< Previous20 An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada L aura Mortensen will never be accused of taking the easy road. Now president and CEO of Curiosity Analysis and Consulting Corp., Laura graduated from Ryerson University in 2007 with her degree in aerospace engineering (B.Eng.). At the time, she chose this degree, not for any great love of aviation, but simply for the challenge of the program. “I have always been an overachiever and loved so many subjects in school that it was tough for me to decide on what to pursue,” says Laura. “Honestly, I got into aviation and aerospace engineering because I thought it would be a super difficult program for me to take. I just wanted to do something challenging that not many people choose. I hate following the crowd.” Laura began her career in aviation as manufacturing engineer for a Kelowna- based aircraft repair and maintenance organization, before falling into conducting quality assurance audits for its engineering department. Then, seeking a change after more than seven years with that company, Laura briefly left the industry to join a non- profit that served technology entrepreneurs in the Okanagan valley. When that venture ended just a few months in, Laura viewed her sudden unemployment as another challenge to overcome. Immediately convening as many coffee meetings as possible, Laura met with Kelowna International Airport (YLW) Director Sam Samaddar, who—as luck would have it—was seeking someone to build a quality assurance program for YLW. It was also through Samaddar that Laura would become involved with IAAE Canada, after being asked to speak on the topic of quality assurance at the 2017 Facility, Operations & Airport Managers (FOAM) Conference in Calgary. Laura joined the IAAE Canada training committee shortly thereafter and developed a quality assurance course that she could teach. She also became a member of the FOAM Committee, being part of the planning team Laura Mortensen, A.A.P., President & CEO, Curiosity Analysis & Consulting Laura will never be accused of taking the easy road to where she is now. She has found greater strength in taking the big risks. MEMBER PROFILEwww.iaaecanada.org | Spring 2020 21 for FOAM 2018 in Toronto, FOAM 2019 in Montreal, and FOAM 2020, which was supposed to be held in Victoria but was unfortunately postponed until May 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and wanting to ensure the safety of all attendees. “While I left the industry, I found my way back into a different sector,” says Laura. “I really do love working with airports. They are some of the most complex, interesting businesses that exist and I’m still learning new things each and every day.” Curiosity Analysis and Consulting provides services that focus on quality assurance and safety data for Canadian airports, and then uses that information to seek out opportunities of improvement. “Every valuable set of data has a data janitor; a person who manually checks that everything adds up and that entries are properly made, who removes irrelevant information, and who interprets the hidden message in the numbers,” says Laura. “It may sound like a nightmare to most people, but I revel in it because the end result is a snapshot of the business—or at least an aspect of it—that you can action to improve. I am the biggest nerd for data and using that data for process improvement. I love to find efficiencies and mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration.” One of the larger challenges Laura has faced throughout her career is being taken seriously, as both a young person and as a woman. Since moving over to the airport industry, however, Laura now feels fortunate to work with many who that truly value her contributions and respect the work she does. “But it wasn’t always this way,” says Laura. “I was discouraged from pursuing opportunities and often overlooked for advancement, and I had some bosses who would treat me with obvious discrimination. Let’s just say I can probably work a photocopier better than most of the men in the industry, and that’s not by choice.” Looking ahead, Laura sees many changes occurring within the airport industry such as blockchain advances for security; artificial intelligence for data collection, correlation, and interpretation; and, an increasing use of automation and robotics. Laura also sees airports becoming more socially responsible and sustainable, with innovations in electric aircraft, new fuels, and improvements to de-icing fluids and containment / collection systems. “I also hope to see more diversity in the Canadian aviation workforce and am thrilled to see movement towards accessibility of airport terminal buildings,” says Laura. “I want to see aviation truly become an industry in which everyone feels heard and represented.” In her time within the aviation industry, Laura is most proud of the fact that she has not settled, and, in the process of doing so, has found greater strength in taking the big risks. “I left a great job because it wasn’t aligned with my core values,” says Laura. “I just woke up one day and couldn’t do it anymore, so I took a significant pay cut to do a job I loved; then, I got let go from that job. Within a week, I registered a company name, lost my benefits, and changed my life. I can’t say that it’s all been good days, but I wouldn’t change a thing.” 22 An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada AIRFIELD LIGHTING ADB Safegate Americas LLC ................................................................................................................OBC AIRPORT EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER Thyssen Krupp .......................................................................................................................................6 AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTING SYSTEMS Seguin Morris ......................................................................................................................................10 AIRPORT SWEEPERS Bucher Municipal ................................................................................................................................IBC AIRPORT / AIRPORT AUTHORITY Sault Ste. 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Larue Inc. .....................................................................................................................................16 INDUSTRY EVENTS Airport Management Council of Ontario’s 35 th Annual Convention & Tradeshow ..........................................8 CANEW 2020 .......................................................................................................................................8 RECRUITMENT / AVIATION MANAGEMENT Georgian College .................................................................................................................................21 RUNWAY SWEEPING REPLACEMENT BROOMS United Rotary Brush Corporation ...........................................................................................................19 SECURITY SERVICE Commissionaires .................................................................................................................................22 SNOW EQUIPMENT Trecan Combustion.................................................................................................................................7 SWEEPERS & SWEEPER ATTACHMENTS Eddynet Sweepers Inc. .........................................................................................................................10 UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES PowerWright .......................................................................................................................................16 WEATHER FORECASTING, NOISE MANAGEMENT & GLARE MITIGATION RWDI ...................................................................................................................................................4 WINDSOCKS & TOWER – FRANGIBLE Millard Towers Ltd. ...............................................................................................................................15 INDEX TO ADVERTISERSNext >