The Transport Minister is to formally appoint a new Chairperson of Shannon Group imminently.
Conal Henry, who’s career spans the aviation, telecoms, retail and banking sector has accepted the position and will be appointed following an appearance before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications.
It follows the resignation of Pádraig Ó Céidigh from the position last week, as Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill reports.
The Transport Minister has announced that he’s accepted the resignation of Pádraig Ó Céidigh as Chairperson of Shannon Group.
The Founder of Aer Arann Express and Aer Lingus Regional last week stepped down from the role after only six months, saying it would be more than a full-time job to do the role to the degree and detail required to get the airport to reach it’s potential.
In a statement, Minister Eamon Ryan has thanked him for his dedication and engagement with the role, particularly given the challenging times for the aviation sector and has wished him the best with his future endeavours.
His replacement, Conal Henry, is set to be formally appointed following an appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, which the Minister says he hopes can be arranged at the earliest opportunity.
Mr Henry has held senior management positions including Founder and Chair of Fibrus Networks since 2018 and Chief Executive Officer of e|net, now NBI, from 2006 to 2018.
He was also Commercial Director at Ryanair and served on the Board of Shannon Foynes Port Company.
The incumbent Chair is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds a law degree from Queen’s University Belfast.
The Transport Minister has expressed confidence that Conal Henry will play a key role in leading Shannon Group in its continued recovery.
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton has added that “aviation, and Shannon Airport, is critically important to our economy, both directly and indirectly, particularly for the Mid-West region”.
She went on to say “it’s a key enabler of tourism and commerce, it connects businesses to suppliers and to customers, and it ever-facilitates and sustains our significant levels of foreign direct investment”.
The Minister says she looks forward to working closely with Conal in his new role and is confident of his ability to support Shannon Group as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis.
Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD insists it’s crucial that Conal Henry is given an Executive Chairperson role so he can be hands on in aiding the recovery of Shannon Airport as it emerges from the pandemic.
Meelick Deputy Cathal Crowe, who is his party’s Spokesperson on Tourism and Aviation, says more information on his predecessor’s resignation should be revealed, to ensure similar barriers aren’t in place as Conal Henry takes up his position.
The CEO of Shannon Group has welcomed the appointment of Conal Henry.
In a statement to Clare FM, Mary Considine says “I am pleased to welcome Mr. Henry in his new role as Shannon Group chair. His vast experience across a range of commercial businesses including aviation, will be very valuable as we continue to drive our recovery and rebuild our business in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Considine went on to say “We are committed to restoring our airport traffic and to building on our strong property investment strategy so that we can enhance our economic contribution to the mid-west region and nationally. We have already made significant strides in that direction, offering our passengers services to 26 destinations from Shannon Airport this summer.
“During the period of severe travel restrictions on aviation we took the opportunity to futureproof key elements of our airport infrastructure and continue our property investment strategy across our Group campus. We have worked hard to improve the airport experience for all our customers. We are determined to do more, and I look forward to working with Mr Henry and the Board to maximise future opportunities” she concluded.
