Overview
- Ryanair confirmed on Friday that Michael O’Leary has agreed to a six‑year extension as chief executive that runs to April 2032 following months of talks with the board and the group’s largest shareholders.
- Under the deal O’Leary is granted a one‑off option to buy 10 million Ryanair shares at €26.70 each, conditional on him remaining until April 2032 and meeting specified performance tests.
- The option vests only if Ryanair’s full‑year profit after tax exceeds €4 billion or if the share price rises above €42 for 28 consecutive days, targets the company calls “very ambitious.”
- Those triggers sit far above Ryanair’s latest pre‑exceptional post‑tax profit of €2.26 billion and a current share price near €25.6, so any payout remains conditional and not immediate.
- The package includes a modest salary, a capped annual bonus and will face a non‑binding shareholder vote at the AGM, a step that lets investors express governance views while keeping O’Leary as a major shareholder and operational leader.