Sean Doyle was appointed Chief Executive of British Airways in October 2020, and Chairman in April 2021. He has established sustainability as a central focus of the airline’s corporate strategy under its award-winning programme, “BA Better World” covering People, Planet and Responsible Business.
Social and community highlights under Sean’s leadership include the establishment of the BA Better World Community Fund, reaching £28 million raised for Flying Start, the airline’s charity partnership with Comic Relief, and supporting the Disasters Emergency Committee and the British Red Cross in times of crisis.
Environmental highlights under Sean’s leadership include the airline’s investment in hydrogen-fuel cell technology, securing the airline’s first flights powered directly by sustainable aviation fuels and backing first-of-a-kind carbon removals projects as well as a programme of environmental initiatives within the airline.
Prior to his appointment as Chairman and Chief Executive of British Airways, Sean was Chief Executive of Aer Lingus from January 2019.
Sean sits on the leadership council of Business In The Community (BITC), on the Government’s Aviation Council and Jet Zero Council, and serves as Vice Chair of British American Business (BAB).
Sean is married with a son and is a graduate of University College Cork.
Sean Doyle on his work with BITC
We’re part of the fabric of British society and I think Business in the Community is a very important way in which we can give back and lend our expertise and resources to break some of these negative cycles the community finds themselves in. I’m looking forward to getting out and visiting one of the projects soon in Hounslow, which is very close to our operation and seeing a bit more in real life. I’ve been very impressed with the energy and some of the opportunities we’re working on.
Sean Doyle
Sean on The Lens
How can business build a better world?
Every month, The Lens: UK Responsible Business Podcast brings together a global business leader and an emerging future leader for an open and unscripted conversation. It will challenge the way you think about responsible business.
In this episode, our host Sarah Travers is joined by Sean Doyle and Mirko Schedlbauer, Founder and Ceo of shipzero – a Hamburg-based start-up dedicated to decarbonising the logistics industry through innovative data solutions.
Together, Sean, Mirko, and Sarah explore how businesses can create a better world, discussing the steps they are taking within their organisations to benefit their people, the planet, and their communities.
Listen now and follow The Lens on Acast, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast provider.
Sean Doyle on challenges facing employment and social mobility
You look around at some of the challenges in the UK at the minute. We don’t necessarily have an employment problem because unemployment is low, but we have a quality of employment problem. I think we need to improve the mobility and progression of people, particularly at entry level to employment. We have a social mobility challenge in that generation after generation is not breaking out of some of the cycles they’re in. It’s incumbent upon businesses to try and break those cycles by leveraging our corporate resources to help with Business and the Community’s objectives in the more deprived parts of the UK.
Sean Doyle