PFM Executive Search is excited to announce that Michael (Mike) Atkins has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Comox Valley Airport Authority (CVAC), effective January 4th, 2021. Mike will take over the duties of Alex Robertson, who has served as acting CEO since Fred Bigelow’s departure for medical leave in November of 2019. Mike is a former Commander at 19 Wing Comox, with established relationships with community stakeholders, making him ideally suited to take the lead at CVAC in the midst of ongoing recovery efforts.
Mike is excited to be joining the Comox Valley Airport Commission, having fallen in love with the Valley during his tenure as the Wing Commander. He brings significant team-building, leadership, crisis and strategic planning experience developed through multiple positions in Search and Rescue and higher headquarters during a 35-year military career. In addition to his command at 19 Wing, he is a former Commanding Officer of 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron, and most recently, the Canadian Defense Advisor to the United Kingdom. Mike’s professional education includes a Bachelor of Engineering (RMC), an MBA (Saint Mary’s) and an MDS(KCL). He and his wife Susan look forward to putting down roots in the beautiful Comox Valley.
The Comox Valley Airport Commission is the governing authority for the operation of YQQ. The nine-member Commission is broadly representative of the Comox Valley community and its members are nominated by the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, the Village of Cumberland, the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Comox Valley Economic Development Society (CVEDS).
PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search and has been working with some of the most prominent Canadian private, public, and not-for-profit clients over the past 29-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.