Four appointments to Shannon board

FOUR new appointments have been made to the board of the Shannon Airport Authority, bringing its total membership to seven.

 

The new appointees are US-based public policy consultant and transport expert Kathryn O’Leary Higgins, managing director of Clare FM and Tipp FM radio stations Liam O’Shea and Shannon Airport worker-directors Joe Buckley (Cargo & Technical Traffic Development manager) and Kevin McCarthy (Airport Police and Fire Officer).

The quartet join chairman Rose Hynes, airport director Mary Considine and Pat Dalton, chief financial officer of One51.

Ms Hynes said the new appointees have a lot to offer. “The new directors provide us with the type of expertise that is required to deliver the strategic vision for the airport, which is around achieving significant passenger growth and the development of the International Aviation Services Centre at Shannon over the next five years.”

Kathryn O’Leary Higgins is a public policy expert with specific expertise in transport and spent 34 years working in the public sector in various US Government departments.

Having founded her own company, she was also one of five board members appointed by the US president and confirmed by the Senate to lead America’s independent transportation accident investigation agency.

From 1997 to 1999, Ms O’Leary Higgins was deputy secretary at the US Department of Labor, serving as the chief operating officer, with responsibility for 16,700 employees and a budget of $34.6billion. From 1995 to 1997 she was President Bill Clinton’s principal liaison to his Cabinet and sub-Cabinet.

Liam O’Shea is currently the managing director of both Clare FM and Tipp FM. Two years ago he was responsible for the purchase, refurbishment and installation of one of the most high tech Digital Broadcasting Centre in the country in Ennis.

His appointment as dual MD of both Tipp and Clare FM happened last year when he initiated a unique alliance between the stations that has seen them share resources, resulting in significant savings. Mr O’Shea is also chairman and a director of Spin South West.

He spent 12 years in the Middle East where he was sound director for Saudi Arabia’s Channel 3. He also worked on world media coverage of the Gulf War of 1990 and ’91.

Prior to going to the Middle East, he worked for RTÉ from 1972-86 and was involved in the early days of Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Mr O’Shea played hurling for Tipperary while he captained Kilruane McDonagh’s to three successive county championships. He was part of their management team when they won a club All-Ireland in 1985/86.

Joe Buckley joined Shannon Airport in 1978 and has held a number of roles within airport operations and business development. In 2007 he was appointed to the new role of Cargo and Technical Traffic Development manager for Shannon.

Mr Buckley was an early advocate of extending US preclearance to business aviation and played a major role in the opening of the world’s first US preclearance facility for business jets at Shannon. This allows passengers on business jets to pre-clear US immigration and customs and fly directly to 220 airports.
He served on the Shannon Airport Authority Board from 2004 – 2011 and last year was appointed by Minister Leo Varadkar to the Shannon Change Management Task Force.

Originally from Cork, Kevin McCarthy has spent 32 years working in Shannon Airport’s Police and Fire Service. A SIPTU representative for that time also, he is currently president of the union’s National Civil Aviation Section, chairman of its National Aviation Committee and president of its Shannon Aviation Section.