expression of interest—and are truly appreciative of the time individuals put into applying—but with the limitations of time only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The GTAA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is embedded in its talent, workplace and community practices.

The GTAA is a private not-for-profit corporation and a federally regulated employer. The Government of Canada has suspended mandatory vaccination requirements for federally regulated transportation sector workers. The GTAA has also suspended the application of the mandatory vaccination requirement in its COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. However, GTAA continues to monitor government and health developments relating to COVID-19 and may re-introduce the Vaccination and proof of Vaccination requirements in the Policy at any time.