Atif Saeed has been selected as the Metropolitan Airports Commission’s new vice president – finance and revenue development.
“The Metropolitan Airports Commission must generate the funds it needs to operate, maintain and improve one of the nation’s largest airport systems,” said Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) Executive Director and CEO Brian Ryks. “Atif Saeed has the business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit needed to strengthen, expand and diversify revenue streams in order to enhance financial stability throughout our organization.”
The MAC owns and operates MSP and six general aviation airports in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The organization has a $350 million annual operating budget and, in 2017, will expend some $455 million on capital improvements. The MAC maintains a AA- bond rating, among the highest of any U.S. airport. In 2017, MSP was named the most efficiently managed airport of its size in North America by the Air Transport Research Society.
“I am humbled to have this opportunity to lead an award-winning team of professionals,” Saeed said. “The staff in the Finance and Revenue Development Division are highly celebrated in the airport industry, and I’m excited to work with them to capture optimal economic value for one of the most significant economic engines in our region.”
Currently, Saeed serves as the MAC’s assistant director of MSP operations – landside. In that role, he manages MSP’s parking enterprise and ground transportation services, which together generate nearly $113 million a year. Previously, he was director of transportation at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and parking systems manager for the city of Minneapolis.
Saeed earned an MBA with a focus on finance, marketing and entrepreneurship from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. He completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Airport Executive Leadership Programme from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business and Airports Council International.
He holds a number of professional certifications, including International Airport Professional (IAP), Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) and Certified Administrator of Public Parking (CAPP). He is active in Airports Council International-North America, the Airport Ground Transportation Association, American Association of Airport Executives and International Parking Institute.
A native of Pakistan, Saeed is fluent in four languages and resides in Minneapolis.
