Laura Byrnes

Laura has spent 23+ years partnering global businesses to provide strategic legal advice to drive deals and manage risk for IP and technology focused companies and transactions across EMEA, the US and APAC.

Having spent her earlier career living and working in Europe, the Middle East and the US, for the last 10 year+, Laura had been based in Asia where most recently, she established and lead the Legal, Compliance, Regulatory and Policy functions, as well as heading up` Business Development and co-leading on Sustainability, for BBC Studios across APAC.  She is experienced at managing large teams and is a seasoned Board Member, Company Director and member of JV/Partnership Management Committees.

Laura brings a deep understanding of transactional and stakeholder management to the SkiesFifty Team.  

As General Counsel & COO, Laura is responsible for the day to day operations of the SkiesFifty business, the establishment and structuring of the fund, onboarding and management of investors, driving target acquisitions and exits and providing ongoing strategic and risk management advice for the fund and its investments.

Why is sustainability in aviation so important to you?

Having experienced the debilitating impact that limitations on air travel had on our personal lives and economic and cultural development during covid, the importance of a sustainable future for the aviation industry has never been more apparent or important.     

What excites you about the SkiesFifty mission?

Working with leaders in aviation, sustainability, and investment to provide the aviation industry with an opportunity and vehicle to individually reward those who invest in the industry’s future. The flexibility to invest in multiple asset classes and across the aviation supply chain to accelerate the creation and development of sustainable solutions for the industry.  

How do you balance life with work?  

I have always got a lot of energy and perspective from playing sports and being part of teams, so I try to either start or end each day with some form of sport, be it old favourites like tennis, bootcamp, netball and squash, or trying new sports like horse-riding, or the continued battle to find enough time to improve my golf.  I also have three young children – which is always a pretty grounding experience!  

What is on your Spotify playlist right now?

I’d like to have a cool and alternative answer here, but if I’m honest, having recently taken my eldest daughter to her first concert – it’s all about “Tay Tay” (Taylor Swift, for the uninitiated) in our house at the moment!

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