Awards program honors organizations and individuals demonstrating exceptional leadership, contribution, and commitment to maximizing the operational readiness and performance of new infrastructure assets.
ATLANTA, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Academy of Operations Enablement Professionals (AOEP) and Citiri today announced the recipients of the 2025 Opconic Awards, recognizing global excellence in Operational Readiness and Owner Scope Management across complex capital programs.
Founded in 2023, AOEP was established to advance operational readiness as a professional discipline, connect the global readiness community, and elevate operational outcomes as the true measure of project success. Citiri, the founding corporate supporter of AOEP, partners in the Opconic Awards to help professionalize and scale best practices that ensure complex projects successfully open, operate, and deliver their intended value.
While some complex programs achieve technical and construction milestones, most fall short in achieving the operational, customer, and economic outcomes envisioned by the operator. The Opconic Awards were created to spotlight the organizations, operational readiness professional, and supporters closing that gap by elevating operational readiness to a leadership responsibility, not a downstream activity.
2025 Opconic Award Recipients
- The R.L. Gilbert Award of Excellence: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's ORAT Team
- Best Team Performance: Sound Transit's Transition to Operations Division
- Execution Maestro Award: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's ORAT Team
- Best Opening Day Experience: San Diego International Airport's ORAT Team
- Best Operations Transition: Pittsburgh International Airport's ORAT Team
- Impact Award: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority's Operational Readiness Team
- Rising Star Award: Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International Airport's ORAT Team
- Air Cover Award: Los Angeles World Airports' Airport Operational Readiness Division
- Customer Experience Leadership Award: Hamad International Airport's ORAT Team
- Next-Gen Trailblazer Award: San Francisco International Airport's CAS Team
- Consultant of the Year: Munich Airport International's Herbert Keffel
- EPC Leaders of the Year: Bechtel's Raymond Melee and Steve Riano
- Innovation Leadership Award: Amazon Web Services' Bob Kwik
- Industry Luminary Award: Jacobs' Melvin Price
- Association Leadership of the Year: ACI-NA's Christopher Oswald
Why Operational Readiness Matters Now
"Operational readiness is where operator intent, also known as the promise of a project, is either realized or lost," said Coni Walbert, AOEP Opconic Awards Selection Committee Chair. "This year's Opconic Award recipients represent a global cross-section of operators and industry partners who understand that opening day is not a date on a schedule – it's a mission critical performance that must be rehearsed, governed, and led. These leaders are setting a new standard for excellence in owner scope management and delivering exceptional operational outcomes."
Ortez Gude, CEO of Citiri added:
"The best project owners treat the soft stuff as the hard stuff. They understand that success is not defined by construction completion alone, but by how well organizations can minimize disruption and orchestrate the multitude of operational changes inherent in complex infrastructure projects. The Opconic Awards recognize those who treat the soft stuff as the hard stuff by making operational readiness a strategic discipline."
About the Academy of Operations Enablement Professionals (AOEP)
The Academy of Operations Enablement Professionals (AOEP) is an industry organization dedicated to advancing the practice of operational readiness and owner scope management. AOEP connects and supports professionals responsible for ensuring that complex infrastructure projects transition successfully from construction to stable, safe, effective operations that produce the outcomes operators expect.
About Citiri
Citiri develops CitiriOS, the Owner Scope Management platform designed to help infrastructure operators successfully govern operational readiness, align stakeholders, and confidently open and operate new facilities with zero drama. Citiri is a founding corporate supporter of AOEP and an advocate for elevating operational readiness as a leadership and governance discipline.
Media Contact
Coni Walbert, Academy of Operations Enablement Professionals, 1 3052041958, [email protected], https://oep.academy
Autumn Michaelides, Citiri, Inc., 1 8332251997, [email protected], https://www.citiri.com
SOURCE Academy of Operations Enablement Professionals
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