Huse’s the boss of the airport family

Don Huse heads up a community asset that is a listed company. Picture / Martin Sykes

The day before Auckland International Airport opened a new, $47-million upper deck on its pier, Don Huse was not in his office analysing the numbers behind the company's latest debt issue.

He was walking around behind the counter, among the hotplates, patties and french fries of one of the newly installed fast food burger joints, peppering the manager with questions about how the business worked, where things came from, had they found it difficult to hire staff, and so on.

An airport is a fascinating place to work, says Huse, who has been chief executive of the company with a market capitalisation of $2.4 billion, since 2003.

More than 10,000 people from all walks of life work on the site at various airlines, shops, companies and Government agencies. The airport is this week on show more than ever, with the appearance of more than 600 of Huse's peers.

They are fellow managers of world airports, flying in for the annual conference of ACI (Airports Council International) - the worldwide body representing airports.

Any of them talking to Huse will hear him describe what he loves about the airport: stock-exchange listed, yet a crucial component of the nation's infrastructure.

"We are a unique business - we are a community asset in public ownership, listed on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges," he says.

"I feel a deep sense of trusteeship towards those shareholders because they are investing some of their life savings in this business. That's a responsibility that I take very, very seriously indeed."

He describes his management style as " ... open, interactive. It's strong on teamwork, partnership, mentoring, people development".

"I know it sounds like motherhood and apple pie, but believe me, they are important to the culture of any organisation - in ensuring that everybody shares the same view of the future and embraces that future and works together to secure that future."

The different shops, agencies, airlines and workers that are seen at an airport all interest Huse's ingrained curiosity.

"It's a great business ... the thing that most attracts me about the business of airports is just how multi-faceted they are.

"You have all the traditional challenges of commerce, where you are seeking to supply services to a whole range of different customers - which they enjoy using - and having to pay for and develop those services over time."

Then there were extra dimensions: being so much a part of the public infrastructure of the country. This gave a community dimension to his work.

Such a dimension was present in many companies, but was seen most dramatically at an airport.

"We want to be seen by the community as the preferred user of this environment. We've got to be trusted to use it in a responsible way - we spend a lot of time focusing on that.

"In a business like ours, where you have quite a heavy impact on your local community and where you are critical to the success of your customers, it is important that you are seen as accessible. You cannot, I believe, adequately discharge your responsibilities if you closet yourself away in some ivory tower."

Although the airport was in private ownership, it was a community asset. Coupled with being a significant link in the public transport chain, this meant an extra obligation to be accessible.

"Think of the passengers, think of the meeters and greeters and farewellers, who come out and use our shops and use our food and beverage and, importantly, use our carparks: every single one of those is a customer of this business," he says.

"And therefore, as chief executive, I certainly take the view that there has to be a sense of accessibility: between me and those customers."

Huse says he works hard to ensure that anyone who writes to the airport company with a problem or concern gets an answer - and a constructive, honest reply at that.

"What gives me a buzz is that we have out here a microcosm of New Zealand society ... with the passing parade of travellers here who are going about emotional activities, in terms of leaving and arriving."

This kind of personal interaction is what Huse finds "a particularly positive experience".

And watching him greet shareholders at the company's recent annual meeting in Manukau, it was not hard to see he does enjoy this part of the job.

There is nothing awkward or uncomfortable in his manner.

"I don't have a sense of duty about it, I have a sense of enjoyment about it, because it's one of the privileges of being in a business like this that you have so much interaction with people from different backgrounds doing so many good things."

"In many respects an airport is like a very large family. And the family dinner table is always an interesting place to be."

Don Huse

* Age: 59

* Married with two adult sons.

* Grew up in the Hutt Valley.

* Went to Nelson College.

* A chartered accountant, with a degree in economics from Victoria University of Wellington.

* Is a member of the New Zealand and Australian Institute of Directors.

* Most recently chief financial officer of Sydney Airport Corp.

* Former chief executive of Wellington International Airport from 1991 to 1998.

* Spent 11 years with Cable Price Downer in Wellington.

* A director of listed energy company Trans Alta from 1996 to 1999.

Auckland International Airport

* 53,005 shareholders, 57 per cent of them own fewer than 2000 shares. (Shares are trading around $2 each.)

* Major shareholders include Auckland City Council, with 12.7 per cent, and the Manukau City Council, with 9.54 per cent.

* About 30 per cent of shares are owned overseas.

* Since Don Huse took over, the share price (accounting for a 4-for-1 split) has gone up nearly 50 per cent.

* In June, it said it would pay out $200 million to shareholders and increase its ordinary dividend payouts. This was made up of a special dividend of 12c a share - which accounted for $146.7 million, coupled with a $53 million on-market share buy-back.

* It was the third time in five years the company has made a special distribution of money to its shareholders.

* In 2000, it paid out a $23.1 million special dividend and then made a $212.7 million capital repayment in 2002.

* In August last year, it lifted its dividend payout policy from 80 per cent to 90 per cent of after-tax profits.