Harder Than It Looks: Parking Uncovered EP 43: Hire for Heart, Train for Skill: Dean Ahmad’s Recipe for Leadership
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.