Press Release

Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) has announced the following appointments to the Board of London Gatwick Airport, to take effect following completion of the acquisition.

GIP reached agreement with BAA Airports Limited to acquire London Gatwick Airport in October and expects to complete the acquisition in the first week of December. GIP will be investing through Ivy Bidco Limited, a company established for the purposes of making the acquisition.

The Gatwick Board will be chaired by Sir David Rowlands, the former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport. Other non-executive Board members will include:

Michael McGhee: GIP Partner and former Head of Transport at Credit Suisse

Bill Woodburn: GIP Partner and former Head of GE Infrastructure

Andrew Jurenko: Former MD of BAA International and BAA Lynton. Former Interim CEO of Melbourne Airport

James van Hoften: Former Bechtel Partner, Head of Aviation, Project Leader for new Hong Kong Airport

Sir David Rowlands said: “An independent Gatwick has a tremendous opportunity to inject real competition into the London airports market. The new Board will work with Gatwick’s management team to drive Gatwick to a competitive future in its target market through more efficient operations and a relentless focus on customer service.”

Short biographies of the Board members are below.

Notes to editors

Sir David Rowlands
Sir David Rowlands is a Senior Adviser to GIP.  He retired in 2007 as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport. Sir David is currently chairman of High Speed Two which is due to report to the Government at the end of the year with advice on a high-speed railway network. He will step down from this role in the new year.

Sir David is also an adviser to Capita Group Plc, a governor of Anglia Ruskin University and a member of the RAC Foundation’s public policy committee.

Michael McGhee
Michael McGhee is a transport partner of GIP and is based in London.  He was a managing director of the Investment Banking Department of Credit Suisse and head of the Global Transportation and Logistics Group since 1998.  Previously he had been head of BZW’s Global Transportation Group, since founding it in July 1990, and has advised governments on several privatisations in the transport sector globally.

Bill Woodburn
Bill Woodburn is the operating partner of GIP and is based in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut.  Prior to joining GIP, he was the President and CEO of GE Infrastructure and previously President and CEO of GE Specialty Materials.

Prior to this, Bill was Executive Vice President and a member of the Office of the CEO at GE Capital, with oversight responsibilities for GE Capital Equipment Management businesses, including Americom, Fleet Service, Rail Services, TIP & Modular Space and Penske Truck Leasing.  He served on the GE Capital Board in 2000 and 2001 and oversaw GE Capital India, GE Capital Global Sourcing, GE Capital Container Finance and GE SeaCo JV.

Andrew Jurenko
Andrew Jurenko advised on the Gatwick acquisition and is a consultant to a number of property businesses.  He was a member of BAA plc’s executive committee, as managing director of BAA International, where he led the acquisition of Budapest Airport.  Andrew’s international experience also includes serving as CEO of Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Limited (APAC), as interim CEO of Melbourne Airport following its successful acquisition and as managing director of BAA Pacific Ltd in Hong Kong.

In the UK Andrew was also the managing director of BAA’s World Duty Free direct retailing arm, co-chairman of BAA’s non-airport retail joint venture, McArthur Glen, and managing director and then chairman of the commercial property company, BAA Lynton.

James van Hoften
James (Ox) van Hoften is a former Senior Vice President and Partner of the Bechtel Corporation.  He was managing director of the global airport design and construction business and was responsible for airport developments in the Middle East, Japan, and North and South America.  In the early 1990’s, he was the programme manager of the $23 billion Hong Kong Airport Core Programme including the new Hong Kong Airport. Previously, Dr. van Hoften spent eight years as a NASA Astronaut including two flights on the space shuttle and four space walks.

Dr. van Hoften is a director of FlexLNG in London and is on the Board of Trustees of the University of California, Berkeley.  He currently resides near San Francisco, California.

About Global Infrastructure Partners
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a $5.64 billion independent investment fund, invests worldwide in infrastructure assets. GIP targets investments in air transport infrastructure, ports, freight rail, power and utilities, natural resources infrastructure, water distribution and treatment, and waste management. GIP has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Sydney and an operations team in Stamford, Connecticut.

GIP has a 75% ownership interest in London City Airport. GIP’s other UK investments are Biffa Limited, a waste management company and Great Yarmouth Port Company. GIP also has investments in other infrastructure businesses in the United States, India and Argentina.

About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick is the UK’s second-largest airport and the world’s busiest single runway airport. It is currently handling 32.25 million passengers a year through its two terminals, on a mix of short and long-haul scheduled, low-cost and charter services. There are currently around 80 airlines serving more than 200 destinations.

Media inquiries
Stephen Hardwick: +44 (0)7515 390 549 or  +44 (0)20 7936 9694
Email: stephen.hardwick@altcon.co.uk

Jack Cowell : +(00)1 212 315 8133 or +(00)1 917 405 0717
Email: jack.cowell@global-infra.com