Logan Charters-Leahy, 26, is Rotorua Airport's new interim chief executive. Photo / Andrew Warner
Logan Charters-Leahy, 26, is Rotorua Airport's new interim chief executive. Photo / Andrew Warner
Logan Charters-Leahy's career has taken off as Rotorua Airport's youngest man in charge.
The 26-year-old is the airport's new interim chief executive - the youngest person to achieve the Civil Aviation Authority CEO certification.
But Charters-Leahy says being the youngest chief executive doesn't faze him, saying it's not about age. "Someone has to be the youngest. It just turns out that it's me, and by quite a bit.
"To me, and clearly the [Rotorua Airport] Board, it's about the skills I bring to the table, not my age. The board wouldn't have put me in this position unless they were confident I was the right person for the job."
Charters-Leahy has taken over the reins from outgoing chief executive Mark Gibb, who is now the CEO of Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust.
His journey to the airport's interim chief executive role started at age 16, when he joined Fire and Emergency New Zealand in Tīrau as a volunteer firefighter and is now deputy chief fire officer.
From there, he worked as a regional trainer with St John New Zealand, clinical applications trainer at the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, and simulation trainer and developer with Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Charters-Leahy said hard work, determination, and surrounding himself with other-focused people have helped him get to where he was today.
"As a teenager, my volunteer work with Fire and Emergency New Zealand meant my priorities were different from some of my peers. I was focused on the bigger picture."
In March last year, Charters-Leahy was employed as the airport operations manager when the country went into alert level 4 lockdown, and borders were closed as aviation came to a grinding halt.
But that didn't stop the 26-year-old - and father to a newborn baby - from enrolling in a Bachelor of Aviation, juggling fulltime work with part-time study.
"Turbulent doesn't even begin to describe it. We were straight into crisis mode, ensuring the airport remained operational to move essential workers and goods around the country," he said.
"When I look back, as mad as those first weeks were, I couldn't have asked for a better learning environment."
Charters-Leahy said he has had a passion for giving back to the community and helping people since he was young.
"My career to date has been very much focused in that space.
Logan Charters-Leahy: "It's about the skills I bring to the table, not my age." Photo / Andrew Warner
"While that might sound like a cliche, it's true. Helping people and making a difference in our community is important to me – and I see my role at the airport as an extension of that."
Charters-Leahy was also employed when the airport was in the middle of completing its site renovations.
The two-year project totalling $5.3 million included significant seismic upgrades, the establishment of a Business Hub, and collaboration with mana whenua to incorporate te reo Māori in the fabric of the overall redevelopment.
It also included new arrival and departure areas, a new food and beverage offering, and a parent's room and meeting room.
"We had these amazing new facilities, but no one to appreciate them.
"That's certainly paid off now, though, with increasing numbers of visitors just prior to the Delta outbreak ..."
However, Charters-Leahy is not naive to the challenges ahead.
"The entire team are working together to realise a new normal in an industry that has been one of the hardest hit."
He had two key priorities for the year ahead, which included maintaining the safe and efficient operation of the airport and continuing to progress and expand Rotorua's "fantastic asset".
"We're the gateway to the birth of tourism and we never underestimate the importance of that.
"We're also focused on the financial stability of the airport as we meet this next wave caused by the current Delta outbreak head on."
Rotorua Airport chairman Peter Stubbs said Charters-Leahy was the obvious choice for the caretaker role while finalising its recruitment search for a new chief executive.
"Logan is an exceptional operator."
Stubbs said at age 26, Charters-Leahy was the country's youngest person to achieve the tough CAA Senior Person PT139 (chief executive) certification.
"The board was unanimous. He's a safe pair of hands to lead our organisation through the coming months.
"His operational knowledge, leadership and exceptional performance during the last 18 months will continue to support Rotorua Airport ... and return to growth as our tourism economy picks up."
The Rotorua Airport Board hopes to complete its chief executive search early in the new year, and Stubbs said it was confident Charters-Leahy was running a tight ship.
"We're happy to support Logan in his new acting role, ensuring he has all the right connections with stakeholders, as well as the tools he needs to lead the airport team and undertake robust strategic planning to support the future.
"Logan has the capability to ensure the airport is a vital, economic engine that supports economic activity for Rotorua and our surrounding districts."
A CAA spokesperson confirmed Charters-Leahy is the youngest person in New Zealand with a chief executive senior person status in relation to a certificated aerodrome.
"There may be other relatively young people in 'senior person' roles across a range of different aviation operations, but we are unable to easily pinpoint other young senior persons."
The spokesperson said the safety-critical role of a senior person was pivotal to an aviation organisation's success and also a requirement of the Civil Aviation Rules.
They effectively manage all functions associated with an operation and exercise an "appropriate level of control, direction, and responsibility" to ensure continued safety and "set the boundaries of acceptable performance for the organisation's personnel".
"While not necessarily senior in years, senior persons are experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable. "
