Javier Echave will leave Heathrow in October after nearly 18 years with the airport and join Merlin Properties as chief financial officer. The Spanish executive, currently Heathrow’s chief operating officer, is set to return to Spain to take charge of Merlin’s finance function as the real estate group expands its data centre portfolio.
Echave, 46, spent much of his career at Heathrow, where he served as chief financial officer from 2016 to 2024 before moving into the chief operating officer role in April 2024. Heathrow has described his departure as a personal decision linked to his wish to return to Spain with his family and start a new chapter.
At Merlin, Echave is expected to help cover finance responsibilities previously overseen by the late Miguel Ollero, as the company steps up investment in data centres. Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye praised Echave’s extraordinary contribution over nearly two decades, while the transition is due to take effect in October.