Swissport appoints Nelson Camacho as CEO for US, Canada

Swissport appointed new leaders for the US and Canada as Nelson Camacho becomes CEO for the region and Stacey Brown starts as regional chief people officer.

Nelson Camacho, formerly the company’s chief operating officer for Swissport in the US and Canada, has assumed the role of CEO for the region at the start of July. He took over from Frank Mena, who has retired after a 45-year career in the aviation industry, with 32 years dedicated to Swissport and its predecessor in the US.

“He will be driving Swissport’s development in one of its largest, most important markets,” reads the release about Camacho.

Camacho will be driving the company's development in one of Swissport's largest and most important markets worldwide. Across the US and Canada, Swissport's aviation services are relied upon by over 300 airlines on a daily basis at more than 80 airports. In addition to its core business of passenger services and ramp handling, the company also provides aviation fueling, lounge hospitality and executive aviation services in the US and Canada.

“Our potential in the US and Canada is huge and we have been gearing up to grow our business – especially in the domestic arena where Swissport is not quite as well known yet,” says Warwick Brady, president & CEO of Swissport International AG. “We want to anchor our brand as the preferred partners for airlines – from network to no-frills carriers in the US and Canada. I am pleased Nelson has taken over the lead on this exciting journey.”

"I was honored to accept the role of CEO for the US and Canada,” says Nelson Camacho. Working closely with Stacey, our new Chief People Officer, and the rest of our regional executive team, we will accelerate Swissport’s growth and success, driven by collaboration, innovation and relentless focus on customer satisfaction."

Camacho joined Swissport as COO for the US and Canada in March 2023. Prior to joining, he was COO at GAT

Airline Ground Support for the company’s US operations, overseeing safety, culture, compliance, administrative, and operational functions. Prior to GAT, Nelson served as VP Airports, C.E. and Customer-Facing Technologies at Copa Airlines. He has also held management positions at CAE Inc., US Airways, and the United States Air Force. Nelson holds an Executive MBA from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business in Dallas, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Effective 31 July 2023, Stacey Brown was appointed chief people officer for the US and Canada, reporting to Nelson Camacho. Stacey is an experienced HR executive with a proven track record of employee development

and retention. She began her career in labor and employment litigation before moving on to various in-house counsel and HR positions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Albertson’s Companies, and Walgreens. Stacey has served as chief HR Officer for DB Schenker in the Americas, a global logistics and supply chain provider. Most recently, she held the position of chief HR Officer at First Hospitality.