Raffi Kasparian
Managing Director, Alton Aviation Consultancy

Raffi Kasparian is the Managing Director of Alton’s Dubai office. He brings over 20 years of international management consulting and industry experience with a focus on air transport, logistics and infrastructure sectors. Raffi has led the development of various company reviews, business planning engagements and transaction advisory cases for major airports, airline groups and aviation investors.

Prior to joining Alton, Raffi has had former consulting roles at tier-one strategy and management consulting firms where he developed several assignments primarily in the context of large-scale value creation programs. He was also part of the consulting team at Lufthansa Group where he served as a technical and commercial advisor on numerous airline planning assignments and company reviews.

Raffi began his career in aviation at Middle East Airlines where he was responsible for production planning and corporate development issues, driving network and fleet planning decisions as well as the rollout of market intelligence solutions. He received his MBA from IMD business school in Switzerland and a BE in Industrial Engineering from the Lebanese American University.

Dr. Slava Cheglatonyev
Director of Economic Policy and Sustainability, Airport Council International (ACI) World

Slava has a robust aviation background with over 15 years of executive experience. At ACI World, his primary responsibilities encompass economic policy, advocacy, and committee management. Previously, he served as a Senior Advisor on Economics at ACI EUROPE and as the Chief Commercial Officer at hub and regional airports. His expertise includes economic policy, airport strategic planning and marketing, aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue management, and route development. Slava holds a PhD in Economics, an MSc in Aviation Management, and a Master’s Degree in Air Transport Management, among other qualifications.

Rahul Sahni
AVP – Non-Aero Commercial Head, Navi Mumbai International Airport

Rahul is a seasoned strategist and business leader with 30 years of professional experience, including over 17 years in the airport and travel retail sector. He began his career in 1995 and has since established himself as a visionary in commercial airport development and operations. Currently serving as the AVP – Non-Aero Commercial Head at Navi Mumbai International Airport, he is leading the planning, design, and execution of the commercial strategy for this landmark greenfield airport project, shaping it from the ground up.

Over the years, Rahul has worked on some of India’s largest and most complex airport projects, including Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Mumbai), and now Navi Mumbai International Airport. His expertise spans Strategic Business Planning, Joint Ventures & Partnerships, Product and Service Innovation, Commercial Planning and Design, Change Management, Revenue Optimization, and Contract Negotiations.

Rahul has played a pivotal role in shaping airport commercial retail environments, enabling successful leadership across nine greenfield and brownfield projects with passenger handling capacities ranging from 2 million to 65 million annually. His forward-thinking approach continues to set new benchmarks in the industry, consistently driving innovation, improving commercial outcomes, and enhancing the passenger experience.

Mélanie Guilldou
CEO Saudi Arabia and Former Executive Vice President, Global Foodservice, Lagardère Travel Retail

Mélanie Guilldou has been the CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail in Saudi Arabia since October 2024. Under her leadership, Lagardere Travel Retail Saudi Arabia has achieved significant milestones, including the promising expansion of its operations from Retail to Dining, the opening of new flagship locations, and strategic partnerships, including with the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom that have strengthened its market position in the region. Before that, she led Lagardère’s Travel Retail Foodservice business line – one of the Group’s three business lines, alongside Duty Free and Travel Essentials – from 2016 to 2024. Lagardère Travel Retail is a leading global company present in 51 countries,
290 airports, and 700 railway/metro stations, achieving sales of €7.6 billion in 2024.

Over the course of eight years, she successfully established and expanded the Foodservice division, driving its growth across 25 countries. This made it the most dynamic business line within the company, constantly forging new partnerships to enrich a brand portfolio that now includes over 200 proprietary, partner, and bespoke brands. In 2024 it reached €1.7 billion turnover with 1,600 restaurants across 30 countries, and accounting for 23% of Lagardère Travel Retail’s total sales revenue.

Alongside her responsibilities in the Foodservice business line, Mélanie Guilldou was also in charge of the company CSR strategy between 2021 and 2023. She has played a pivotal role in shaping Lagardère Travel Retail’s global CSR initiative, PEPS (Planet. Ethics. People. Social).

A graduate of the EDHEC Business School, Mélanie has more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and business development in the retail and foodservice industries. She has held key roles at major French and international players such as Agapes Group, Sodexo, SSP and Carrefour Property. With Sodexo she was Head of Marketing for B&I in France before joining SSP as Marketing and Business Development Director for France, Belgium and the Netherlands. She then joined Carrefour Property as Innovation, Marketing and Retail Letting Director before embarking her journey with Lagardere Travel Retail.