London Gatwick has announced two senior leadership appointments as the airport moves into a new phase focused on delivery of its Northern Runway programme, continued investment and the future growth of the airport and wider region.
Stewart Wingate will become Chair of the London Gatwick Board on 1 October 2026, succeeding Baroness Margaret Ford, who has held the role since November 2023. Wingate previously served as London Gatwick’s Chief Executive for 15 years and is currently Managing Director, UK Airports for VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). He also sits on the boards of London Gatwick, Edinburgh Airport and Belfast International Airport.
His appointment comes as London Gatwick moves from the planning phase of its Northern Runway programme into detailed design and delivery, following Government approval of the £2.2bn privately financed project. The programme is expected to increase airport capacity, support around 14,000 jobs and generate an estimated £1bn in annual economic benefits.
Wingate said the new role comes at an important point for the airport, with the focus now moving towards delivery of the Northern Runway and addressing the wider economic and geopolitical pressures affecting the aviation sector.
He succeeds Baroness Margaret Ford, who will retire as Chair following three years in the role. During her tenure, she supported the airport through the final stages of the Northern Runway planning and approval process and helped strengthen relationships with national and local stakeholders.
London Gatwick has also appointed Kathleen Maes as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective from 17 August 2026.
Kathleen joins from BT Group, where she was HR Director for Portfolio Business, Transformation and M&A. She brings more than a decade of international experience across talent, culture, transformation and major M&A programmes, having worked across Belgium, Switzerland and the UK.
Kathleen replaces Simon Baker, who served as Interim HR Director for the past year and will become Chief Human Resources Officer at Edinburgh Airport from 1 October.
Her appointment comes as London Gatwick looks to realise the benefits of the Northern Runway while continuing to invest in its people, technology and passenger experience.
Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Executive of London Gatwick, said:
“Our people are what sets us apart and we are delighted to welcome Kathleen and the experience that she brings at such an important phase in our journey.”
Kathleen said she is joining at an exciting time as the airport looks to realise the benefits of the Northern Runway and embrace innovation and technology to continue improving both the passenger and employee experience.
The appointments come as London Gatwick enters a significant period of investment and change.
The airport currently serves around 43 million passengers a year and is a major piece of regional and national infrastructure, generating £5.5bn in GVA and supporting more than 76,000 jobs in 2023. Its wider growth programme includes the Northern Runway and an ambition to reach net zero by 2030.
For the Gatwick Region, the airport’s investment and growth plans are an important part of the wider regional economic story, supporting connectivity, trade, tourism, employment and new commercial opportunities.
