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MICHAEL O’LEARY’S SECOND-IN-COMMAND at Ryanair is stepping down to pursue other business interests, the airline has announced.
Michael Cawley, who is 59, has worked for Ryanair for sixteen years, beginning as its chief financial officer in 1997 before being appointed as deputy CEO in 2003.
In a statement, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said Cawley had given an “enormous contribution” to the company.
Cawley was responsible for the airline’s commercial strategy and its focus on selling as many seats on every plane as possible.
Cawley is going to remain at the company for almost a full year: he will step down at the end of March 2014. Ryanair said that he will be looking at a number of non executive positions on company boards, including Ryanair itself.
“I am grateful to Michael for his enormous contribution to the successful growth and development of Ryanair,” Michael O’Leary said in a statement.
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I’d love to see the look on his face when he is hit with the unavoidable 10% “stepping down fee”
And has to print off his own reference
Ryanair may not be perfect, but without “Mick” most ordinary people would never have been able to fly anywhere, remember in 1970s it used to cost an arm and leg just to get to London. now a flight in Poland is cheaper than getting the train up from Cork to Dublin. Hey !maybe we could put him in charge of CIE etc.
He will be a big loss to FR. He was/is a great buffer between MOL and other staff/management, many times taking the hit to save other form MOL’s temper…he was a calming influence on MOL in many ways…but also a tough man, not to be messed with!
De,de,de,
De de de de …De de de de,
de, de, de, de.
Ryanair are pleased to announce another on-time resignation.
Got charged 130.euro on return journey because thought I had booked return bag …. Got charged 40.euro going out thought this was full cost for a bag .. I was told it was 40 euro each way because it was high season .. something very wrong here .. never fly Ryanair again
How sad…
Play b the rules, its as clear as day on the website, read the T&C’s that you tick and agree too…don’t understand people moaning now about this…its very clear and transparent…not nice but it is obvious…
Oh Gawd, not another innocent abroad who didn’t bother to read Ryanair’s rules and then comes on here whinging about how they were charged for something that was clearly spelled out on their website. I expect that we’ll have a few more people on here before the day is out complaining about the cost involved if you forget to print off your boarding card. Sorry, you ain’t going to get much sympathy here. The dogs in the street know by now that if you don’t keep to Ryanair’s rules and regulations you will pay through the nose for your stupidity. Why not take your complaints to the Daily Mail website – they seem to have a weekly rant against Ryanair as they are unable to stomach the fact that Europe’s most successful airline is run by Paddies.
@ Dissisus so you made the mistake if I read you wrong and you want them to pick up the tab? You probably take three attempts at an ATM. I’m sure you will fly Ryanair again unless of course you are a well paid public servant.
Wow! They didn’t charge you €40 coming back but charged you €130?!
That’s robbery bordering on fraud.
Ryan air are pulling the wool over people.
Hi Discuss, thank you for not reading the t&c’s and not checking your booking properly as you subsidised my cheep flight by your mistake.
Because it shouldn’t cost 130 euro to fly a bag!
Cop on people.
The standard cost for checked bags over here is $25-$50. More if they way over 40 pounds.
130 euro is extortion.
I don’t care if its printed out for people. It’s like loan sharking.
Had a US friend visit this weekend… Didn’t know what to expect, assumed that it worked like ‘any other airline’ agency booked the flight for business travel.. Ended up with €170 of fees at the airport.
It’s an embarrassment to people who come to this country to attempt to do business. They see it as the ‘Irish’ way of doing business.
Hi Andrew, say thank you to your friend from me as they also subsidised my flight by their inability to read very clear t&c’s
Will do… I’ll thank him and my other professional friends and colleagues for basically bringing business to the country, forming the tax base so you and your buddies can cash those dole checks and jet off to costa del cheapbooze while I’m at it. Shall I?
Some professional who can’t read the straightforward terms of a contract. I will not be requiring his services ,thank you.
Hi Andrew,
I work for a world wide company and a bit of travel as and when needed to the UK, I have to book my own flights (I can claim them back), and only once I have been stung for extra charges and guess what! It was my fault and I paid the price and I blame no-one but myself and it was a lesson learnt.
These so all professionals must be bottom of the barrel workers if they cannot read t&c’s and abide by them
These are the sort of people who will not succeed in business and this country would be better off without them. Actually scrach that, get them to come more often as we can get more out of them!!
Oh Christ… Middle management syndrome. One could write a book if one had the time.
Some of us live in a world where we believe the simple everyday things… catching a flight, ordering a cup of coffee, printing a form, paying the phone bill should be simple straight forward no unnecessary hassle things.
I like the marketing potential though… Fly Ryanair, if you manage to successfully dodge the fees and charges we’ll give you a link where you can pay €5 to print a ‘I’m so smart’ cert. The easiest way to pander to morons and empty their pockets is to make them think they have one up on their betters… That might be worth a book deal come to think of it.
Your friend must ave been sleep walking. You pay extra for everything on a US low cost airline, just as you do in Europe.
Heres a solution for you andrew, dont use them its as easy as that. Here is a link for your friend to use the next time they are here so they dont have to use big bad Ryanair. .. http://www.aerlingus.com
Let me know how the book comes along, ill be sure to have a read of it, pity your friend wont read it as im sure if he finds reading t&c’s troublesome a book may be a bit to difficult.
He’s paying buckets of tax yeah?
One could do lots of things
And this is news, why?
It’s in the business section of the site because – well, it’s business news. If you’re looking for something non-business-y, there’s lots of other news stories up on the site today.
Because Ryanair is one of the biggest Irish companies ever to exist?
Because we need great business heads like his and not fcukwits runing things?
Excellent answers, you three.
Carry on.
@ Stephen. Ryanair is a highly respected and profitable Irish company. The standing down Michael is a significant part of that story. Would prefer a “9 things you never knew about bail clippers” story ?
@ Christine. You tell him.
I know, but when I left Ryanair, I never got a mention.
Fight!….Fight!…Fight!…….
And we all gather around the digital playground watching the other children fightin’ and pulling each other’s hair, (And yes I sigh wearily…I am bald!) calling each other dumbass and so on….
Irony is that you’re both right, the airline is a flying pirateship with every intention of plundering your wallet but they do let you know right from the off that’s what they’re up to.
The issue here isn’t Ryanair, it’s us and how we view them. It bugs the $#!+ out of me to get caught by them but when I use them I usually get good value and not feel like I’ve been robbed like I do EVERY TIME I use the train!!!!
have your say