*Emily Ross.
TWO APPOINTMENTS have been made to the board of the Shannon Airport Group.
Director of Brand Strategy at X, Emily Ross and chartered accountant Mary Halton have been appointed to the board of the Shannon Airport Group by Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien (FF).
Chairperson of the Shannon Airport Group, Conal Henry said Mary and Emily “bring a wealth of experience, fresh perspectives, and valuable insights that will support our continued growth. This is a pivotal time for the future of aviation and sustainable connectivity in Ireland, with an urgent need to update Aviation policy to maximise the use of existing capacity in airports and deliver on Government’s commitment to balanced regional development”.
He added, “Together with the Board, CEO Mary Considine and all the team at The Shannon Airport Group, l look forward to working with them to continue shaping that future”.
Emily is currently responsible for Europe, the Middle East and Africa known as the EMEA region in her role as Director of Brand Strategy where she leads a global team.
Prior to this, she was CEO of a strategic consultancy firm for deep tech startups and scaleups. Emily has served as a director at UNICEF Ireland, managing major partnerships with companies like IKEA and Aer Lingus. She is an advisory board member of GoGreen routes, an EU funded, pan-European research project on mental health. She has been an advisory board member for SXSW in Austin, Texas, since 2018.
She is a startup mentor for Techstars London and the National Digital Research Centre. She mentors female founders at AwakenHub and is a founding member of KELLA, the women’s leadership forum. She also mentors startups and female founders and frequently writes and speaks on digital communications. Emily has been based in Killaloe and co-founded the Resonance Festival in 2022 with Steve Coakley, Carmel Doolan which takes place on the shores of Lough Derg.
Chartered accountant Mary has senior executive, non-executive, and advisory experience gained in the UK, Canada, and Ireland. She is an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Risk Committee with Vhi Group. She is a lay member of the UK Copyright Tribunal and a past member of the Governing Council of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
As owner and board advisor with Align Consulting Ltd, she has worked with boards and senior teams in the public and private sectors. With a background in banking and insurance, her executive work is in the treasury and investment area. Mary holds a PhD in Public Policy, and an MSc in Executive Leadership, and her research on board governance has been published internationally.
Existing board members include the Chair Conal Henry, CEO Mary Considine, employee representatives Audrey Costelloe and Alan Donohoe, PwC market leader Aisling Curtis, ex CEO of AerCap Tom Kelly, former Group Editor-in-Chief at Independent News & Media Stephen Rae and Ambrose Loughlin who was a partner at the legal firm McCann FitzGerald for 22 years.
