Cllr Gillian Campbell
Chair of Blackpool Airport Operations LTD (BAOL)
Cllr Gillian Campbell has Chaired BAOL since the Council bought the airport from Balfour Beatty. She was elected to the Council in 2011, and represents Park Ward. Previously the Deputy Leader of the Council from 2015 to 2020, she is currently the Cabinet Member for Inclusion, Youth and Schools and Transience.
A Mum of 3, she was born in Edinburgh and has lived in Blackpool since 1999. She is excited by the challenges that bringing the airport licences back to the ownership of the Council brings, and looks forward to working closely with all of the employees, tenants and stakeholders of the site in creating a sustainable future for the Airport and adjoining Enterprise Zone in the coming years.
Cllr Jo Farrell
Non-Executive Director BAOL
Cllr Jo Farrell was elected in 2019 and is currently the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Community Health and Wellbeing as well as serving on the Board of Blackpool Airport Operations Ltd (BAOL) as Non-Executive Director.
Jo is also a Local Authority Governor and Vice Chair of the Governing Board at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, which is a role she thoroughly enjoys ensuring that children receive the highest standard of education.
Jo is passionate about mental health & wellbeing and is the Chair of the Mental Health Partnership Board bringing together many organisations from across Blackpool. Jo is also a Mental Health First Aider.
In previous lifetimes Jo has had a variety of working roles including once being a midwife and delivering quite a few Blackpool residents, a retail manager and regional area trainer for a national charity organisation and a payroll officer.
In her spare time Jo is an avid reader of many genres, enjoys walking on Blackpool’s beautiful promenades and has just discovered the joys of Netflix and binge watching box sets.
Cllr Jason Roberts
Non-Executive Director BAOL
Non-Executive Director BAOL
Cllr Jason Roberts has been an elected member of Blackpool Council since May 2015 and is currently a member of the Council’s Audit Committee.
Jason also works at Manchester Airport.
Tony Davis
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee BAOL
Tony Davis is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Blackpool Airport Operations Ltd (BAOL) and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee. He was a Partner at Ernst & Young (EY) and the Global Head of Transport, Infrastructure & Logistics in their strategy practice EY-Parthenon. Tony sits on several Boards. He previously co-founded a private equity firm focussed on regional airports and a strategy consulting firm specialised in the transport and travel & leisure sectors. Tony has a BA (hons) in Economics and an MBA.
Matt Williams
Non-Executive Director BAOL
Matt was appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director in May 2022.
Matt is a Finance Director for Norther Rail and leads teams across finance, IT, procurement, legal, internal audit and business insight.
A chartered accountant trained at Deloitte, Matt worked for United Utilities and then in the nuclear sector. In 2013, Matt joined Manchester Airports Group as Finance Director of Stansted Airport then Manchester Airport before swapping planes for trains in 2020 as he started his current role at Northern.
Karen Whelan
Non-Executive Director BAOL
Karen was appointed an Independent Non-Executive Director in May 2022.
Karen has a lifelong interest in aviation which has encompassed a B.Eng in Aeronautical Engineering, 26 years working for BAE Systems AIR sector business and gaining a Private Pilots Licence. Appointed to the BAOL Board in May 2022, Karen is also on the Employment Committee.
Karen brings two decades of experience running all aspects of aviation engineering projects and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration. She is also a trustee of the Association of Project Management, a charity with a Royal Charter, and her local Parochial Church Council.
Karen Taylor
Non Executive Director BAOL
Joining Gloucestershire Airport in 2018 as Commercial Financial Director, Karen Taylor was appointed Managing Director of the UK’s busiest general aviation airport in January 2021. Described by Aviation Business News as ’busy and brilliant’, Karen is not one to shy away from challenges. During her four-year tenure she has remained wedded to bringing a modern commercial vision to Gloucestershire Airport – successfully spearheading what could be described as the single most transformative period in its history since Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City councils purchased the current site back in 1936 and oversaw construction of the airport we now have today.
She started her career in Financial Services working for companies including Natwest, Swiss Re, Zurich and Capita before diversifying into housing and care, then joining aviation. Outside of work Karen has two children and is a sports enthusiast. She can regularly be found skiing, riding, running and more recently clay pigeon shooting.