*Mary Considine. Photograph: Brian Arthur
MARY CONSIDINE’s successor as CEO of the Shannon Airport Group is tipped to be an external candidate and is likely to not be appointed until the first quarter of next year.
In August, the Lissycasey woman confirmed that she was stepping down as CEO after six years at the helm. Mary’s tenure saw Shannon Airport in 2024 record a fifteen-year high in passenger numbers at 2.1m. She has since replaced Cooraclare’s Jim Meade as CEO of Iarnród Éireann.
Typically, the Shannon Airport Group takes between six to seven months to complete such a process. The appointment will mark the fourth CEO of the company since its foundation over a decade ago.
A spokesperson for the Shannon Airport Group confirmed to The Clare Echo that the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive of The Shannon Airport Group is currently under way. It is a key priority for the Board to ensure the Group has the right leadership in place to guide it into the next chapter of its development”.
There is no scheduled timeline on when Considine’s successor will be announced, the spokesperson stated. “The process is underway, and at this stage, we are not in a position to confirm the timing of the announcement”.
Officials were also staying tight-lipped on the amount of applicants for the post. “At this stage, we are not in a position to confirm the number of applicants or the timing of the announcement. However, we are committed to a thorough and rigorous selection process and will provide updates at the appropriate time”.
According to the 2024 annual report for the Shannon Airport Group, the CEO is paid a base salary of €190,000. The 2023 report detailed that Ms Considine also received €47,500 in pension contributions and €11,140 in health benefits.
Since September, Ray O’Driscoll has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer. He had been Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer. He joined the Shannon Airport Group in 2014 as Managing Director of Shannon Commercial Enterprises.
When questioned by The Clare Echo on whether he see himself continuing in a permanent capacity as CEO, he stated, “that is not for me to decide”. He said that he was “enjoying” the role over the past two months, “I’m not used to it but it is fun”.
According to industry sources, Cork based O’Driscoll is not expected to seek the role on a permanent basis.
From May 2016 to March 2019, Matthew Thomas served as CEO. He joined from Vantage Group where he was Chief Commercial Officer leading the €4bn privatisation of LaGuardia Airport and left to become Ports of Jersey CEO in July of that year.
Aviation veteran, Neil Pakey was the first CEO of the Shannon Group, he was appointed five months after it gained independence from the DAA in May 2013 and announced his departure in December 2015.
There was a period of seven months between Thomas’ exit and the appointment of Considine and similarly a seven month window following Pakey’s departure and the announcement of Thomas as his successor. Based on this timeframe, the next CEO is not likely to be in situ until February or March of next year.
