Executive Team

Chris Dinsdale
President & CEO

Chris joined The Calgary Airport Authority in August of 2023 as President and CEO. Prior to his position with The Authority Chris held several executive roles in the airport sector over the past decade. Including the Budapest Airport Chief Financial Officer, and CEO since April 2021. He also served as the Managing Director of Airport Fuel Services, the market leading aviation fuel supply subsidiary of the Budapest Airport, until 2020 and has also held the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2019 for BUD Security, which operates all passenger and staff security screening activities at the Budapest Airport. Prior to joining the aviation industry, Chris worked as the Chief Financial Officer of the publicly listed Wildhorse Energy. Chris moved to Hungary in 2004 to join KPMG Hungary working in various capacities, most recently as Director – Energy and Resource Advisory in Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to leaving Canada, he worked as a Project Manager at TD Bank Financial Group. Chris has a Bachelor of Engineering Science, Engineering Physics degree from Queen’s University and a Master of Business Administration degree (Finance) from the Schulich Business School, York University. Chris is married with three children.

Kirstan Jewell
Chief People & Communications Officer

Kirstan joined The Authority in July 2023 to oversee culture, employee experience, talent management, diversity, equity and inclusion, labour relations, learning and development, organization development, HR operations and total rewards. As an accomplished Human Resources leader, Kirstan has led large scale transformational change and the strategic integration of culture, people, and business. She is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Royal Roads University and a Certificate in Industrial Relations from Queen’s University. She is an active volunteer and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Hockey Alberta. Before joining YYC, Kirstan held the role of Senior Vice President of People and Culture for OEG (formerly the Oilers Entertainment Group). Prior to OEG, Kirstan worked with the Edmonton International Airport as Vice-President, Human Resources. Kirstan is a mother, daughter, sister, friend, colleague and ally.

Chris Miles
Chief Operating Officer

Since joining The Authority in 2018, Chris has held several executive leadership roles within the organization including Vice President, Operations & Infrastructure where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations, engineering, and construction portfolios. Chris has worked with airlines, airports and industry trade associations, including the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Airports Council International - ACI World, Air Canada, Abu Dhabi Airports Company and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva, Switzerland. He is fluent in English and French and holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Chris lends his expertise to several organizations to advance the industry, including the Canadian Airports Council, ACI World and ACI North America. He is also active in serving the local community as a Tourism Calgary advisory committee member, Board Chair of Lindsay Park Sports Society, and serves on the Board of Directors at Elevate Aviation. 

Megan Gupton
Chief Information Officer

In 2023, Megan was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) with The Authority. Prior to her current role as CIO, Megan held the position of Senior Director IT and Chief Technology Officer. Under her stewardship, technology trials, innovation initiatives, and automation took precedence, fostering deeper and more meaningful collaborations to connect technology and airport partners. Joining The Authority during 2020, her tenure has been characterized by resolute remote leadership, adept team building, proficiently managing stakeholder relationships, forging strategic partnerships, and formulating a new IT strategy, exemplifying her resilience and unwavering commitment. Prior to joining The Authority, Megan held senior IT roles with WestJet, Air Canada, Shaw, and Enbridge. Megan holds an MBA from Athabasca University and participated in the Executive Program for Women Leaders in Business as part of the Executive Education program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Megan proudly supports her grown children as they embark on their journeys and is also committed to her community serving as a member of the Fund Development Council for the Calgary Health Foundation, a pivotal organization dedicated to raising funds to support healthcare innovations and breakthroughs in Calgary.

Jennifer (Jen) Pon
Chief Financial Officer

Jen is an experienced finance executive who brings over 20 years of professional experience in large organizations. As a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, Jen joined The Authority from Rogers Communications, where she served as the Vice President of Internal Audit and Risk Management. In her roles at Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, Jen led the commercial finance operations, audit, and risk management functions. Prior to Rogers and Shaw, Jen spent time in aviation holding several senior finance and non-finance roles at WestJet. Jen is a people-centric leader and has successfully developed strong teams, implemented large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and enterprise-wide change initiatives, company integrations and overall process improvements. She is an active sponsor and advocate for DEI initiatives, and a dedicated community volunteer.

Rob Bachart
Chief Real Estate Officer

Rob is an experienced senior real estate professional with over 25 years of diverse leadership experience. His career in commercial real estate spans almost two decades, primarily as a landlord representative. Rob comes to The Calgary Airport Authority from Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), where he was the Director of Real Estate & Development. In that role he was responsible for redefining the airport’s real estate mandate and was significantly involved in master and land use planning for both the terminal and campus lands.Prior to joining WAA, Rob held an array of leadership roles within private sector real estate, where he assembled and built a range of comprehensive greenfield and brownfield developments, specific to industrial, office and retail disciplines. Rob has two children in their teens, active in both athletics and the arts. Outside of work, Rob enjoys a variety of sport activities ranging from golf to skiing and even coaching baseball. He has served on several community boards in Winnipeg, most recently as chairperson of a local chamber, and looks forward to lending his expertise to organizations within the Calgary region.

Balazs Bogats 
Chief Commercial Officer

Balázs joined The Authority as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) in September 2024, bringing over 24 years of commercial leadership experience in large organizations. Prior to joining YYC, Balázs held multiple roles at Budapest Airport since 2011, culminating in his position as CCO. During his tenure at Budapest Airport, Balázs was instrumental in doubling passenger numbers and increasing the number of connections. His leadership also earned the airport numerous prestigious accolades, including the highly coveted Routes World awards. His expertise spans both aeronautical and non-aeronautical sectors, with a strong focus on driving commercial growth, enhancing passenger experience and building successful partnerships—skills that will be invaluable as he leads commercial operations at YYC. Balázs earned his degree in International Management and Business Studies from Budapest Business University in 2000. He began his career as a commercial manager at Malév Hungarian Airline Ltd. before transitioning into airport operations. Recognized as one of the top 50 most influential tourism professionals in Hungary, Balázs is passionate about innovation, sustainability, and charity work. Outside of his professional life, he is an avid traveler, photographer, and animal lover, enjoying time with his rescued pets.