Mike Burgess

Mike Burgess has helped make care a practical part of how CAA Atlantic listens, leads, develops talent and prepares for the future.

Making Care Tangible

Mike Burgess has helped CAA Atlantic turn its “We care” philosophy into an integrated people strategy—one that connects employee voice, leadership accountability, talent development and responsible technology adoption. Working with the People & Culture team, leaders, and employees across the organization, he has focused on making care visible in everyday decisions and experiences.

Early in his tenure, Burgess prioritized listening to employees and strengthening support beyond pay. A redesigned time-off program expanded vacation and introduced leave for professional and personal development, family responsibilities and other life circumstances. Using a structured culture-assessment process, employees also identified what CAA Atlantic should preserve, change and strengthen.

That listening is tied to action. Department leaders work with their teams to identify and address their three most important opportunities, while an employee experience committee brings frontline perspectives into organization-wide discussions. Leaders are expected to utilize this feedback and work with the People and Culture team and departments across the organization to identify solutions and improve the overall employee experience.

The results provide evidence of progress: over the past three years, CAA Atlantic’s employee experience results have ranked between the 85th and 95th percentiles against its survey provider’s external benchmark. For Burgess, the achievement reflects shared ownership of culture—not a single program or leader.

Developing People and Leaders

Burgess led the development of CAA Atlantic’s first formal, market-informed compensation framework. Recognizing that a purpose-led regional organization cannot always compete with larger employers on salary alone, the organization combines an incredible culture, competitive pay with strong benefits, time off, flexibility and meaningful development opportunities.

“People need to feel heard and supported—and know that when they speak, leaders will listen and act.”

Career development is central to that approach. CAA Atlantic prepares people for future opportunities, recognizing that growth may lead to another role inside the organization—or, at times, an opportunity elsewhere. Former employees are welcomed as potential future returners who may bring valuable new experience.

The People and Culture Team has also helped broaden recruitment and inclusion by building relationships with equity-deserving communities, reviewing barriers in employment practices and using representation and employee-experience data to guide further action. Community partnerships reinforce the organization’s purpose while helping more people see a place for themselves at CAA Atlantic.

Leadership development connects these efforts. A formal leadership journey which combines self-directed learning, cohort-based development, practical micro-learning and shared leadership experiences has had a significant impact at CAA Atlantic. CAA Atlantic is not stopping there.  They are rolling out a new 360 degree leadership assessment, advanced leadership development and other key programs including resilience training to further equip their leaders to best support the employees across the organization.

Preparing for the Future

CAA Atlantic has taken a deliberate approach to Microsoft Copilot: beginning with leader education, practical guidance and supported experimentation, then expanding access as capability and confidence grow. Frontline employees have helped identify use cases and share successes, creating broader ownership of adoption.

Workforce and succession planning are now increasingly important, with approximately 20 percent of employees potentially eligible to retire within seven years. In response, Burgess and leaders across CAA Atlantic are building talent pipelines, skills-based learning plans and more flexible approaches to retirement, with a preference for developing talent from within.

At CAA Atlantic the work also extends beyond the job itself. An enhanced employee-assistance model proactively connects team members with individualized support, while the organization continues to strengthen resilience resources and psychological and physical safety. For Burgess, the future of work still comes back to personal connection: employees need to feel heard, supported and confident that when they speak, leaders will listen and act.