CHAIR of The Shannon Airport Group, Conal Henry, has called on the government to update Ireland’s aviation policy to deliver on balanced regional development.
Mr Henry made the call while welcoming the appointment of two new directors to the Group’s board.
Dr Mary Halton, an experienced finance and governance professional, and owner and board advisor with Align Consulting, together with Emily Ross, an expert in digital strategy and innovation currently serving as EMEA Director of Brand Strategy at social media giant X, have been appointed by the Minister for Transport, Climate, Energy, and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, TD.
Welcoming the new directors, Mr Henry said that “together, they 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.”
Dr Halton is a chartered accountant with 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 also a lay member of the UK Copyright Tribunal and a past member of the Governing Council of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
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.
Emily Ross is the director of brand strategy at X for the EMEA region, 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 also 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.
