Head of Global Operations, Swissport

Odgers partnered with Swissport in their search for an exceptional Head of Global Operations, with Frank Dobbelsteijn starting his role in January 2024. 

Swissport is an aviation services company providing ground and cargo handling services, and lounge hospitality. 

What attracted you to the role at Swissport? 

I’ve been in aviation for 31 years, starting my career in Amsterdam. I spent about 13 years living in the US, and at one point stepped away from aviation to work for Amazon before moving to the UK in 2019. Most of my career has been spent working for a competitor, so joining Swissport felt like a natural next step in my journey. 

I’ve mostly operated aviation businesses, either at a station level or regionally, so this role at Swissport was a logical progression, building on everything I’ve done so far. 

What really drew me to Swissport, despite being in the same industry as my previous roles, is how far ahead we are in terms of technology and being data-driven. That’s something I’m genuinely passionate about. My time at Amazon, working in one of their US distribution centres, taught me a lot - and combining that with my aviation background made this role feel like a perfect fit. 

As Head of Global Operations, I lead a team that provides governance and support across the globe. That includes everything from launching new operations to scaling up fast-growing stations. 

What are your ambitions and goals within your role? 

I’m working within a highly competitive, forward-looking, and motivated team, which, for me, is a fantastic environment. There’s so much exciting technology coming to life right now, and with the vast amount of data we have as a company, my ambition is to channel all of that into building a predictive model.

The goal is to take all the leading indicators, harness them, understand them, and analyse them, ideally using AI tools like Copilot, to help us spot signs of trouble before they actually emerge. That kind of foresight would be incredibly powerful. 

The technology now available, combined with the sheer volume of data we have as a company, gives us a real edge. I believe it will continue to position us as the strongest handler in the industry. We don’t just want to be the largest, we want to lead in every way, especially when it comes to technology. 

How was your journey with Odgers? 

After a couple of initial conversations, it really helped that Susan had worked with Swissport before, which gave me a clearer picture of the opportunity and the team dynamic. 

As the conversations progressed, it became more about whether this role would be a good fit for me, and whether I’d be a good fit for the Swissport team. I found those discussions to be really engaging and insightful. For me, the most important thing was finding a space where I could apply everything I’ve learned over the years to build something meaningful and help the company grow. That’s exactly what this role has allowed me to do. 

The whole process was handled professionally; every call was on time, and the experience of transitioning from Menzies where I’d worked for 30 years, was surprisingly smooth. It was a bit of a bombshell when I announced my resignation, but the move felt right. 

What makes this role unique is that it simply doesn’t exist at any of our competitors. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something different, while still drawing on all the experience I’ve built up over the years. I’ve worked hard to get here, and I’ve had the chance to work in so many different places: Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, and even a stint in Spain for a few months doing startup work. It’s been quite the journey. 

Success in Leadership 

Read our interview with Frank where he emphasises the importance of being surrounded by critical people, understanding cultural differences, as well as the significance of being open-mindedness and being self-critical. 

Read Our Interview With Frank Dobbelsteijn

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