London Gatwick has appointed Kathleen Maes as its new Chief Human Resources Officer, with the appointment taking effect on August 17, 2026.
Maes joins the airport from BT Group, where she most recently served as HR Director for Portfolio Business, Transformation and Mergers and Acquisitions. She brings experience in major transformation, M&A, talent and corporate culture programmes across several sectors.
The appointment comes at an important period for London Gatwick as the airport prepares for the next stages of its Northern Runway project and continues to invest in technology, passenger experience and its workforce.
“Our vision – to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey – means delivering an enjoyable, accessible and efficient passenger experience and making our airport a great place to work,” said Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Executive of London Gatwick.
“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 following the recent legal decision on our Northern Runway project.”
Maes joins Gatwick after 12 years at BT
Maes spent the past 12 years at BT, primarily within the company’s international customer-facing business, holding a number of global positions.
Her most recent responsibilities included leading the delivery of BT’s mergers and acquisitions roadmap. Her broader experience covers organisational transformation as well as talent and culture programmes.
Having lived and worked in Belgium, Switzerland and the UK, Maes also brings an international background to the role. She holds a Master’s degree in Literature from the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
“It’s an exciting time to join London Gatwick as we look forward to realising the benefits of the Northern Runway and embrace innovation and technology to keep improving the passenger and employee experience,” Maes said.
“Our vision is at the heart of everything that we do and my focus will be on ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and proud to work here.”
Simon Baker moves to Edinburgh Airport
Maes succeeds Simon Baker, who has served as London Gatwick’s Interim HR Director for the past year.
Baker will remain within the wider VINCI and GIP Airports network, having been appointed Chief Human Resources Officer at Edinburgh Airport. He is due to take up the new position on October 1, 2026.
The leadership change comes as Gatwick enters a significant development period, with the airport’s Northern Runway project expected to increase capacity by bringing the existing standby runway into routine use alongside the main runway.
