Novo Executive Search has supported the appointment of a Director of IT at Gatwick Airport, a critical leadership role supporting the airport’s digital transformation, operational resilience, and infrastructure modernisation strategy.
Gatwick Airport operates within one of the most complex 24/7 environments in the UK, where system reliability, passenger experience, and operational performance are closely connected. As Gatwick advances a multi-billion-pound infrastructure programme and progresses toward its net-zero commitments, technology leadership has become critical to operational delivery, passenger experience, cybersecurity, and infrastructure resilience.
The Director of IT appointment was positioned as a critical executive search mandate focused on digital leadership, operational resilience, and long-term infrastructure capability. The role required more than system oversight. It needed a leader capable of shaping digital strategy, ensuring resilience across mission-critical systems, and supporting long-term operational and sustainability objectives.
Novo Executive Search worked closely with Gatwick’s senior leadership team to define the mandate and align stakeholders on the requirements of the role. This included understanding the operational context, leadership expectations, and the balance between innovation and system stability.
The search focused on senior technology leaders with experience across aviation, transport infrastructure, critical infrastructure, and other complex, customer-facing environments. Candidates were assessed on digital transformation leadership, operational resilience, infrastructure delivery, stakeholder management, and executive leadership capability.
Novo conducted a targeted and discreet executive search process, combining market mapping, leadership assessment, and direct engagement with senior technology executives who were not actively seeking new roles. The process also included comparison with internal candidates, ensuring a balanced and well-informed selection.
Gatwick Airport appointed a Director of IT with both strategic insight and practical operational experience. Early impact has included strengthening operational resilience, progressing digital transformation initiatives, and improving alignment across technology and operational teams.
This appointment supports Gatwick’s wider objective to maintain operational performance while advancing its digital and sustainability agenda. It also reflects the increasing importance of executive leadership in delivering complex infrastructure, digital transformation, and operational resilience programmes across the aviation sector.
About Novo Executive Search
Novo Executive Search is a privately owned executive search firm specialising in board, C-suite, and senior leadership appointments across infrastructure, technology, aviation, energy, and industrial sectors.
The firm supports organisations to define leadership requirements and secure executives aligned to operational performance, transformation, governance, and long-term growth.
