Edinburgh Airport appoints new Chief Commercial Officer

Edinburgh Airport has appointed Stephanie Wear as its new Chief Commercial Officer.

Ms Wear joins from London Gatwick Airport, also part of the VINCI Airports network, where she has served as Vice President of Aviation Development since November 2021.

Stephanie’s appointment comes as the current Chief Commercial Officer (XAero), Gail Taylor, joins Sydney Airport as Commercial Project Director.

Ms Taylor moves to the GIP owned airport after 13 years at Scotland’s busiest airport, where she has played an integral part in that success.

Both appointments mean Stephanie and Gail remain in the broad network of airports owned and managed by our investors VINCI Airports and GIP.

The role will be harmonised from 1 September, bringing together the Aviation and XAero sides of the commercial portfolio and returning to the pre-Covid structure.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:

“We are delighted to be welcoming Stephanie to Scotland’s busiest airport, where she will play a key role in our future growth as we deliver more connectivity to and from Scotland.

“Stephanie has a wealth of experience in senior positions both at home and abroad, and her commercial insight will continue to drive us on as we go forward. Her aviation background will be critical as we look to expand Edinburgh Airport's presence in new and existing markets, and she has some exciting ideas about our XAero function and how it can be further developed.”

Speaking about Gail Taylor’s new role at Sydney Airport, Gordon said:

“Gail’s decision is bittersweet for us at Edinburgh Airport, as she has been such an integral part of our success and a driving force behind our retail and commercial outlook, but I am excited at the prospect of this new challenge which awaits her and her family.

“Again, Gail is joining an airport she will already feel she knows and understands given her experience of working with GIP while at Edinburgh. Her track record of success is something she will take with her, and we wish her all the very best in her new role.”

On the decision to harmonise the roles, Gordon added:

“Our recovery from the pandemic was so important that we decided to sperate the CCO role to allow our teams to fully focus on their areas and build a strong case for the airport’s aviation and retail opportunities. That has delivered for us following another record year and being one of the UK’s first airports to return to growth.

“Now is the perfect opportunity to harmonise that role and return to the pre-Covid structure that we had. This allows Stephanie the opportunity to provide a strategic overview of that side of the business, knowing she has strong teams and heads of department across all the commercial and digital disciplines with a track record of success.”

Stephanie Wear said:

“I am very honoured to be joining Edinburgh Airport as Chief Commercial Officer, and I am looking forward to working with the talented teams at EDI to help drive the next chapter of ambitious, innovative growth.

“I will work to help build on the outstanding successes achieved to help grow passenger numbers, attract new airlines, deliver an exceptional passenger experience, strengthen our commercial strategy, and continue building an airport that is not only a vital transport hub, but a world-class destination in its own right.

“Aviation has always been about connection, and I’m excited to help shape the future of Scotland’s busiest airport that connects people, places, and possibilities every single day.”

Gail Taylor said:

“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support over the last 13 years. It’s been a privilege leading the XAero team and I am very proud of what we’ve delivered together, developing one of the most effective and efficient commercial estates in the UK and supporting the airports growth aspirations.

“There are too many projects to mentioned individually, however I am especially proud of the recovery from Covid, the focus of the team on partner relationships and delivering growth objectives year after year, and our recent overhaul of the retail offering, which is one of the biggest changes in the airport's history. There is so much more to come and exciting times ahead and I leave the department in very capable hands to deliver the next stage in the airport’s development. The opportunity in Sydney is very exciting and I feel it’s the right time to move and take on that fresh challenge.

“Edinburgh Airport is truly a great place to work and it’s the people and teams who make it what it is - they've certainly made my job a lot easier, and I know they'll do the same for Stephanie. I'll really miss working here, but I know that EDI will continue to go from strength to strength and I will follow its progress from a few time zones away!”