Lars Pottgiesser is IATA’s Head of Business Development for the Americas region, the trade association whose 290 member airlines transport more than 82% of total air traffic. Lars works with IATA’s ten local offices spread out in the Americas region from Canada to Chile, to proactively pursue IATA’s industry priorities with governmental authorities and industry stakeholders to make the air transport industry safer, more secure, efficient and profitable.

Over the past decade, Lars has worked in a variety of functions at IATA in the areas of data intelligence, passenger services, market research and is responsible for the execution of IATA’s Aviation Days and Wings of Change Conferences in the Americas. Prior to joining IATA, Lars worked for one of the leading Public Affairs firms in the Southeastern United States with a special focus on crisis communication and strategy development.

Fluent in English and German, and conversational in Spanish, Lars was born in Germany and received his Master’s Degree in International Business from the University of Tampa in Florida and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri while competing as a collegiate soccer player.