In this month’s High Flyers’ article in association with ARI, Miriam Ryan, Chief Governance and Strategy Officer and Company Secretary at daa and ARI board member, talks about the importance of strategic thinking, leadership, the outlook for the future and balancing priorities.
As part of my role, I am responsible for strategy across the daa group, which consists of four business units – ARI, Dublin and Cork airports and daa International. It has always been important to us to diversify beyond the small open Irish economy and secure opportunities in other markets internationally to widen our reach. ARI plays a key role in delivering on that objective.
ARI opened the very first duty free shop in 1947. As an ambitious travel retailer based in Ireland, on the western periphery of Europe, ARI is now positioned at the centre of things from a global travel retail perspective.
Being owned by an airport operator, ARI has critical insights into what works and what doesn’t work from an airport operational perspective and what can be shared in other airport environments globally.
Its partnership approach is a critical part of its DNA and is geared towards having the best possible outcome for all the parties involved – taking shared learnings and being able to apply and adapt them to the environment that we are in.
Sustainability and outlook
Sustainability is a key pillar of our new business strategy post-COVID. We have made the commitment across the group to being net zero by 2050 and we are keenly aware that we all have a part to play in reaching that goal.
It’s great to see the energy and enthusiasm that there is for our sustainability programmes with lots of different initiatives happening across the ARI estate. In the last few weeks, there was a fantastic cross-functional effort between ARI, our group sustainability and energy management teams which resulted in a significant reduction in energy usage at the ARI stores at Dublin Airport just by changing out the light fittings. Sometimes what might seem like a small thing can be a giant leap in the right direction.
Leadership and female representation
Over the past 34 years in daa I’ve had multiple careers, working in marketing, economic regulation, strategy, and now as the Chief Governance and Strategy Officer and Company Secretary – probably the longest job title in daa! Being able to experience a variety of roles within the organisation is a credit to our business and its commitment to supporting career development and lifelong learning.
I’ve always sought to do interesting work with people I like working with and I’ve been fortunate in that regard over the years. I have worked with some great leaders in the business who were open to doing things a bit differently.
That is really important in a travel retail environment where you have to be open to try different products, services and opportunities and keep pace with changing consumer trends. To encourage innovation it’s also key to have a safe environment so that there is support if things don’t work out as planned.
Travel retail management was traditionally a very male-dominated area, but I think that’s changing and I wouldn’t underestimate the importance of the mantra “if you can see it, you can be it” for aspiring young female leaders. Business leaders have a responsibility to identify talent, nurture it and support it to grow and develop, something which ARI is really great at.
Lessons learned
One of the best lessons that I have learned is to seek to work with great people, with people that are smarter than you – don’t be afraid that someone will want your job. My team is central to everything. Being part of a team that I can rely on, a team that is committed, a team that is willing to go that extra mile, and a team that has fun, is fundamental. ARI’s brand expression ‘joy on your way’ is as important for teams as it is for our customers.
I am a great one for lists and setting priorities. It helps to guard against being pulled into extraneous things that catch your attention and suddenly realising you have lost two hours on something that’s not that important. There is great value in sitting down for five minutes in the morning and asking, “So what do I absolutely have to get done today?”.
Even though my three children are older now, there is no denying that work-life balance can be a challenge. It’s easier to say it than do it, but you do have to make time for yourself, whether it is just getting out for a walk, reading a book or whatever it is you enjoy. Taking time to switch off pays dividends.
Legacy and impact
I have been lucky enough to be involved with delivering two major pieces of infrastructure at Dublin Airport – Terminal 2 and the new North Runway – and it’s great to think that people will still be using those key assets long after I’m gone.
More importantly though, the best legacy to leave is the impact that you can have on people and how you can help them be the best that they can be. I hope in time people will say “Miriam was a great mentor” and “Miriam helped me develop my career”. This is what is most rewarding.
*This article first appeared in The Moodie Davitt eZine. Click here for access. ✈
