2012 Top 40 Under Forty: Patrick Heck

Patrick Heck

Chief Financial Officer;

Denver International Airport

Date of Birth: 1-6-75

Years in Aviation: 12

Patrick Heck is the deputy manager of aviation for finance and administration and CFO for Denver International Airport. In this role, Mr. Heck has responsibility for all financial activities, including long-term strategic business planning, accounting, internal audit, financial planning and analysis, airline rates and charges, and strategic sourcing.

He oversees a $360 million per year operating budget and is managing a $1 billion capital plan, including the construction of a new train station and a 500-room Westin hotel. Previously, Mr. Heck was the deputy manager for revenue development with responsibility for all non-airline revenues, and was strategic advisor for the airport.

Heck has spent more than 12 years in the airline industry, beginning his career with United Airlines, holding the positions of senior financial analyst, manager of flight training scheduling, and director of simulator sales and marketing. He was responsible for financial restructuring and cost savings at United’s Flight Training Center through United’s bankruptcy, cutting the budget by more than 40 percent as United restructured its finances. He eventually took a position to grow revenues from the sale of simulator time to other carriers and grew revenues by 50 percent in his two years in that position.

Heck holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He is a member of the Airports Council International-North America Finance Steering Committee and the ACI World Economics Committee.