ZRG Partners Helps Place New CEO at Sunshine Coast Airport

November 1, 2023 – ZRG Partners, a leading search firm backed by private equity firm RFE Investment Partners, recently assisted in the recruitment of Chris Mills as the new CEO of Sunshine Coast Airport in Australia. Garreth Ball led the assignment on the behalf of ZRG. “Chris’ extensive experience in finance, tourism, leisure, aviation, property planning and development across the private and public sectors made him the perfect fit to lead the team at Sunshine Coast Airport as it embarks on an exciting journey,” said Dennis Chant, chair of Sunshine Coast Airport. “His leadership approach is to build high performing teams that have improved airport experiences and driven significant capital investment with positive outcomes for shareholders, stakeholders and the community.

“I’d also like to thank our interim CEO Gary Allen who has been in the role since May 2023,” Mr. Mills said. “Gary has worked with the board and been invaluable in helping us to guide and assist the business through this transitional period to set it up for future success. Mr. Allen will continue to be involved with the business beyond November to ensure a smooth transition.”

Mr. Mills is an experienced CEO with a wealth of knowledge in the aviation and tourism sectors, most recently heading up Experience Gold Coast as its transition CEO, and prior to that CEO at Queensland Airports Limited between 2015 and 2022. He is also a board member of Tourism and Events Queensland, the state’s tourism marketing and major events agency.

Mr. Mills will lead the next chapter in the airport’s growth. “I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team at this time with a number of significant development projects either being planned or underway and record-breaking passenger growth,” Mr. Mills said. “As one of the fastest growing airports in Australia, Sunshine Coast Airport has a bright future and I’m looking forward to exploring how we can continue to drive growth and support the wider region.”

Fast Growing Airport

Sunshine Coast Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in Australia and was the first airport in Australia to hold Level 3+ Carbon Neutrality status. By 2040, total direct employment at the airport is expected to grow from 530 to 2,400 direct jobs and directly contribute an estimated $307 million to Australia’s GDP and $460 million in total.

Related: ZRG Partners Recruits CEO for Banner Real Estate

ZRG, founded in 1999, is a mid-sized global executive search firm and one of the fastest growing in the search industry. It provides a full suite of executive, middle management, and customized search solutions through its offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The firm finds leaders across a broad spectrum of business markets, including aerospace, consumer, education, healthcare services, and solutions, industrial, life sciences, non-profit, private equity and venture capital, and technology. ZRG is based in Rochelle Park, NJ.

Mr. Ball is a managing director within ZRG’s global industrial practice and is a foundation member of the team establishing the firm’s operations in the Australia/New Zealand region. He is worked across strategic C-suite and executive leadership appointments in Europe, APAC and Australasia. His mandate at ZRG spans all sector-relevant C-level and executive leader appointments across Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Ball is a specialist in the Industrial space, focused on building leadership teams across broad industrials, airports, rail, ports, utilities, and logistics.

Recent Search

ZRG recently assisted in the recruitment of Chuck Myers as the new CEO of Quarterhill, a Toronto-based provider of tolling and enforcement solutions in the intelligent transportation system (ITS). Kevin S. Anderson and Lisa Hooker led the assignment. “Our team continues to expand our expertise and experience at the CEO and board level in ITS, Telematics, and IoT,” Mr. Anderson said in a LinkedIn post. “Special thanks to the Quarterhill board search committee for bringing this search to its successful conclusion. Our placement, Chuck Myers, is known for being a strong operator with an impeccable track record of driving growth. Great hire for a great company.”

“Chuck’s ITS background, public company experience and familiarity with Quarterhill makes him the ideal CEO and leader for the company,” said Rusty Lewis, chair of the board at Quarterhill. “Chuck brings more than 25 years of leadership experience as a CEO, board member, and founder for private and public companies, including a co-founding role at Transcore, an ITS leader, and we are very excited for him to take the wheel at Quarterhill to drive growth in the business and in shareholder value.”

Related: ZRG Partners Recruits CEO for Playa Bowls

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media