Nick Cole was appointed Deputy Chief Executive of daa in December 2025 to the newly created position, while retaining his role as CEO of daa International. Cole is currently CEO of daa International and combines his new duties with his existing responsibilities. He is an inspirational leader with a proven track record in delivering results in challenging, highly regulated UK and international aviation roles, including 5 years at Heathrow Airport and 6 years internationally.
Cole brings significant international experience from previous leadership roles. At Heathrow, he successfully led the operations team at Terminal 5, winning the 'World's Best Airport Terminal' award. In Oman, he mentored teams at Muscat and Salalah airports, and as managing director at Riyadh's Terminal 5, achieved second best terminal in the Middle East. Nick is also an advisor for the International Olympic Committee on airport capacity for sporting events, including Rio 2016, Doha 2022, and PyeongChang 2018 Games.
Nick Cole has been CEO of daa International since 2018. As CEO of daa International, Nick has exponentially grown revenues and expanded the team from 25 to over 200 staff. Under his leadership, daa International won contracts for Red Sea International Airport and Jeddah Airport.
Career history
- CEO, daa International (2018–present)
- Managing Director, Terminal 5 King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh (2017–2018)
- Senior Operations Manager – Passenger and Service, Oman Airports Management Company (2014–2017)
- Head of Operations, Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport (2008–2010)
- Head of Terminal, Stansted Airport, BAA (2005–2008)
Cole holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from Southampton University (1994–1998).
What Nick Cole could bring to Deputy Chief Executive at daa: Drawing on over two decades of aviation operations experience, Cole brings proven expertise in transforming international airport operations and building high-performing teams. His track record of strategic leadership at major hub airports (Heathrow Terminal 5, Riyadh, Jeddah) and his success scaling daa International from 25 to over 200 staff positions him to drive operational excellence, capital investment, and regulatory navigation across Dublin and Cork airports during a critical period of capacity expansion and infrastructure development.
Facts compiled by Executive Moves from publicly available news and press releases on 28 October 2026. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email us and we'll review within 1 business day.
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