28 May 2010

A Kinder Gentler Ryanair?

I love posing these questions.

But this note caught my eye today. So maybe it wasn't such a slow news day after all.

Suffice to say that my day job has been a bit busy this week and for the past month of travel - I have tried to catch up, lots of great stories out there. Now I can catch up on some of them

Rynair has appointed two new Non-Exec Directors. Both of whom come with a somewhat softer image (that isn't saying much) than what used to be out there.

The Irish airline has appointed former EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy and Declan McKeon former Audit Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (Dublin) as non-executive directors on its board.It has also raised the board size to 8 from 6. It might actually start to get crowded during board meetings.

Commenting on the expansion, Ryanair’s Chairman, David Bonderman said: “I am delighted to welcome Charlie and Declan to the Board of Ryanair Holdings, where I believe their skill and experience will allow them to play a significant role in ensuring that Ryanair continues to grow safely and profitably, while lowering fares and improving our industry leading customer service.”

Does this signal a change in direction for the spunky Irish carrier? I doubt it will show immediately but I do believe that the move signals a start of a process that will ultimately see a changing of the guard at the top. It also means that the airline is positioning its self for a broader move which should see it expand to broader jurisdictions. Like across the Atlantic for example.

And I think for many - it will mean a change for the better. Let's hope so.

Cheers

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