Board & Management

David Shearer
Non-Executive Chairman
Appointed to the Board
1 June 2019
Background/experience
David joined the Board on 1 June 2019 and was appointed Non- Executive Chairman on 23 July following the 2019 AGM.
David is an experienced independent director and corporate financier and turnaround specialist. He is currently Non-Executive Chairman of Speedy Hire Plc, Socium Group Limited and the Scottish Edge Fund.
David was previously the senior partner of Deloitte LLP for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and a UK executive board member of the firm until 2003. Since then, David held the positions of co-Chairman of Martin Currie (Holdings) Limited, Chairman of Mouchel Group plc and Crest Nicholson plc and a Non-Executive Director of City Inn Limited, in each case standing down after completing the successful restructuring of these businesses.
David was also Non-Executive Chairman of Aberdeen New Dawn Investment Trust plc, Liberty Living Group plc and Liberty Living Finance plc, Senior Independent Director of Renold plc, STV Group plc and Superglass Holdings plc and Non-Executive Director of Mithras Investment Trust plc.
Committee membership
Chairman of the Nomination Committee.

Warwick Brady
Chief Executive Officer
Appointed to the Board
1 July 2017
Background/experience
Warwick was appointed Chief Executive in July 2017, having worked closely with the Group since 2011, whilst he was Chief Operating Officer for easyJet, as part of unlocking capacity constraints at London’s several airports including London Southend Airport. Warwick played a key part in easyJet’s growth to a FTSE 100 business.
Warwick has significant experience in the aviation sector, having worked in senior executive roles at easyJet, Ryanair and Kingfisher/Air Deccan in India. He also has a background in private equity in manufacturing and technology and holds a MBA.
He has held board positions at Airline Group and National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the UK’s airspace provider, and is currently a Non-Executive Director of FirstGroup plc (a leading transport operator in the UK and North America).

Nick Dilworth
Chief Operating Officer
Appointed to the Board
1 September 2018
Background/experience
Nick was appointed Chief Operating Officer in September 2018, having worked as Group Commercial Director since October 2017.
Nick previously worked for BES Utilities, where he was Managing Director. He has also previously occupied a number of leadership roles at Practice Plan Limited and Medenta Finance and has a strong commercial background.
Nick qualified as a Chartered Accountant with BDO LLP before joining Grant Thornton as a Corporate Financier.
He is currently a Non-Executive Director of AirPortr Limited.

Lewis Girdwood
Chief Financial Officer
Appointed to the Board
1 April 2019
Background/experience
Lewis was appointed Chief Financial Officer on 1 April 2019.
Lewis previously served as Chief Financial Officer to IAG Cargo Limited, which provides global cargo services to British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and other IAG airlines. Prior to that, he was Head of Financial Planning and Analysis at easyJet, responsible for financial business partnering across the airline.
Lewis has also held senior finance roles at Premier Foods PLC, British Bakeries Limited and Racal Electronics Group International.
He is also a member of the Audit Committee of charity Tommy’s.

Ginny Pulbrook
Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board
1 October 2018
Background/experience
With a background in financial public relations and investment banking, Ginny brings more than 30 years’ experience as a board-level adviser to quoted companies in the infrastructure, industrial and support services sectors.
Ginny is a Partner at Capital Market Communications (Camarco). Prior to joining Camarco in 2014, Ginny co-founded and spent 26 years at one of the UK’s leading financial public relations firms, Citigate Dewe Rogerson. Her specific areas of expertise include high-profile capital markets transactions and change management. A former Development Council Member of the Natural History Museum, she is currently Vice Chairman of Carers (UK), the UK’s leading charity for unpaid carers.
Committee membership
Member of the Remuneration, Nomination and Audit Committees.

John Coombs
Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board
1 July 2014
Background/experience
In 2018, John stepped down after 16 years from the position of Managing Director of Unilever Ventures Limited, during which time he chaired the Investment Committee and made investments in 50 early-stage businesses in the UK, US and Europe.
He has sat on the boards of 20 companies, five as Chairman. Currently he is also Non-Executive Chairman of the Co-op’s Federal Retail and Trading Services Limited, which coordinates purchasing for Co-operative retailers in the UK.
Committee membership
Chairman of the Remuneration and Committee and member of the Audit and Nomination Committees.

David Blackwood
Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board
1 March 2019
Background/experience
David has significant experience at senior levels of finance, audit and risk. He is Non-Executive Chairman of Connect Group plc, the market leader in the distribution of newspapers and magazines in the UK, and is a Non-Executive Director at Scapa Group plc, where he is also Chairman of the Audit Committee and Senior Independent Director. David was a Non-Executive Director of Dignity plc until he stepped down from the Board in June 2020.
Previous positions include Chief Financial Officer of Synthomer plc where he was employed for seven years. Prior to this, he held a number of senior roles with ICI plc. David has also previously served as a member of the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee and the Board for Actuarial Standards. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
Committee membership
Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Clive Condie
Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board
1 July, 2020
Background/experience
Clive Condie was the Chairman of London Luton Airport until June 2018, a position he held since November 2013. Besides being Chairman, Clive was interim CEO during 2014. Clive is also a Director of CLH-PS, the largest fuel pipeline and storage facility in the UK.
Clive has more than 35 years’ experience in the aviation industry having worked for, amongst others, Manchester Airport and British Airways. Clive has also previously served on the boards of a number of airports including London Luton some 17 years ago, Lima in Peru and Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles.
Clive is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Committee membership
Member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Louise Brace
Company Secretary
Appointed
23 October 2017
Background/experience
Louise joined the Group as Company Secretary in October 2017. She is a qualified solicitor and was previously Group Legal Manager and Company Secretary of a UK manufacturing company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Prior to moving into industry, Louise was in private practice for 14 years with leading law firms in London and Manchester.