Michael O'Leary (businessman)

Michael O'Leary is an Irish businessman and the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish airline Ryanair. He is one of the Republic of Ireland's wealthiest businessmen.

Early life

Michael O'Leary was born 20 March 1961, the second in a family of six, in Mullingar in Westmeath. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare. In 1979 he began a four-year Bachelor in Business Studies programme at Trinity College. He graduated from Trinity in 1983. He then worked as a trainee with Stokes Kennedy Crowley (later known as KPMG). He studied the Irish tax system. He left after two years in 1985, setting up profitable newsagents in Walkinstown and Terenure, Dublin.

In SKC, O'Leary met Tony Ryan, head of GPA (Guinness Peat Aviation, a leasing company), who was one of the firm's clients. He advised Ryan on his personal income tax affairs. In 1987, Ryan hired O'Leary as his personal financial and tax advisor. Ryan's main interest was in GPA. Ryanair was established around this time. The fledgling airline followed a traditional business model, but quickly began to lose money. O'Leary was sent to the USA to study the novel Southwest Airlines business model.

Ryanair career

O'Leary was deputy chief executive of Ryanair between 1991 and 1994. In January 1994 he was promoted to chief executive of Ryanair. Under...
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