Mr Jacobs remains in situ, but the DAA’s board on Monday appointed another of the airport operator’s senior managers, Nick Cole, to the newly created role of Deputy CEO without clarifying how he’ll work with the group CEO.
DAA declined to comment on Kenny Jacobs’ position. The Irish Independent reported on Saturday that he was braced for a potential attempt to suspend him.
The board of the DAA, which is at loggerheads with chief executive Mr Jacobs, created the new position of deputy chief executive.
Staff at the airports authority were told this morning that Mr Cole, who is currently chief executive of DAA International, and who is also a member of the executive team, will take the newly created position. He will also continue with his current role.
Staff were told of the appointment in an announcement made internally by chief people officer Siobhan Griffin. She said the DAA board had made the appointment.
The announcement made no reference to Mr Jacobs and did not explain how his role would interact with the new position. The DAA said it was not going to comment further.
Mr Cole’s role as head of DAA International sees him run the group’s activities outside Ireland, including in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Mr Jacobs was understood to be bracing himself for the possibility that some board members could attempt to suspend him from his role at the airport operator this week.
Any such move, which he is preparing to resist, would mark a serious escalation of the months-long boardroom rift at the semi-state airport operator and could move the stand-off to the courts.
The creation of a new position of deputy chief executive may only fuel speculation that the DAA board is positioning itself for a situation in which Mr Jacobs is no longer in day-to-day control of the company.
A planned €1m exit package for Mr Jacobs, negotiated in September following mediation, is now off the table. It would have meant him leaving the role in January. The former Ryanair executive is just three years into a seven-year term at the DAA.
The package needed to be signed off by Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers, which never happened.
Mr Jacobs has accepted an invitation to appear before the Oireachtas transport committee on January 21 to discuss governance issues at the DAA. The company has yet to respond to its invitation.
Mr Cole joined the DAA in 2018, and has led its international business since. DAA International is the operator of Jeddah airport, the largest in Saudia Arabia, where passenger numbers have increased to more than 50 million a year.
“With Dublin and Cork airports poised for significant growth, Nick’s extensive experience will be invaluable to the DAA Group,” the announcement said. “Prior to joining DAA, Nick led the team at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, achieving ‘World Best Airport’ awards. He also led the 2012 Heathrow London Olympic programme. His career to date has given him great insight into the worlds of airport operations and aviation.”
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