Lester Nelson To Retire As Airport Authority CEO
Lester Nelson will retire as Bermuda Airport Authority CEO on October 1, following more than nine years leading the organisation.
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Airport Authority announced that Chief Executive Officer Lester Nelson will retire effective 1 October 2026, following more than nine years of leadership and service to the Authority.
“Mr Nelson joined the Airport Authority in March 2017 as its first employee. The Authority replaced the Department of Airport Operations, where Mr Nelson was previously employed as the Manager of Air Operations for eight years. As the Authority’s inaugural CEO, he led the establishment and development of the Authority during a significant period of change in Bermuda’s aviation sector.”
Airport Authority Chairman Lawrence Scott thanked Mr Nelson for his contribution to the organisation and Bermuda’s aviation sector. He said, “Lester led Bermuda Airport Authority through its start-up and formative years during a significant period of growth and development. On behalf of the Board, I thank him for his leadership and service and wish him a very well-deserved retirement.”
The spokesperson said, “During his tenure, Mr Nelson oversaw the Authority’s participation in the 30-year public-private partnership with Bermuda Skyport Corporation Limited and the $400 million redevelopment of the L.F. Wade International Airport. He also led the expansion of the Authority’s direct operational responsibilities through the insourcing of air navigation and weather services and oversaw the installation and commissioning of strategic assets, including the Instrument Landing System, Automated Weather Observation System and Doppler Weather Radar.
“Mr Nelson also led the Authority through the operational challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and advanced its strategic priorities of increasing public value, optimising operations, enabling infrastructure, and building One Authority with a culture centred on safety and high performance.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Mr Nelson said, “I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to lead Bermuda Airport Authority from its earliest days and to see how much the organisation has developed. I thank our strategic partners for their support and, most importantly, our team whose commitment to safety and operational excellence has made that progress possible.”
The spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Airport Authority remains focused on the safe, efficient, and resilient delivery of Bermuda’s aviation and weather services and on delivering public value for Bermuda while the Board completes its search for a substantive CEO.”
