Stansted Airport has announced a series to changes to its senior management team, following the recent appointment of new chief executive Andrew Cowan.

Martin Jones has been appointed commercial director, with responsibility for retail, car parking and business development. He previously held the role of interim retail director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns Stansted, having joined the business from Marks & Spencer in 2015.

Daniel Gallo joins the Stansted team as customer service and sSecurity director, having previously been MAG HR director.

He takes over from Karen Smart who moves to the position of Stansted’s assets management Director responsible for developing the airport’s future infrastructure needs.

Martin Lyall, who previously held the position of assets management director at Stansted, is now the airport’s transformation programme director while James Dix has joined as finance director from the energy group Drax, where he has worked in the United States for three years as senior vice president for finance.

Stansted chief executive Andrew Cowan said: “I am delighted to welcome the new members of our management team that not only strengthen the expertise of the senior leadership team at the airport but allow us to really focus on the key areas of the business: continuing to grow our passenger numbers; transform the airport’s infrastructure; enhance the customer experience; and leverage existing and future commercial opportunities.”

He added: “It’s vital we continue to attract the best talent to Stansted to enable us to successfully deliver our ambitious plans for the airport so I’m delighted welcome the new team members and very much look forward to working together in what promises to be an exciting and successful new chapter for Stansted.”

Mr Cowan became chief executive at Stansted on April 1, having previously been MAG’s chief strategy officer and, before, that, chief operating officer of MAG and managing director of Manchester Airport.

He succeeded Andrew Harrison, who had been managinig director at Stansted since the airport was acquired by MAG in March 2013 and oversaw the bulk of an £80m transfomation of passenger and retail facilities in the main terminal.

Mr Harrison took up the role of chief strategy officer at MAG, taking on responsibilities including spearheading a new function which is tasked with defining the group digital strategy and e-commerce business model.