Airlines Confidential · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Frontier Airlines CEO Jimmy Dempsey shared that he did not initially pursue a career in aviation, instead becoming a chartered accountant in Ireland. He entered the industry after taking a role in investor relations, finding the dynamic environment at Ryanair particularly engaging.
“Um, how did I get into the industry? Um, I, I really fell into it.”
“I became a chartered accountant in Ireland, which is one of the paths that you would follow, uh, as a, as a student and progressing your professional career in Ireland.”
“And I ended up in Price Waterhouse Cooper's. And I was pretty bored. Uh, quite frankly.”
“And I stayed there for nearly 11 years and really enjoyed it and learned a hell of a lot in the industry.”