Who We Are

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Tailwind’s executive team ensures excellence in all aspects of the airport food, beverage, and retail operations. Our organizational structure includes highly skilled on-site managers, experienced regional managers, and dedicated corporate leadership. At our core, customer satisfaction is the number one priority in all aspects of the operation.

JEFFREY D. SWITZER

President & CEO

Jeff has been with Tailwind since 2011, and is an experienced leader over all operations, design, construction, start-up, training, and hospitality services. With knowledge of all aspects, and being a thoughtful decision maker, the bottom line remains consistently profitable under his leadership.

JESS BACKHAUS

SVP: Project Coordinator, Logistics & Operations

Jess manages the highly talented corporate airport operations group. Jess keeps everyone focused and on track to conduct their respective operational supervisory duties.

MATTHEW EDGAR

SVP: Food & Beverage Operations

Matt oversees all airport locations’ food, beverage, and retail departments, maintaining continuity to our standards nationwide. Matt is integral in startup coordination efforts, contractual agreements, and construction-related planning. He helps our airport locations establish all logistics and smooths over any operating issues that arise.

Michael Reilly

SVP: Business Development and Operations

Michael is integral in the new business development process. He brings a wealth of knowledge about the travel retail and food & beverage industry to every aspect of operations. He cultivates successful relationships with partners, team members, and the communities we serve.

JERRY BRIENZA

VP: Business Development & Relationship Management

Jerry brings 30 years of professional airport management experience to Tailwind, fostering strong relationships between Tailwind and our airport partners. He serves as the primary contact to help develop business, maintain relationships, and work with the airport community.

ANDREA HITCHCOCK

VP: Retail Operations & Buyer

Andrea travels to Tailwind locations across the country to ensure company presentation and cleanliness standards and to plan ways to adapt merchandise to local and regional themes. She works with vendors to monitor product pricing and sales. To keep merchandise fresh, Andrea follows Tailwind’s tracking reports to verify items are selling profitably. Periodically she test-markets the potential popularity of new merchandise and maintains reports to recognize customer preferences.

NANCY ROSE

VP: Human Resources

Nancy oversees day-to-day operations in Tailwind’s HR department, including 950+ Tailwind personnel. She is constantly looking into new/different ways to improve the mental, emotional, physical, and professional well-being of our staff. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Lower Cape Fear Human Resources Association (LCFHRA). Nancy is a Notary Republic for North Carolina and brings 10+ years of HR experience and 20+ years F&B experience to Tailwind.

JEFF PIKE

Chief Financial Officer

Jeff joined Tailwind in early 2023. He has over 15 years of experience in finance and accounting. During his career, he has served in leadership roles in both private and publicly held companies. To drive revenue growth, manage costs, and build scalable processes, Jeff focuses on collaborating with operations leaders. He is adept at clearly communicating financial information to both financial and non-financial professionals.

Senior Operations Team

Tailwind’s top-notch operations team ensures consistency across all locations by infusing the company’s Core Values into all daily operations. To learn more about joining the Tailwind team, visit our Careers page.