A few years ago I hosted the launch of one of my contacts’ businesses. There I was introduced to Kell Ryan, Co-Founder of RyanAir whose brother, the late Tony Ryan, was the visionary founder behind the airline. What instantly impressed me about Kell was not just the remarkable family success story but more importantly his warmth, humility, groundless and good humour.
What I learned from Kell subsequently was that the airline began with one leased aircraft and one big dream that his brother had to change an industry, create jobs and boost the economy. Today the have more planes that British Airways! So it was a real pleasure when I got to host the “In Conversation with Kell Ryan” at the British Library during Global Entrepreneurship Week last November. You can enjoy the edited highlights here.
In the first part of the interview above Kell talks about the early years, humble beginnings and his brother.
Taking off
In this second part of the interview Kell shares the vision for the airline, and it’s early years including some bumpy times. What really impressed me is that Tony set up the low cost airline not for ego but to 1) bring low cost travel and competition so that people from Ireland could travel and could travel back home because previously the fares were so high they could not. 2) To provide jobs – lack of opportunity was a really big issue 3) to boost the economy – at the time the Irish economy was in real difficulty with limited opportunity and so many seeking opportunity elsewhere. (More below the video)…
Full throttle ahead
In this part of the interview I ask Kell about what growing the airline was like and the challenges involved. Kell shares how the airline carried 10,000 passengers while now it’s more like 100,000 a day! He talks about how the airline began to travel to more routes and make a profit and he talks about the huge logistics involved. He also shares important messages about being efficient and cost effective. (More below)…
Questions part 1 – what would your do differently
This is my favourite part of the “In Conversation With Kell Ryan.” Kell has a great way of sharing insights that are useful for any business at any stage. A first questioner asks if Tony Ryan would run the airline differently to current CEO, Michael O’Leary. The second questioner also asks for tips about how to win business from people. I also ask Kell about what life is like now that he has retired from the board of hey airline. Here’s what Kell had to say about those and other questions and the impact the airline has had on Ireland for the country and to inspire other businesses. (More below)…
Questions part 2 – business from the heart and managing your costs
This part of the Q&A begins with questions around the role of love and caring in business. Kell shares his views on the importance of kindness and caring. A questioner also asks about how you find the right people to help you build your business. I also ask Kell about the importance of cash-flow and Kell shares important lessons about being efficient and managing your costs.
Questions part 3 – 30 mins from being shut down / facing the future / having fun
In this final part of the Q&A a questioner asks about the personal challenges Kell faced along the way. Kell shares insights on some of the tough times and the importance of belief. Questioners also ask Kell for his views on the future of air travel. A questioner also asks about the kind of good habits and mindset that’s important in business. I conclude by asking Kell if his brother would have been proud about the ongoing success of the airline. Kell ends with a lovely bit of humour. I can also tell you that he was busily and happily chatting to the audience in the auditorium until the security staff literally started turning the lights off.
