United Utilities boss Charlie Cornish to be Manchester Airports chief
Date added: 29 May, 2010
28.5.2010 (Manchester Evening News)
by Kevin Feddy
A board director at FTSE 100 giant United Utilities is set to be named as the new chief executive of Manchester Airports Group, the MEN can reveal.
Charlie Cornish, who currently holds the title of managing director, business development and international at the Warrington-based water company, is expected to succeed Geoff Muirhead at MAG.
Mr Muirhead announced in January he was stepping down after 22 years with the group.
He joined as business development director in 1988 and was promoted to chief executive of Manchester Airport in 1992. He took on his current role in 2001 when the group was formed.
Manchester Airports Group is the largest UK-owned airports operator and the second biggest in the country after BAA, which is part of Spanish giant Ferrovial.
As well as Manchester Airport, MAG owns East Midlands, Humberside and Bournemouth airports. The business has annual revenues of nearly £400m but profits have nosedived during the recession. In 2008-09 they fell from £87.8m to £54.2m as passenger numbers slid.
More recently, Manchester Airport has been hurt by the volcanic ash cloud, which has cost it £10m after more than 3,000 flights were cancelled.
Mr Cornish, 49, was appointed to UU’s board in January 2004. He worked for British Aerospace, Plessey Telecommunications and Associated British Foods after graduating from Strathclyde University and in 1998 joined the West of Scotland Water Authority as human resources director.
He went on to become its customer services director and later chief executive. In 2002 he joined Thames Water as global business performance director, then became chief operating officer with Thames Water UK and Ireland.
His appointment as chief executive of MAG still has to be formally ratified by the group’s shareholders – the 10 local authorities of Greater Manchester – but sources have indicated this is expected to happen soon.
UU declined to comment and an airport spokesman would only say the process to appoint a new CEO is not yet complete. No salary details have been revealed but Mr Muirhead’s package last year totalled £512,000, including a bonus for MAG’s strong performance in 2007-08.
A number of internal candidates at MAG are understood to have been vying to succeed him.
The head of Canada Post has been named as the first female chief executive of the Royal Mail. Moya Greene will take up the post in July, replacing Adam Crozier.
Manchester Airports Group was formed in 2001 to own and operate Manchester Airport and the other smaller acquisitions. Prior to that the Manchester Airport Board operated Manchester Airport from 1986, when the Greater Manchester County Council was disbanded. Since its spin-off, MAG has branched out into other ventures.
In addition to Manchester Airport, it owns and operates Bournemouth Airport, East Midlands Airport and Humberside Airport. The Group handles over 29 million combined passengers a year from its four airports and generates approximately £3.2 billion for the economy of the United Kingdom, whilst supporting, directly and indirectly, over 130,000 jobs.
Manchester Airports Group runs airport service-related businesses including baggage handling and ground services, car parking, fire-fighting, airport security, engineering, motor transport services and advertising.
The property and development arm of MAG, previously known as MADL (Manchester Airport Developments), was rebranded as MAG Developments in early 2009.
Manchester Airports Group is wholly owned by the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester, with a majority share (55%) owned by Manchester City Council; the other nine local authorities own 5% each.
