The Denver Council on Foreign Relations is honored to present Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport with this year’s Leadership in Global Engagement Award.
In an era defined by supply chain shifts and geopolitical tensions, how does a landlocked city maintain one of the world's most critical global connections? In a candid fireside chat moderated by Ashley Forest, DEN’s Public Information Officer, Phil will pull back the curtain on how they are future-proofing their operations through cutting-edge technology—from AI-driven biometric passenger flows to the pioneering exploration of other tech.
Beyond the modernization effort, they will explore DEN’s ambitious "Vision 100" strategy: a goal to become the world’s greenest airport by decoupling explosive passenger growth from environmental impact.
Drawing on personal stories from the helm of one of the world's most complex operations, Phil offers a rare look at the leadership required to keep the "Mile High" city moving. The conversation will also look toward the strategic frontier of Denver’s global reach, discussing the critical need for new international connections—with a special focus on the untapped potential of direct routes to Africa. Join us to discover how DEN is navigating the complexities of the 21st century to ensure Colorado remains a sustainable, innovative, and connected global powerhouse.
Phillip A. Washington is the Chief Executive Officer at the Denver International Airport (DEN). He was initially nominated by former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock in July 2021 and most recently by current Mayor Mike Johnston in July 2023. Phil was unanimously confirmed by the Denver City Council as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Denver International Airport (DEN) both times. In 2024, DEN was the nation’s 3rd busiest airport by passenger traffic. The annual economic impact of DEN is $47.2 billion, and the airport has over 40,000 total badged employees with 26 commercial airlines and regional carriers and a total of 232 destinations (domestic and international). Within weeks of Phil’s arrival, he set forth a vision for DEN, Vision 100, that will prepare the airport to accommodate 100 million passengers, a 30% increase in passengers, by 2030.
Prior to Washington’s arrival at DEN, he was the CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) from March 2015 to May 2021. As Metro’s CEO, Washington managed a balanced budget of $8.5 billion, was responsible for overseeing between $18-$20 billion in capital projects and provided oversight of an agency with 11,000 employees that transported 1.2 million boarding passengers daily on a fleet of 2,200 clean-air buses and six rail lines. Metro is the lead transportation planning, programming, and financing agency for LA County. As such, it is a major construction agency that oversees bus, rail, highway, and other mobility-related infrastructure projects – together representing the largest modern public works program in North America. Washington was also engaged and partnering in all facets of transportation and infrastructure in LA County including aviation, goods movement, freight/railroads, water, public works, housing, congestion pricing/mitigation, and transit-oriented communities (TOCs).