CAREER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CHANGING SWIM LANES
Ned Musgrave
SVP Origination (Asia)
Ned joined Avolon from PWC in 2017 , starting his journey in the finance team. His strong performance soon opened the door to a new opportunity - a move into an origination role based in Hong Kong, where he marketed Avolon’s aircraft to airlines across Asia. He followed the simple advice he was given early on: focus on doing your job well, and opportunities will follow. Before entering the corporate world, Ned pursued a professional golf career on the PGA Tour - an ambition that didn’t work out, but one he has no regrets about chasing.
Ciara Reilly
VP Capital Markets and Trading
Ciara began her career as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte before discovering a passion for aircraft leasing. She joined Avolon in 2017 and has since held roles across pricing, asset planning, and now in the capital markets and trading team. Ciara believes that bravery and curiosity are key to career mobility - asking for advice and trusting the value of your unique experience can unlock new career paths. Outside of work, she channels her energy as a keen runner.
Niall O’Callaghan
Assistant VP Asset Solutions
Niall joined Avolon in 2019 as a Graduate from University College Dublin. Since then, he’s taken on a range of roles including with the credit and commercial teams, and most recently working close to ‘the metal’ in Avolon’s technical team. He credits great mentors for shaping his career journey and sees aviation as an exciting, global industry full of opportunity. Niall combines his working life with a busy GAA career as a member of the Dublin football panel, and All Ireland Club Championship winner with his club, Cuala.
Suzie Blake
Senior Transaction Structuring Analyst
Suzie joined Avolon as a Group Accountant in 2021.She quickly became fascinated by the complexity and pace of our deal structuring and set her sights on a move. Although she wasn’t successful on her first attempt to shift lanes, she sought feedback, built her skills, and secured her new role in 2023. She hasn’t looked back and is now finding fulfilment in her evolving career and in her new role as a first-time parent.
David Murray
Head of Transactions
David is one of Avolon’s senior leaders and a strong advocate for seeking out challenge and fulfilment by taking bold steps in your career. His own journey spans accountancy, telecoms, and even property development - experiences that shaped his perspective before he joined Avolon in 2010. After holding a series of senior finance roles, David made a deliberate lane change in 2022, stepping into a new challenge focused on optimising how we execute transactions. He believes that bringing your experience into unfamiliar territory is where the greatest growth happens, and that bravery in career moves often brings lasting rewards.
Andy Cronin
Chief Executive Officer
“We are committed to developing future leaders for our business and our industry, and we encourage people to make bold moves in their careers. We view changing swim lanes as an effective tool to equip our people with the range of experience and skills to be the future leaders of the business. In our industry, curiosity and ambition open doors to new roles and opportunities. Aircraft leasing is a dynamic, fast-moving sector where talent can progress quickly and cut through the hierarchies that often slow growth in more traditional industries.”
Ciara Ruane
Chief People Officer
“At Avolon, we believe our people are our greatest asset, and their growth is central to our success. We encourage everyone to be bold, embrace new opportunities, and have the confidence to step into unfamiliar roles. Continuous learning is at the core of our people strategy and the concept of developing your career through changing swim lanes is central to our approach. These experiences can fuel our employees’ personal ambition and broaden our perspectives, allowing us to drive innovation and continue to strengthen our business. By empowering our people to grow, we invest in the future of Avolon.”