airportIR by Modalis - Open Mic Podcast

airportIR by Modalis

Welcome to Open Mic, the airport- and aviation-focused podcast hosted by Curtis Grad, Chief Executive and Founding Partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners. Each episode features in-depth conversations with global aviation leaders—airport executives, investors, innovators, and policy experts—exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the airport and aviation landscape.

  1. May 24

    IR Open Mic - 26-04 - Full Interview with Craig Richmond (Season 1, Episode 7)

    Welcome to Open Mic, the airport- and aviation-focused podcast hosted by Curtis Grad, Chief Executive and Founding Partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners. Each episode features in-depth conversations with global aviation leaders—airport executives, investors, innovators, and policy experts—exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the airport and aviation landscape. In this episode, Curtis speaks with Craig Richmond, former President and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority and one of Canada’s most respected airport leaders. Together, Curtis and Craig reflect on Craig’s remarkable aviation journey—from Vancouver to the Bahamas, the UK, Cyprus and beyond—and explore the leadership principles, culture and resilience required to build world-class airport organizations. They dive into: ✈️ Craig’s return to Vancouver Airport Authority after seven years abroad—and the challenge of leading an airport already recognized as one of the world’s best.  🌎 Lessons learned from international airport leadership roles in the Bahamas, the UK, Cyprus, and beyond.  🤝 Why airport culture, teamwork, and customer service are foundational to long-term success.  🏗️ Building resilient airport organizations by empowering teams, encouraging innovation, and preparing the next generation of leaders.  🛫 The unforgettable moments that define aviation careers—from 9/11 diversions to airline launches, Olympic operations and even a "rumble" with Jackie Chan. Timestamps: 1:27  Returning to Vancouver Airport Authority as CEO 3:32  Building airport culture and defining organizational values 5:56  Customer service, leadership and operational excellence 13:30  Starting up Nassau Airport Development Company 19:33  Crazy aviation stories: 9/11 and managing airport crises 26:29  Transition to the UK 37:34  The future of aviation, space exploration and Artemis II 39:44  Magic Mirror: Rapid-fire questions with Craig 🎧 Tune in for insider perspectives from airport and aviation thought leaders.  🔔 Subscribe for future episodes.  💬 Like and Comment: What leadership qualities are most important in building resilient airport organizations?  🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

    51 min
  2. Apr 21

    IR Open Mic - 26-03 - Full Interview with Belinda Jain (Season 1, Episode 6)

    Welcome to Open Mic, the airport- and aviation-focused podcast hosted by Curtis Grad, Chief Executive and Founding Partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners. Each episode features in-depth conversations with global aviation leaders—airport executives, investors, innovators, and policy experts—exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the airport and aviation landscape. In this episode, Curtis speaks with Belinda Jain, Vice President, Customer Experience and Commercial at JFK International Air Terminal, operator of Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK Airport. Together, Curtis and Belinda explore n airport commercial strategy, how terminal operators can differentiate in a competitive airport environment and why customer experience must evolve into a broader “terminal experience” that includes passengers, employees, airlines and partners.  They dive into: ✈️ Belinda’s global aviation journey—from the Queen Alia Airport project in Jordan to leadership roles in Mumbai and now JFK Terminal 4. 🏗️ Reimagining Terminal 4 through a major transformation program spanning passenger experience, employee experience, commercial strategy, and terminal ambience. 🛍️ The complexity of redeveloping and modernizing more than 100 concessions while maintaining operations for tens of thousands of daily passengers. 🤝 Why terminal experience goes beyond passengers—building a unified ecosystem that includes employees, airlines, and partners. 🌆 Creating a distinct “sense of place” at JFK Terminal 4 while aligning with the broader One JFK vision. Timestamps: 1:06  Queen Alia Airport: Lessons from a landmark project 4:04  Leading transformation at JFK Terminal 4 4:50  Commercial redevelopment and concession strategy 12:10  F&B investments and terminal experience versus customer experience 16:40  Crazy aviation story: Opening day of a new terminal 18:15  From fashion and retail to airport commercial strategy 29:27  Magic Mirror: Rapid-fire questions with Belinda 🎧 Tune in for insider perspectives from airport and aviation thought leaders. 🔔 Subscribe for future episodes. 💬 Like and Comment: How can airport terminals differentiate themselves while delivering a unified passenger experience? 🌐 Visit https://www.modalisinfra.ca/openmic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

    38 min

About

Welcome to Open Mic, the airport- and aviation-focused podcast hosted by Curtis Grad, Chief Executive and Founding Partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners. Each episode features in-depth conversations with global aviation leaders—airport executives, investors, innovators, and policy experts—exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the airport and aviation landscape.