Few new company bosses could have had as many challenges to deal with in their first year as Karen Smart.
The former RAF squadron leader was appointed managing director at East Midlands Airport in April last year at a time of huge economic opportunity for the region.
Work was driving forward on the huge East Midlands Gateway logistics park and there was a bit more certainty around HS2 and its hub at Toton.
But the last 18 months have also presented some surprises.
The notable collapse of two holiday operators which flew from EMA - Flybmi in February and Thomas Cook last month - left tens of thousands of holidaymakers stranded and thousands more holidays booked through the companies no longer taking place.
Brexit was then delayed in March and, at the time of writing, is scheduled to happen on October 31.
"It has been challenging, but every challenge brings an opportunity," she said.
"We can't change what has happened so let's move forward and see how we can build extra capacity or potentially provide more routes next year so local people get a choice of where they go on holiday."
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Mrs Smart described the demise of the airlines as "incredibly sad" because of their East Midlands heritage - Flybmi was headquartered at Castle Donington and Thomas Cook has its roots in Leicestershire.
But she added job opportunities should become available for former employees.
On Brexit, she said: "We were preparing for it in March and now in October in terms of no deal. What we do all the time at airports is prepare for the unexpected.
"You have to, it's the business we are in."
Mrs Smart is pleased with EMA's response to the challenges it has faced in the last 18 months but her and her team's minds have also been set on the future of the site, which is the 海角视频's busiest pure cargo airport.
Currently, it handles 365,000 tonnes of cargo every year - 1,000 tonnes a day - and deals with 4.9 million passengers.
Mrs Smart said: "In terms of the airport there have been no big changes.
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"We have started to understand our identity and look forward to what the airport could look like in 25 years and we have a route to achieving that, so it will be growing in passengers and freight.
"The freight growth will be greater than passenger growth, but both areas are important to us and that makes us incredibly resilient as an airport.
"We saw what happened recently with BMI and Thomas Cook here At East Midlands, but while we've had challenges in passenger operations, the freight operation is still growing and in double digit growth, so we have resilience within the business."
The airport's vision is for incremental growth which will contribute towards success in the future, but there is also a realisation of EMA's importance to the wider East Midlands.
She views the airport as a key asset to the region and wants that to continue.
But she is also heavily involved with groups including the Midlands Engine - the organisation charged with attracting investment into the region.
Through that and her wider roles she is clear that the economic possibilities that were available when she took up her role last April, still exist today.
A development corporation for the East Midlands - which can cut through the planning system and assemble sites - is on the horizon and can maximise the impact of HS2 at Toton.
Meanwhile, just over the road from EMA, the East Midlands Gateway has the potential to create as many as 10,000 jobs.
Mrs Smart is excited about the potential for the region she now calls home to be a real economic powerhouse - and she believes it could be in touching distance.
"We need to increase productivity," she said. "We want people to want to choose to live and work in the region with really well paid jobs, as well as opportunities for all.
"There is an opportunity to increase productivity and to bring the East Midlands up in terms of its output to the 海角视频 as a whole, so the airport is critical to us as are other key sites.
"The Development Corporation calls out the Ratclife-on-Soar power station and regeneration through that, also what is happening around Toton and HS2.
"With HS2 there is a lot of uncertainty out there. I think it will be a real key asset to region, but we shouldn’t be waiting for that to happen, we need to crack on with it and get things done now before HS2 comes. That will be the final part of the jigsaw that slots into place."