#71 - From crisis resilience to growth with David Conway

What does it take to lead a major organisation through collapse, recovery, and into a decade of growth?

In this episode Dr Jacqueline Conway is joined by David Conway, HR Director at London Gatwick Airport, to explore how executive leadership transformed in the wake of the pandemic. Gatwick lost nearly 100% of its passengers during COVID — a near-total shutdown of operations.

David shares the personal and collective journey of rebuilding an executive team fit for the future. From defining shared strategic priorities to embedding resilience and fostering true collective enterprise leadership, this episode is rich with hard-won lessons for anyone navigating disruption at the top.
You’ll hear:

• What resilience for growth really looks like
• How HR can play a strategic, shaping role in the C-suite
• Why technical brilliance doesn’t always translate to executive readiness
• What it takes to develop a high-functioning executive team after trauma

David has been the HR Director at London Gatwick since January 2021, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in various industries such as oil & energy, aviation, and retail. He has worked for notable brands including BP, British Airways, and Safeway.

Before joining London Gatwick, David spent 13.5 years at BP, where he held the position of HR Vice President for the company's Alaska business. In this role, he oversaw operations related to the Prudhoe Bay oil field and the trans-Alaska pipeline. David also has experience working in operations and HR at British Airways, as well as starting his career at Safeway in customer service and operations.