I went from consulting to being the CEO of Pittsburgh's airport. Here's what passengers don't see.

Christina Cassotis went from consulting to leading Pittsburgh International Airport. The airport's CEO said a lot happens behind the scenes that passengers don't see. Cassotis said there are also a lot of misconceptions about airports. This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport. This story has been edited for length and clarity. I never thought of working at an airport ever. My dad was a military fighter pilot in the Vietnam War and then got recruited by Pan Am World Airways, so he would be flying to really exciting places around the world while my friend's parents were coming home from dinner every night. My dad was in Dhaka, or Buenos Aires, or Tokyo. So, in a very small New Hampshire town, I had this big view of the world. I come from a PR background and ended up working at Boston's Logan Airport early in my career for almost five years. Through a project, I met the owner of a consulting company who recruited me, and I spent the next 17 years consulting for airports around the world. In the US, I was very focused on how airports could help attract more airlines and the right airlines, and in Europe, I was really focused on doing due diligence for infrastructure investors. In 2014, I got recruited to see if I'd be interested in running Pittsburgh International Airport . I initially said no. I had recently gotten an MBA from MIT, and even though I loved consulting, I really wanted an operational role. And I really wanted a place where I could prove the thesis that you can run a really good public utility like a business. When I took the job, I really didn't come to run the airport . I came to change the industry in the US. An airport is almost like a small city There are no average days. This job is great for people who are really comfortable with a lot of uncertainty. Things happen every day. We have to operate 24/7, 365. People count on us for that. I would say 50% of my job is reactive and 50% is proactive. I have meetings with my staff and one-on-ones with my direct reports on a regular basis. We cover what everyone needs to know is happening. The coordination and dependencies are no joke. During the busy holiday travel season, we pay a lot of attention to prepping for winter operations, prepping our snow crews, making sure we have the right amount of chemicals for plowing runways, and taking care of roadways and pedestrian areas. On any given day, you could have a security incident, and that changes the tone and tenor of the day. We are prepared for lots of uncertainty, and we train for it, we drill for it, and we have communications ready to go for it. There are plans and systems...

Preview: ~500 words