Kate Sullivan has rejoined the City of Philadelphia Department of Aviation as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Sullivan, who most recently was Vice President, Business Investment and Regional Marketing at the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, had previously served as Deputy Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Department of Aviation. The CCO is a new role for the Department of Aviation and Sullivan’s appointment follows a national search.
“We are delighted to welcome Kate back to the Department of Aviation,” said CEO Atif Saeed. “We were looking for a strategic and innovative leader to lead our dynamic commercial division and are thrilled that we identified the best candidate right here in Philadelphia. Kate has a strong background of business development in our community, as well as experience in the aviation industry.”
As CCO, Sullivan will be responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling all functions and activities within the commercial division, which includes air service development, cargo development, concessions, retail, food and beverage, parking, real estate development and all other commercial activities at the airport. She will replace Chief Revenue Officer James Tyrrell, who is retiring later this year after 37 years with Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE).
“As we sought to fill this important leadership role, we determined that the job description of CCO is more aligned with how the role has evolved,” said Saeed. “Kate has a track record of building relationships, launching new programs, and scaling functions within organizations. I am confident that she will do a great job further enhancing the work currently being led by Jim, who will be staying with us for a few more months to assist with the transition.”
“I am excited to be part of the Department of Aviation team again,” said Sullivan. “So many great things have been happening at PHL and PNE. I am looking forward to continuing this momentum as we bring new air service to Philadelphia, grow our cargo program, ensure that our passengers have dining experiences that reflect Philadelphia's amazing food scene, enhance our parking and prepare to welcome the world to Philadelphia in 2026. I want to thank Atif and the Department of Aviation’s senior leadership for entrusting me with this exciting opportunity and express my appreciation to Jim Tyrrell for his mentorship.”
