When Denver officials contacted Phil Washington about becoming Denver International Airport’s (DEN) new CEO, he started his homework. Before accepting the position, he considered the airport’s performance and projections. What he learned alarmed him, but ultimately the airport’s challenges intrigued him. “It was quickly apparent that DEN had outgrown its facilities,” explained Washington. “A growing number of passengers were using the airport, and that growth was causing significant stress on DEN’s systems and facilities.” The airport opened in 1995 with a capacity of 50 million annual passengers. By 2008, DEN had reached capacity and has surpassed 50 million annual passengers every year since (except for
2020 when the global pandemic nearly shut down the air transportation system). In 2023, DEN set all-time passenger traffic records with 77.8 million annual passengers. “It was no wonder that DEN’s sterling reputation was being tarnished by long lines, failing infrastructure and dingy facilities. It had become a victim of its own success, and I thought I could help,” explained Washington. After accepting the job, Washington was unanimously confirmed by Denver’s City Council, and he went to work focusing DEN’s employees on a common objective – a task to which he was accustomed by virtue of nearly 25 years in the U.S. Army as well as stints leading Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Los Angeles County’s Metro Transportation Authority (LA Metro). Washington discovered that passenger traffic was expected to continue its strong growth and that 100 million annual passengers would likely fly through DEN within a decade. Working with DEN’s senior leadership team, he fashioned a strategy that would summarize the complex work needed to prepare for increased traffic. Vision 100 By experience, Washington knew that simplicity was key when engaging employees on a major initiative. So, he introduced “Vision 100,” and he grouped needed actions into four pillar of activity and identified four guiding principles to which employees would adhere.
38 The Acumen
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