Atlantic Canada's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 22
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ATLANTIC CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
People matter at Halifax International Airport
W
hether it’s
walking
through
the new
International
Connections Facility and admiring
the local Mi’kmaw art or watching
a therapy dog provide comfort and
stress relief to travellers, Nadine
Allen loves seeing firsthand the
impact of her work with Halifax
International Airport Authority
(HIAA).
We’re creating a place
where everyone feels
respected, included and
inspired. That’s how
we want people to feel
when they come to the
airport.
— Nadine Allen
Capital Financial Analyst
“One of our values is people
matter,” says Allen, capital
financial analyst. “We’re creating
a place where everyone feels
respected, included and inspired.
That’s how we want people to feel
when they come to the airport.”
It’s the same feeling Allen
experiences when she walks into
her third-floor office at the Halifax
Stanfield International Airport,
where she has worked for more
than a decade. She joined accounting services in 2015 not long
after completing a three-month
term position. When a permanent position became available,
she jumped to apply, knowing
that HIAA offered competitive
Nadine Allen, capital financial analyst (right), with colleagues Kwasi Brefo (centre) and William Sutherland
(left) at Halifax International Airport Authority.
benefits, a good work-life balance
and a collegial environment.
Allen took on more responsibilities in her job and then moved
into the role of capital financial
analyst. “My director is very
supportive in guiding me and
setting expectations,” says Allen.
“She is always willing to share her
knowledge and help me succeed.”
In her role, Allen works closely
with the airport planning and development group to track and report on capital projects such as the
new International Connections
Facility, which celebrated its grand
opening in January.
With 57 non-stop flights operating in 2026, Halifax Stanfield’s expanding air service network plays
a vital role in supporting tourism
and enabling global trade. The
airport contributes more than $4
billion annually to Nova Scotia’s
economy, supports thousands of
jobs, and facilitates trade valued in
the hundreds of millions of dollars
each year.
Halifax Stanfield’s success is
thanks in large part to HIAA’s
people and the work culture it is
building, says Roshanak SadeghiZadeh, who became the new
vice-president, people, culture and
belonging in January.
“What drew me to this role is
HIAA’s genuine commitment to
people,” she says. “I look forward
to building on a strong foundation and partnering with teams
across the organization to nurture
a culture where everyone feels
they truly belong and can grow
together.”
Sadeghi-Zadeh is getting
to know HIAA’s 215 full-time
employees by listening to their
ideas and working to implement
feedback from a recent employee
engagement survey. With an 87
per cent participation rate, the
survey results show that safety,
relationships with co-workers,
work environment and culture are
of highest importance.
“There is a lot of collaboration
here. There is also a real openness
to asking questions and challenging each other,” she says. “People
are genuinely proud of the work
they do.”
Outside of her daily work, Allen
was proud last year to have been
part of an employee working
group that updated Halifax
Stanfield’s 20-year master plan to
