Michael O’Leary is the abrasive chief executive of Europe’s largest low-cost airline Ryanair . His dogged unrepentant style was a winning strategy for an upstart airline trying to establish itself. His obsession with cutting costs as well as trying to always put one over on the large national carriers is what makes him appear arrogant to most people.
His press conferences are usually very theatrical; it is not unusual to see him dress up as any thing from the Pope to, a large Mobile Phone.
O’Leary has brought Ryanair from nowhere to become the continents largest carrier, his no frills low cost service has helped make air travel affordable to most people. His unorthodox approach to business includes turning the usual airline airport agreement by persuading some airports to pay him for the privilege of handling Ryanair passengers. His rise from a tax account to the maverick of European air travel is unrivalled by most in business today. He is a straight Talking, non-suited, foul-mouthed individual, that shots straight from the hip and his explicitly hostile attitude towards corporate competitors, airport authorities, governments and unions. One advantage of this controversial approach is the huge free publicity it generates.
Early Life
Michael O’Leary was born on March 20th 1961, the second in a family of six, near the town of Mullingar county Westmeath Ireland. He was educated at Clongowes wood collage Co. Kildare (described by many as the Irish Eton), a school for boys from the upper classes of Irish society it was there that he became acquainted with the sons of his future employer Tony Ryan. Although the young Michael spent his school days at such a privileged institution as Clongowes wood school for boys, his own family were far from high society, they were farmers although be it, on a very large holding in the midlands, Michael got on well with his more affluent friends at