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From Columbia Undergrad to PhD to BNY Mellon to KKR to 9.5 Billion Dollar Project: Meet Dr. Gerrard P Bushell, Chair of Carlyle Airport Group
In honor of Black History Month, we are honored to feature Dr. Gerrard P. Bushell. Dr. Gerrard is the Chair of CAG, the Carlyle Airport Group, a dedicated investment company for airport infrastructure for Carlyle. He also serves as a Senior Advisor & Operating Executive to Carlyle’s Global Infrastructure business. Dr. Bushell was the President and CEO of The New Terminal One (NTO) at NYC’s John F. Kennedy Airport from 2019 to 2024.
Tell us about your journey.
My journey began in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. Life was never simple, and I faced many challenges growing up. Brooklyn was a tough place, and I often found myself in fights as other kids tried to bully me and take my lunch money. I frequently got into trouble due to behavioral issues and conflicts in school. When my mother moved us out of Brownsville to a different neighborhood, we relocated to the suburbs of Mount Vernon, New York.
What was different about Mount Vernon was that I was one of the few Black students at my school. While I met and grew up with some wonderful families who welcomed my sister and me, I also experienced virulent racism for the first time in my life. I was threatened and even attacked simply because I was told that due to the color of my skin, I was on the wrong side of the “tracks.” What I learned from this experience was that I would not allow these challenges to define me. With strong support from my family, I realized that I had to be resilient—to see myself for who I was and who I wanted to become rather than be defined by ignorance and hate.
These early experiences shaped my path, leading me to Columbia University, a transformative experience that emphasized continuous learning and diverse perspectives. My education at Columbia, where I earned my B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Political Science and Urban Political Economy and currently teach as an Adjunct Professor, provided a strong foundation for my career in public service and finance. This foundation led me to work with prominent New York City leaders, and later to leadership roles at firms like BNY Mellon, KKR, and others. From 2015 to 2019, I served as President and CEO of DASNY, overseeing billions in infrastructure financing. Most recently, I led the development of the New Terminal One at JFK Airport, a $9.5 billion project that presented unique challenges, including navigating a global pandemic. We successfully delivered on our commitments to the community, exceeding MWBE participation goals and creating local jobs.
What pivotal experiences shaped your current path?
One of the most transformative experiences was going to college and being accepted to Columbia University. I was a bookish kid who loved reading and learning, but at Columbia, I quickly realized that I was among many intelligent students—some even better read than I was. The key lesson I learned was that we are all on different paths in our journey toward knowledge. The critical point is to remain committed to continuous learning.
At Columbia, I was exposed to students from across the nation and the world. This experience taught me how small each of our individual worlds can be and highlighted the importance of listening and learning to gain insights into knowledge and perspectives beyond our own. My takeaway: Stay hungry—never become complacent. Read, read, and read more to stimulate curiosity and expand your understanding.
What are the most valuable lessons you've learned about yourself through your life and career?
I do not have all the answers. Build relationships and be intentional in your actions. Do not strive to be the smartest person in the room—bring humility rather than arrogance to your engagements.
What drives your desire to contribute and make a difference? Honestly, I am not sure. I have overcome many obstacles in my life, and along the way, I was helped by people who extended their kindness and support. While I have certainly encountered my share of selfish or unkind individuals, I have been fortunate to meet far more people who were generous and uplifting.
For me, giving back is about paying forward the lessons I have learned and the struggles I have endured. There was no singular "aha" moment that drove me to make a difference—it is simply a practice I learned early in life and continue to live by every day.
If you could go back and advise your younger self, what would it be? Be patient. Be thoughtful. Be open. Most importantly, choose your friends wisely—surround yourself with people who uplift you rather than weigh you down. But above all, believe in your ability to overcome challenges. That last lesson is the hardest one, and I suspect my younger self would have heard everything I said but still struggled with truly internalizing that belief. Growth and insight often come in stages, and self-confidence is the final, most difficult step.
How can GlobalMindED support Black leaders like yourself in achieving your goals and advancing your aspirations?
I honestly don’t know. Life is uncertain. At this stage in my journey, I am more focused on how I want to experience life rather than just what I can accomplish. I have achieved much, and while there is always more to do, my perspective now extends beyond job titles, career milestones, or even building my family and community.
My focus now is on how I want to live and how I can support others as they embark on their own journeys—even when they believe they have found the "one true path" to success. Life is full of surprises, and the real lesson is to be adaptable and ready for the unexpected. In the same way, GlobalMindED can continue making an impact by staying flexible in how it supports leaders, recognizing that each person’s path is unique and requires different kinds of guidance, resources, and encouragement along the way.
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