About Gate Group
Gate Group is a global leader in onboard catering and hospitality services for airlines.
The company operates at multiple airports across various continents, providing high-quality food, beverages, and onboard service items to millions of passengers each year.
Gate Group’s success is built on operational excellence, innovation, and trusted client partnerships.
About the Role: Leading Air Canada’s Onboard Catering Partnership
Gate Group is seeking a hands-on, strategic Global Account Director (GAD) to lead the Air Canada account, one of the company’s top global clients.
This role is at the heart of Gate Group’s commercial leadership team and focuses on providing seamless service, strengthening the client relationship, and driving growth across Canadian hubs.
Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer Global, the GAD combines commercial expertise with hospitality and airline catering experience to make a meaningful impact every day.
The GAD leads the global relationship with Air Canada, overseeing account strategy and ensuring seamless delivery of onboard food and service solutions across key operational hubs, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
The role supervises a senior commercial manager and a commercial/operational support team member, working closely with executive chefs, analysts, customer service, retail onboard, and data analytics teams.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Client Leadership:
- Continue to develop and expand the relationship with Air Canada, fostering increasingly proactive and strategic collaboration.
- Lead strategic enterprise thinking and commercial leadership for the Air Canada account.
- Identify and pursue cross-sell and upsell opportunities to maximize client value.
- Represent Gate Group with executive presence, appropriately challenging both client and internal stakeholders.
Operational Oversight and Commercial Management:
- Oversee complex menu changes and onboard product delivery across Canadian hubs.
- Manage contracts, budgets, and performance metrics aligned with client expectations.
- Collaborate with multiple internal teams to ensure operational excellence and data-driven decisions.
Team Leadership and Collaboration:
- Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration.
- Engage cross-functionally with culinary, analytics, customer service, and retail onboard teams.
The Ideal Candidate
You are an accomplished commercial leader with:
- Strong financial acumen and experience in hospitality or airline catering.
- Proven success in managing global or multi-site client relationships.
- Ability to work across cultures and regions with frequent travel.
- Excellent communication skills and executive-level presence.
- Experience leading teams and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
- Passion for hospitality and airline service environments.
Assets for Success:
- Knowledge of airline catering operations and the competitive landscape.
- Experience in recovering and expanding key accounts.
- Familiarity with complex contract negotiations and service delivery in regulated environments.
Working Environment
- Full-time, permanent role primarily located at the Mississauga office near Pearson Airport.
- Hybrid work model with approximately four days in the office each week.
- Regular travel required (approximately 40%) to client sites and operational locations across Canada and internationally, supporting key account activities and team meetings.
- Facility environment similar to a food manufacturing facility; may encounter temperatures as low as 4°C in certain operational areas.
Compensation and Benefits
- Competitive base salary range of $225,000 to $250,000.
- Annual performance-based short-term incentive (STI) of approximately 30% linked to individual and company results.
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid vacation, sick leave, and flexible personal days.
- Supportive retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.
How to Apply
To express interest in this opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter in confidence to:
Marty Greenaway
Executive Search Consultant, Feldman Daxon Partners
E: mgreenaway@feldmandaxon.com
This job posting is for an existing position with Gate Group.
We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to screen, assess, or select applicants at any stage of the hiring process.
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the Feldman Daxon team.