Tom Ruth to leave Edmonton Airport by end-2022

Tom Ruth has decided to leave his position as President and CEO, Edmonton Airport at the end of 2022.

"During his nine-year tenure, Tom has been a visionary leader, inspiring major changes, growth and innovation, and imagining something much bigger than a traditional airport," an official statement said.

Under his leadership, Edmonton Airport has seen significant growth in both passenger and air cargo service, connecting the Edmonton Metropolitan Region with direct flights to over 50 destinations within Canada, U.S. and Europe and cargo to and from Asia, the statement added.

"Tom has also advanced development of the Airport City Sustainability Campus at the airport with more than $1.3 billion in private investment including hotels, a casino, shopping centres, major business and innovation developments including its five-year Innovation Expansion strategy. Tom has overseen the development of technology and agriculture accelerators connecting local and international businesses to new markets. As a leader in sustainability, EIA will soon welcome Airport City Solar, the largest solar farm at an airport in the world. Tom also provided strong and stable leadership during the pandemic and he consistently put health and safety first as he led the airport through Covid-19."

"I'm so proud to work with such a strong team of dedicated, passionate employees at our airports," says Ruth. "It has been an honour and a pleasure to lead Edmonton International Airport and Villeneuve Airport for the past nine years, and when my time wraps at the end of 2022 I will look back and treasure this time in my career. We have accomplished so much together at our airports creating positive economic impact and sustainable jobs within our vibrant Edmonton Region. We grew air service and international cargo capacity, attracted more than a billion dollars of private investment to our region and accelerated our bold ESG initiatives even during the challenges of Covid. I want to thank everyone at both Edmonton International and Villeneuve Airports for their continued tireless dedication in supporting the noble vision of creating accelerated economic prosperity for everyone in the Edmonton Metro Region."

Joan Hertz, Chair of the Board of Directors, Edmonton Airports added: "Tom's impact on Edmonton Airports goes well beyond simple numbers and statistics. He's been a game-changer. Our Board, our economic development partners, governments, our regional mayors and the entire community have benefited immensely from his leadership, his vision and his ability to imagine what's possible and make it happen. Thanks to Tom's leadership, EIA is well-positioned to take advantage of our bold plans for growth and innovation in the coming years."

A global search for Ruth's successor will be launched immediately, starting with an RFP for an executive search firm to be issued in the coming days. Edmonton Airport is a self-funded, not-for-profit corporation, and is Canada's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area.