Kerry CEO McCarthy to join Ryanair board

OUTGOING Kerry Group CEO Stan McCarthy is to join the board of Ryanair.

Mr McCarthy will assume the non-executive role at the end of the month, as the airline releases full-year results. Shareholders will get to vote on his appointment at the company’s annual general meeting in September.

Mr McCarthy is stepping down as CEO of Kerry Group at the end of September.

Ryanair’s other non-executive board members include chairman David Bonderman, former EU Commissioner and finance minister Charlie McCreevy and PayPal executive Louise Phelan.

Former Ryanair executives Howard Millar and Michael Cawley are also non-executive board members.

Mr Bonderman said he believed Mr McCarthy will be a “significant and valuable addition” to the Ryanair board.

Meanwhile, Ryanair announced yesterday that it’s opening a third travel lab, which will be located in Madrid. The digital and IT innovation hub will employ 250 people. Ryanair already has labs in Dublin and Wroclaw, Poland.

Ryanair chief technology officer John Hurley said that Madrid is a major tech city and home to some of Europe’s biggest tech innovators. Ryanair has invested heavily in its labs division over the past couple of years, hiring hundreds of staff to develop its app and website.