Good Guy Gale

BY ANDREW TELLIJOHN

While Mark Gale’s most recent roles have been at the director level as CEO of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and as CEO and director of aviation at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), those who know him personally and professionally say he’s never forgotten his roots. He started as an intern at PHL and worked his way up the organizational chart before becoming the leader. And he still speaks freely with everyone, whether in the C-suite or the convenience store. He’s a savvy leader but also open to helping anyone who reaches out seeking assistance with a problem. And he’s able to stay calm, no matter the stormy circumstances. Here’s what some of his friends and colleagues had to say about him:

National Aviation Director Austin Commercial

“I was director of operations at Logan [International Airport (BOS)] and he was director of operations at PHL. We used to call each other regularly, share stories and ask each other for advice on similar problems. Our relationship goes back 30-plus years. We’ve played a lot of golf together. We get together at conferences. I consider him one of the nicest men I know and a very good friend. He’s the kind of guy who would do whatever he could for you. I used to refer my staff to him and even sent people to PHL to learn how he was dealing with operational issues. And he was always open to helping other airports and airport executives solve issues.”

President and CEO American Association of Airport Executives

“[I’ll go with] that old proverbial line – if you’re going to be in a foxhole with somebody, you want it to be Mark Gale. He had that active shooter situation down in Fort Lauderdale. More recently he had a big bomb scare, bomb threat that closed part of the airport for a while. He’s just very calm in a storm. He’s been around the industry for decades, cut his teeth in operations in Philly and moved up the food chain. He’s just a solid pro.”

Broward County Administrator

“When I first went to visit Mark, I said ‘show me around the airport.’ I had on my walking shoes and we started walking. Invariably, people from all walks of life were walking up to him, calling him Mark. These were random people, people who ran concessions, people who were plugged in to the business community, people just traveling through the airport and they stopped. The one that got me the most was a young lady with a red and white outfit, she was a greeter. She helped people find their way. She started engaging him in a conversation. I could tell she was comfortable. I said to myself ‘here’s a guy from the top of the ladder to the bottom of the ladder, people felt comfortable stopping him to talk.’ I thought if someone is that approachable … this is my guy.”

CEO of Southwest Airlines

“He works very hard to understand our needs. Sometimes it’s difficult to deliver, but once he understands he is very customer service-oriented in meeting the needs of his airline clients. He’s a great partner. I’ve always enjoyed personally working with him. He’s been a great friend. He’s a dean of the industry.”

CEO Spokane International Airport (GEG)

“What I always liked about Mark was his accessibility. Even though he worked at a larger facility than I did he never was too busy to take a call or respond to an email or a text. He was always great at touching base, checking back in, saying ‘hey, how are things going.’ We always enjoyed that friendship and collegial bond. … We would always compare notes on things and trade best practices with each other about how we were doing things. That accessibility and the fact that he was so well versed as a professional on so many facets of airport management, I really respect and have always appreciated. You know when he is signed up to work somewhere, he’s all in.”

CEO Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance:

“During the pandemic, Mark was one of those calm individuals. While everyone was wringing their hands wondering what we were going to do, Mark came across as even-keeled, calm and saying ‘we’re going to get through this alright.’ We were on a weekly call with some of our top hotel GMs and people whose whole lives are in the hospitality sector. The concept that a pandemic could shut an entire industry down was really unnerving. The industry really appreciated that Mark took the time out and made himself available on those calls. If somebody had questions, he was an easy resource for people. It was a reassuring voice during a really turbulent time for a big part of our industry here.”

President and CEO Paradies Lagardère: “Mark takes on big challenges. Not that any airports are simple, but Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia are two of the more complex airports. I’ve always been impressed with the way that Mark is able to lead these airports in a way that is focused on the traveler. He is able to navigate all the different challenges he has. He’s very savvy, both politically and from a business standpoint and that’s what it takes. Those airports have had a lot of growth and construction projects. Navigating around growth and construction projects takes a lot of fortitude, determination and creativity, and Mark has definitely shown that.”