Biography

Roelof-Jan (RJ) Steenstra is a turnaround catalyst and agile executive leader who transforms airport authorities into thriving and sustainable enterprises. He is recognized for moving businesses forward in challenging economic conditions by making smart and dynamic decisions and leveraging revenue diversification and lean principles to propel organizational refocus and change. His passion for airports is evident through his curiosity and talent for developing innovative and fiscally-grounded solutions – without losing sight of the passenger and employee experience.

Steenstra was President and CEO of the Fort McMurray Airport Authority from 2016 – August 2022 and chartered a new course for the Airport Authority focused on revenue diversification, fiscal responsibility, and employee engagement.

With a vision of modernizing the organization, including adopting a lean business philosophy, RJ and his team achieved the extraordinary. Amidst adjusting to the new market realities and embracing a cultural shift, the Airport Authority was recognized by Airports Council International (ACI) World with a 2018 Airport Service Quality Award. YMM received top honour for Canada and was joined by one other airport in the United States as North America’s best regional airports for customer experience, serving under 2-million passengers annually.

Steenstra’s commitment to always serve his community and industry is demonstrated through his many contributions over the years.  He is a leading voice in the industry, at both a national and international level, being repeatedly called upon to contribute, speak or present at national, transborder, and global conferences and events. He is Past Co-Chair of the 2023 Arctic Winter Games Bid Committee, Director for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)/ Airports Council International World (ACI) Community of Practice and the American Association of Airport Executive’s (AAAE) Northwest Chapter. He currently serves as Director and Governance Committee Chair on the Fort McMurray / Wood Buffalo Economic Development & Tourism Board. Most recently, RJ has been appointed to Chair the Policy Board for the Canadian Airports Council and Director on the Airports Council International – NA Executive Committee.

Steenstra joined PortsToronto as President and CEO on September 12, 2022.

Steenstra holds a Bsc. in Anthropology and a BA in Communications from the University of Calgary, as well as an MBA from Royal Roads University. He’s gone on to earn several industry designations including an Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) designation, an International Airport Professional (IAP) designation from the ICAO/ACI and an Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation from the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Management.