AIRMALL® USA Appoints Brandon Blaylock as Company's New CEO and President

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- AIRMALL® USA, developer of the leading airport concessions model in North America, is pleased to announce the appointment of Brandon Blaylock as the company's new CEO and president.  In this capacity, Blaylock will oversee and direct all of AIRMALL USA's retail concessions operations at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).  He will also oversee business development initiatives for AIRMALL USA as it grows its portfolio of airports in North America. 

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"Few companies can say that they literally invented a concept.  AIRMALL revolutionized the way we think about airport concessions when it launched their approach at Pittsburgh International Airport more than 20 years ago, and since then, that approach has been emulated across North America," said Blaylock.  "It takes vision and boldness to go against the norm and change the conversation, and I am proud to be leading a company with that thinking.  This approach will propel us into our next chapter of revolutionizing how people shop and eat when they're at the airport."

Blaylock comes to AIRMALL with more than 30 years of experience in development, engineering, banking, investments, company operations, and fund management. He is the co-founder of Faros Infrastructure Partners, a private investment firm based in London and Darien, Ct.  His background includes a broad range of sectors, including oil and gas, transportation, and energy.

Prior to founding Faros Infrastructure Partners, Blaylock spent 18 years at General Electric (GE) as CEO of GE Transportation Finance, Inc., and as managing director/executive vice president of various GE Capital groups.  Blaylock also served on the board of directors and investment committee of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) – a multi-billion dollar infrastructure fund – as a representative of GE Capital Energy Financial Services, Mubadala Infrastructure Partners and the Latin America Infrastructure Fund.  Prior to GE, Blaylock spent several years in commercial banking and in the production department at Exxon.  He earned a B.S. in civil engineering and an M.S. in petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California.  He earned his M.B.A. from UCLA.

Blaylock's appointment comes at a time when AIRMALL is preparing to unveil a new brand identity for the company, one that more readily speaks to its role as a change agent for airports and cities alike that seek to enhance the passenger experience and maximize revenues from a high-quality concessions program.

"Our new tagline is 'Go With Us,' and we believe it speaks definitively to what AIRMALL can bring to any airport," Blaylock continued.  "When you go with AIRMALL, you're going with an approach that brings the very best local, national and international brands together, and you're committing to a program that requires those operators to compete for the passenger's dollar.  This model set the industry standard and has generated among the highest-per passenger spends on the continent.  Our programs also turn into economic engines, bringing more jobs to the region and providing critical infrastructure dollars that translate into permanent improvements for airports."

Blaylock replaces Mark Knight, who had been with the company since 1992.

"For 21 years, Mark Knight's steady hand guided AIRMALL to its many successes.  He oversaw the launch of the first AIRMALL at Pittsburgh International Airport and engineered the company's growth in the ensuing decades as it expanded its operations to other key cities," Blaylock said.  "We thank Mark for his many contributions, and we wish him every success in his next chapter." 

For more information, visit www.airmall.com. 

About AIRMALL® USA

AIRMALL® USA is the developer and manager of the retail, food and beverage operations at Pittsburgh International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport (Terminals B and E), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.  The leading airport concessions model in North America, AIRMALL USA continues to boast the highest per-passenger spend on the continent and consistently receives accolades for innovation and customer service.  For more information on AIRMALL USA, visit www.airmall.com. 

SOURCE AIRMALL USA