THE HEAD OF the Land Development Agency (LDA) John Coleman has been named as the new chief executive of Dublin Airport operator DAA.

Coleman was appointed to the role by the board of the DAA and will take up the role early next year.

He has been appointed to a seven-year term.

Coleman has been the chief executive of the LDA since its establishment in 2018.

The LDA is the State’s affordable housing delivery body and its main role is to acquire and develop State and other land to deliver affordable homes.

Prior to establishing the LDA, Coleman was chief financial officer at the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).

Coleman today said he is “honoured and excited to join DAA at such an important point in its journey”.

Coleman added that his “time at the LDA has been the highlight of my career” and described this as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish an organisation focused solely on tackling one of the biggest challenges facing our country”.

DAA chair Gary Owens meanwhile remarked that the board is “delighted John is joining as CEO following a comprehensive selection process”.

Owens added that Coleman has a “proven track record of engaging with commercial organisations on behalf of the Irish state and seeking innovative solutions that address Ireland’s national needs”.

Owens meanwhile said that Coleman’s “familiarity with navigating complex planning and regulatory systems will also be of great value to DAA as we progress our plans for the long-term development of Dublin and Cork airports”.

Coleman will replace Kenny Jacobs as chief executive of DAA, after Jacobs was suspended by the company in December 2025.

Jacobs stepped down as chief executive in February after reaching an agreement to resolve his dispute with the DAA board.

File image of Kenny Jacobs Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

He had taken a High Court action seeking to have his suspension lifted and a disciplinary investigation into allegations made against him halted.

A day before the case was to come before the High Court in February, Jacobs announced that he was “pleased that my dispute with the board of DAA has been resolved, and an agreement reached”.

It had previously been reported that the battle between the DAA board and Jacobs could have resulted in Jacobs receiving an exit package of up to €1.2 million. 

However, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien refused to sign off on this exit package.

Speaking in February, O’Brien said he had been “fully informed” throughout the legal process.

“While as shareholder I was not, in the legal circumstances, required to approve the settlement, the board did keep my officials apprised of developments,” O’Brien said.

“The board was aware of my dissatisfaction with the conciliated quantum and I understand today’s settlement quantum is considerably less,” he added.

In a statement today, O’Brien welcomed Coleman’s appointment.

He said Coleman has a “strong track record of delivery” and that “his leadership made an important contribution to addressing Ireland’s housing needs”.

“I believe his experience and skills will be key in leading DAA in the coming years, in particular to ensuring the longer-term development of Dublin and Cork Airports which are key enablers for Irish economic growth and in supporting jobs,” added O’Brien.

Meanwhile, both O’Brien and Owens thanked Nick Cole, who served as DAA’s deputy CEO in recent months, in addition to his role as CEO of DAA International.