*Shannon Airport
SHANNON AIRPORT GROUP have begun the process of looking to appoint its new Chief Executive Officer, four months after Mary Considine announced her exit.
At the beginning of November, a spokesperson for the Shannon Airport Group told The Clare Echo the recruitment process to appoint Considine’s successor had commenced, “The process is underway, and at this stage, we are not in a position to confirm the timing of the announcement”.
Last week, the Shannon Airport Group advertised the vacancy for Chief Executive with the deadline for applications set as January 7th 2026. The successful applicant will have a salary in the region of €190,000. Candidates will be sourced through both advertising and executive search processes.
In over a decade of existence, the Shannon Airport Group has taken on average between six to seven months to complete the process of hiring a CEO. The next person to occupy the role will be the fourth CEO following in the footsteps of Neil Pakey, Matthew Thomas and Considine.
Along with running Shannon Airport, the Shannon Airport Group is responsible for Shannon Commercial Properties playing a vital role driving growth and development for the Mid-West region and beyond. The Group’s property portfolio consists of 3,300 acres, and 3.5 million sq. feet of buildings that accommodate the largest business parks outside of Dublin. Spread over 600 acres the Shannon Airport Business Park is home to over 300 companies employing 10,0000 operating in diverse sectors like Aviation, MedTech, CAV technologies and Logistics.
As per the job spec set out by the Shannon Airport Group Board, the new CEO “will continue to pursue the Group’s ambition of driving economic growth for the region by creating opportunities in aviation and property development that will continue to fuel the thriving and commercial environment in which it operates”.
Responsibilities including working with the Board to deliver the current stategy and to develop a longer-term strategy to drive further success, this expansion plan is to be affordable, financeable and deliverable. The new CEO is expected to build strong relationships at Government level “to positively influence long term policy issues, in particular growth”.
Encouraging domestic and international carriers to utilise Shannon’s facilities is another aspect of the job plus protecting the long-term value of the Group “against threats including competition, economic volatility and climate change and take advantage of opportunities such as technology.
Experience in leading a business of comparable scale is a desired trait of applicants along with familiarity of similar governance structures, transport industry experience, an understanding of the airline industry, an ability to attract foreign direct investment and to understand the Irish political eco-system.
People leadership, functional knowledge, stakeholder management, policy development, sector knowledge are all expected of the next CEO.
Skills sought of the new CEO include “Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to actively listen, to manage numerous conflicting priorities, and to influence others to work in partnership to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. A leadership style based on integrity and trust, with the ability to foster relationships, inspire and lead others through change, and bring different points of view together.
“An affinity with the region and/or the importance of Shannon as a key factor in Ireland’s economic development. Calm under pressure, with the composure, adaptability and perseverance necessary to face challenges, along with the ability to risk assess, evaluate options and prioritise. People-centric and customer-focused. An authentic leader with low ego, high integrity, hard-working and committed to public service. A demonstrable affinity for, and commitment to, supporting the Irish business community to be the best it can be. Resilient and able to deal with significant pressure particularly in crisis situations”.
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.
