Two new appointments confirmed to the board of Shannon Airport Group

Two new directors have been appointed to the board of the Shannon Airport Group. 

Dr Mary Halton, an experienced finance and governance professional, 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 X, have been appointed by the Minister for Transport and Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O'Brien.

Welcoming the new directors, Conal Henry, chair of The Shannon Airport Group, said: “I am delighted to welcome Mary and Emily to The Shannon Airport Group. 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. 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," he added. 

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Dr Mary 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.

Mary 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. 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 start-ups and scale-ups. 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 start-up 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 start-ups and female founders and frequently writes and speaks on digital communications.