International Interest

Business. Tampa International Airport
Industry. Aviation
Key. New CEO wants to turn Tampa Bay into a brand to attract international tourists.

Most aviation officials spend years dreaming of planes before joining the business. Joe Lopano just needed a job out of college.

That was shortly after his dream of becoming a professional photographer was put in check by a friend. “I had a friend who worked for National Geographic and he told me the money wasn't good,” Lopano recalls.

So he took his training in finance and accounting from New York's Pace University to the Pan Am mailroom with the goal of not staying there long.

His ambitious nature was highlighted by his taste for wearing suits to work, even though his job entailed sorting packages and letters. The suit, and his work ethic, paid off. “In six months I was in management,” he says. “I wanted to be a CEO.”

That dream came to fruition on New Year's Day, when he officially took the seat as CEO of Tampa International Airport.

Since then, Lopano has created his share of changes, most of which follow his philosophy that to increase revenues, the airport has to be treated like a business.

“An airport is a huge commercial business,” Lopano says, “and it has to be run like one.”

That message resonated with members of the airport's governing board at the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

Lopano's interview for the job in 2010 was something like a reality television show. Members of the Aviation Authority shuffled Lopano from one hotel room to another to talk with board members. Between meetings he ran a press gauntlet.

After following former executive director Louis Miller's direction for 14 years, the Aviation Authority board sought someone to implement a logical and well thought-out plan, says Lopano. “And so I said: 'Here's what we need to do.'”

Driving a vision
Lopano's plan of action for TIA includes attracting more international flights, securing new nonstop routes to the West Coast, rebranding the airport to reflect the unique Tampa area and bringing a culture of accountability to the organization's employees.

On the latter point, Lopano made a point to meet each of the airport's 574 employees during his first nine months. That's about two per day. “It's to make sure every employee is marching in the right direction,” he says. “I tell them to get better by 5% at something — whether it be work, family, or faith-related.”

Of course, Lopano has also seen some of the challenges of running a public-sector entity with a private-sector mentality.

Since coming to Tampa, Lopano has taken some licks in the local media. From getting backlash from his proposal that TIA executives fly business class instead of coach on flights longer than two hours to having to defend an expensive dinner while trying to woo AirTran Airways executives, Lopano has received his share of criticism.

Yet Lopano maintains support from the board that hired him for his big ideas, and he received top scores on his recent evaluation. “He is not afraid to risk his neck on controversial issues,” says Victor Crist, assistant secretary and treasurer of the Aviation Authority and former state senator.

'Stimulus Package'
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Lopano's plan includes giving big incentives to bring in big flights. It's a tool Lopano has used with good results in the past.

After working in marketing for British West Indies Airlines, Lufthansa and Continental, Lopano served as vice president of marketing for Dallas/Fort Worth Airport for 14 years before his coming to Tampa International.

He says he used aggressive marketing techniques, like the large incentive packages he is offering to airlines at TIA, to push DFW to the third busiest airport in the world in terms of operations.

Bold moves characterized Lopano's tenure at DFW, says Francisco Hernandez Jr., chairman of DFW's board who worked with Lopano for six years. He recalls Lopano's marketing savvy when he explains the story behind attempts to bring Southwest Airlines to DFW: “He tried to make peace with Southwest,” says Hernandez, “it was his idea to put up billboards that said 'Southwest, we would love to have you.'”

Although the Southwest stunt proved unsuccessful, Lopano has had some success in luring new nonstop international flights to Tampa.

So far under Lopano, Tampa has secured flights to Havana, Cuba, and Zurich, Switzerland.

He points to new international flights as a key in boosting Tampa International's numbers and bringing money to the Tampa Bay economy from foreign travelers.

“We're an hour from Disney and right on the beach — who wouldn't want to fly in here?” Lopano says.

Lopano's model uses incentive deals to court wary flight carriers, but after that, fiscal risk is shifted to the airline. “We offer waived landing fees to the airlines in exchange for their business,” Lopano says.

Lopano says he sees the strategy as a sort of stimulus package for the area. Although how large a stimulus is not so clear.

His backing for adding more international routes comes from three economic impact studies conducted in the first half of this year. The studies are aimed at showcasing new money that can be hauled in to the Tampa Bay area. The numbers touted are $154 million for European flights, $67 million for Central and South America and $145 million for Asia annually.

But these numbers are calculated under the assumption that flights will depart seven days a week. The newly added Zurich connection, which was attracted with $350,000 in cash and $350,000 in waived landing fees, only takes off on Tuesdays and Fridays, generating an expected impact of $31.6 million and 265 new jobs.

The recently launched Havana route is expected to provide about $19 million in economic impact each year, according to a study conducted by SH & E, an ICF International Company, an economic consulting group.

Community support
Despite the gap between projections and the economic impact achieved so far, Lopano's progress on the new routes have helped boost his support.

Bob Rohrlack, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, says he supports Lopano's mission and is enthusiastic about the changes being made by the airport. “People say this was happening anyway under [Louis Miller] but that's not true,” he says, “it's happened under Joe.”

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn shares a similar view of Lopano. “I think he has been wonderful,” he says. “He brought in fresh air and fresh eyes.” He says that the community is behind Lopano because “his enthusiasm is contagious.”

Indeed, Lopano's approach even won over one-time naysayer, and member of the board that appointed Lopano, Al Austin. Austin, who recently stepped down from his position as chairman of the Aviation Authority, says his time working in real estate has shown him the payoff from taking risks.

Austin says that the strategy to bring in international flights, which was eschewed by former executive director Miller, is worth the risk. “I saw a specific and well thought out plan that I could get behind,” he says.

Approval for Lopano was recently solidified when he turned down the offer for a 3% raise from his current salary of $305,000 annually.

This comes after he already took a pay cut to come to Tampa. “I see that times are tough in the area,” he says of the economic climate, “and it didn't feel right.”

Looking ahead
Lopano is a busy man these days. Changing the direction of a $180 million operation is not easy, but he has implemented tried and true business strategies to do so — even if controversial.

The rapid changes coming from the new airport official have earned Lopano a nickname: “Hurricane Joe.”

He also manages to squeeze in interviews, board meetings and the occasional black and white photo shoot — he practices photography on the side.

Another change Lopano has under way is what Robert Watkins, vice chair of the Aviation Authority, refers to as branding Tampa Bay. To create repeat customers out of visitors, Lopano is remodeling the terminal to reflect the arts and culture of Tampa to hook out-of-town passengers on Tampa.

Lopano also continues to work on the possibility of more international flights, and West Coast nonstops that include Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego.

Although the outcome of these new flights can't be predicted, they are a step that could make Lopano's job of persuading air carriers to call Tampa International home easier.
“Dallas/Fort Worth is our competition right now,” Lopano says of his former employer, “and Tampa Bay deserves nothing less than to win.”

Lopano's character is reflected in the relatinoships he maintains from his time at DFW. In fact, Hernandez wouldn't mind his friend returning. Says Hernandez: “If you don't want him, we'll take him back.”