The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has appointed John Ackerman, who has held senior positions at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Denver International Airport (DEN), as CEO of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced the appointment in a Dec. 7 statement, saying Ackerman “brings proven executive leadership experience at two of the top airports in the world.”

Ackerman’s appointment to the top post at the airport authority that manages Los Angeles International Airport must still be approved by the Los Angeles City Council. If approved, he will replace former CEO Justin Erbacci, who departed LAWA in October to become CEO of Neom Airports in Saudi Arabia.

Ackerman’s most recent position was DFW’s executive vice president of global strategy and development. Prior to that, he was deputy manager of aviation-commercial at DEN.

Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners President Karim Webb says “a comprehensive international search to recruit the most qualified leaders for the CEO role” was conducted before deciding on Ackerman.

“I look forward to using the skills and knowledge I developed during my career to lead an exceptional organization and serve the city of Los Angeles,” Ackerman says.