In this episode of Harder Than It Looks, host Brian Wolff is joined by Dean Ahmad, Vice President of Parking and Transportation at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW).

Dean shares his remarkable journey from entrepreneurial beginnings to leading a team of over 300 employees at one of the busiest airports in the world. Dean offers insights on building organizational culture, driving innovation, and developing employees. His people-first leadership approach has resulted in the highest engagement scores at DFW, despite overseeing some of the lowest-paid frontline workers.

Key Takeaways:

1. Hire for heart first, skills second

2. Build strong cross-functional relationships before you need them

3. Empower employees through voluntary engagement teams and peer recognition

4. Implement one-on-one development conversations at all levels

5. Align innovation with both customer experience and employee focus

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Introduction and Dean Ahmad's background

[00:02:49] Dean's entrepreneurial beginnings in antiques and furniture

[00:08:00] Career transition to airport parking industry

[00:14:00] Leadership philosophy and importance of relationships

[00:19:00] Organizational alignment strategies and town halls

[00:25:00] Hiring philosophy and employee development approach

[00:28:00] Implementation of frontline development plans

[00:33:00] Employee engagement programs and Emmy Awards

[00:39:00] Innovation approach and cashless implementation

[00:43:00] Lightning round questions

[00:47:00] Dean's vision for improving public perception of parking

[00:52:00] What Dean is most proud of in his career

About Dean Ahmad:

Dean Ahmad is the Vice President of Parking and Transportation at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW). With over 27 years of experience in customer service and marketing, Dean leads a team of 300+ employees, overseeing strategic direction and customer service efforts within the airport. His accomplishments include implementing the first yield management system in a US airport and creating the world's largest valet parking operation.