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 second2. Build strong cross-functional relationships before you need them3. Empower employees through voluntary engagement teams and peer recognition4. Implement one-on-one development conversations at all levels5. 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.