John McMahon, Managing Director of M.J. McMahon & Company, Adjunct Professor at the University of Limerick, and one of Ireland's most experienced aviation finance and leasing executives, has been confirmed as a member of the judging panel for the Aviation Industry Awards 2026, bringing a career spanning civil engineering, aircraft leasing, and international aviation finance to Ireland's benchmark programme for aviation excellence and innovation.

McMahon's track record in commercial aviation is substantial. In 2006, he partnered with GECAS to launch Genesis Lease, took the company public on the New York Stock Exchange, and served as Chairman and CEO until its merger with AerCap in 2010.

He previously held senior roles at Lloyds Bank and a number of aircraft leasing companies that now form part of AerCap, including debis AirFinance, GECAS, and GPA, giving him a command of the aircraft leasing sector that extends across its most formative decades.

He currently serves on the boards of Aerlytix, Genesis, and several aviation ABS platforms, and previously served as senior independent director of Wizz Air and chairman of BNP Paribas Ireland, a governance portfolio that reflects the breadth and seniority of his engagement with the aviation industry at international level.

His academic formation spans multiple disciplines and institutions. A civil engineer by training from the University of Galway, McMahon holds further qualifications from Trinity College Dublin, ACCA, Harvard Business School, and MIT, credentials that reflect a career defined by intellectual range as much as sector expertise. His current role as Adjunct Professor at the University of Limerick underscores a continuing commitment to aviation education and workforce development.

The Aviation Industry Awards, launched in 2014, spans 25 categories from Aviation Company of the Year and airport management to aviation innovation, airline safety, aviation technology, and Aviation Rising Star.

McMahon joins fellow panellists Adam Bouchard of Nashville International Airport, John Drysdale of Annadale Aviation, Samantha Harding of SILC, Aidan Flanagan of ACI EUROPE, Kieran O'Brien of KPMG Ireland, Dr Kyriakos Kourousis of the University of Limerick, and Michael Treacy of Enterprise Ireland.

The awards gala will take place on 3 December 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin Airport.

Visit the official Aviation Industry Awards website to explore the categories and subscribe to the newsletter for the latest awards and event updates.