Airport Coordination Ltd bolsters its independence with the appointment of new Non-Executive Directors

Ailsa Beaton and Valerie Gordon-Walker bring diverse management expertise to leading slot coordinator

The world‘s leading airport slot coordinator, Airport Coordination Ltd (ACL), is pleased to welcome two further independent Non-Executive Directors to its Board, effective immediately.  Ailsa Beaton and Valerie Gordon-Walker will contribute complementary industry management experience to the independent coordinator.  They join Catherine Brown, former CEO of the Food Standards Agency, who joined ACL in 2017 as a Non Executive Director and Jeff Halliwell, who became ACL‘s first independent Chair in 2013.

“These new appointments, hard on the heels of the arrival of our new CEO Edmond Rose last month, place Airport Coordination Ltd in a stronger position to play an increasingly prominent and effective role serving airports and airlines globally,” said ACL Chairman Jeff Halliwell.  “The strong increase in worldwide consumer demand for aviation and consequent pressure on expensive infrastructure means that the fair and effective co-ordination of slots, and the optimisation of airport capacity, have never been more important.”

“Bringing in two further independent board members will strengthen ACL‘s ability to uphold its duties in an independent, fair, and transparent manner,” he added.

Ailsa Beaton has enjoyed senior executive roles at General Electric, PA Consulting, ICL and, most recently, with London’s Metropolitan Police Service, where she served as Director of Information, holding board responsibility for technology, communications and information and was awarded an OBE for services to policing.  Her current non-executive directorships include the Information Commissioner’s Office and BACS Payment Schemes.  Ailsa is also a Governor of the Legal Education Foundation and a Magistrate.  She contributes a wealth of IT experience to the ACL Board, together with substantive NED experience in a number of sectors that have faced significant regulatory change.  Ailsa is a graduate of the University of London and a Chartered Engineer.

Recently named by Cranfield as one of the FTSE 100 Women to Watch, Valerie Gordon-Walker is a former Managing Director, Executive Committee member and Group Head of Human Resources. During her executive career, the emphasis was complex, global multinational organisations including Barclays, BP, West LB and Marks & Spencer with a focus on major transformational change, strategic vision and effective stakeholder management. Since 2009, she has developed a strong and varied non- executive portfolio. In the public sector, Valerie has been an Independent Senior Advisor to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) at the Bank of England. An Irish national and graduate of University College Dublin, Valerie is a Founder Member and Freeman of the Guild of HR Professionals in the City of London.