AIRPORT--Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) announced in its January newsletter that it has appointed Royal Schiphol Group employee Gerben Stavast as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
He is PJIA’s second CFO, succeeding Ravi Daryanani who was appointed both CFO and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in November 2017. He joins CEO Brian Mingo and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Michel Hyman on the airport’s managing board.
Stavast’s appointment is no small matter. The Daily Herald understands that the appointment of a CFO was one of the conditions required for the airport to receive approximately US $62.7 million in reconstruction funding that is being withheld by the bondholders.
Stavast is also not a stranger to PJIA, having been hired as a financial advisor on August 1, 2019. According to the newsletter, he was expected be an advisor for two years, but this was cut short by his appointment as CFO. He formerly worked as the Manager of Business Control of Schiphol Airport’s Security, Safety and Fire Brigade Department.
“My main objective is to help reconstruct the hurricane-struck Princess Juliana International Airport in a financially sound way. Additionally, I would like to help to improve the financial aspect of the organisation by, for example, developing a five-year business plan for all departments and improving the internal controls,” Stavast is quoted as saying in the newsletter.
“Both Managing Board members [Mingo and Hyman – Ed.] have divulged … that the new Chief Financial Officer has already proven to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the SXM [St. Maarten] Airport team,” according to the newsletter.
