By Business & Finance 
There were new and notable appointments this week at Ipsen Ireland, EssenceMediacom Ireland, Browne Jacobson and Rethink Ireland.
Anna Walsh, HR Director,
Ipsen Ireland
Anna Walsh has been appointed to the position of HR Director for biopharmaceutical company, Ipsen Ireland.
In her new role, Walsh will work alongside the Head of Ipsen’s Blanchardstown site to develop and implement the company’s HR strategy and people-focused initiatives for the Irish market. She will also assist the business in leading, training, developing, and empowering Ipsen’s team of 175 employees in accordance with the company’s existing and evolving competencies, policies, and procedures.
Prior to this role, Walsh worked as Head of HR with Breedon Group plc, an AIM-listed British construction company. Before this, she spent four years as Head of HR with the Beauparc Group, overseeing recruitment, staff retention, succession planning and people management amongst other tasks.
Walsh holds a diploma in Strategic HR Management from the Irish Management Institute in Dublin, a diploma in HR management from the Dublin Business School, as well as a Master of Law from the University of Wroclaw in Poland.
Tim Shanahan, VP Manufacturing & General Manager, Ipsen Ireland commented:
“I am delighted to announce Anna as our new HR Director and am confident of the role she will play in driving the growth and enhancing the success of our HR function to help our employees thrive.”
“Her expertise in the Irish and UK market will benefit our team significantly and I look forward to working with her closely as she progresses the development and implementation of key policies at our Dublin site – policies which will continue to build a more sustainable, diverse, and people-focused culture.”
Commenting on her appointment, Anna Walsh said:
“I am looking forward to starting my new role as HR Director at Ipsen Ireland. After many years working across a variety of sectors, getting the opportunity to work with a thriving company like Ipsen in the pharmaceutical space is a great milestone in my career.”
“Ipsen Ireland is renowned for its pioneering innovation, and I am excited to channel that same innovative focus to benefit our people management and HR functions,” she added.
Kieran Lynch, Account Director,
EssenceMediacom Ireland
EssenceMediacom Ireland, a media planning and buying agency, has appointed Kieran Lynch as Account Director. In his new role, Lynch will play a leading role across a number of agency accounts.
He joins EssenceMediacom Ireland from Carat, where he also served as Account Director. He previously served as Senior Client Manager with Starcom, and as Account Manager with MEC.
Lynch holds a degree in Economics and Business from University College Dublin. He also holds a European Advertising Certificate from the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland.
“I’m delighted to join the extremely talented team at EssenceMediacom,” said Lynch on his appointment. “I look forward to working with the tremendous roster of brands that the agency counts among its clients.”
“I believe EssencMediacom is well positioned to further capitalise on its growth in the market to date and I look forward to helping it on this journey”
Ed Ling, Chief Growth & Operations Officer, EssenceMediacom Ireland said:
“We’re very happy to welcome Kieran to the EssenceMediacom team and I believe he will make a fantastic contribution to the agency. He will play a key role across a number of key accounts including Sky Ireland.”
Darragh Killeen, Partnerr,
Browne Jacobson
Browne Jacobson has grown its partnership in Dublin with the promotion of specialist dispute resolution lawyer Darragh Killeen to the partnership.
Killeen, who joined the firm’s office in Dublin when it opened in June 2022, has particular expertise in handling complex transnational TMT disputes and regulatory investigations. He represents clients across a variety of sectors including, in particular, technology, construction and manufacturing.
The focus of the Dublin office is on providing a market leading integrated end to end TMT practice covering Digital Transformation, Data and IP including disputes and regulatory investigations for international and domestic clients doing business in and through Ireland and the EU.
“Darragh is an outstanding commercial litigator and a great colleague. As a firm, we are committed to investing in our future lawyers, so we are delighted to welcome Darragh to the Browne Jacobson partnership, just a little over a year on from his appointment to the firm,” said Ciarán Markey, Partner, Browne Jacobson.
“Darragh has played an integral role in the development of the Dublin office and will continue to be a key part of our future growth. Darragh is a trusted adviser to our clients and a great advocate of our O’ Shaped commitments and mindset — demonstrating true innovation in the way he works and supports his clients.”
“We are looking forward to seeing him further develop his career with us and I am proud to work alongside him,” he added.
Darragh Killeen commented on his appointment:
“I am proud to have joined the Browne Jacobson partnership and to be working alongside colleagues who are outstanding in their fields.”
“Browne Jacobson has an excellent reputation as a firm for its strong market knowledge and for delivering pragmatic legal advice to an excellent portfolio of clients across our target sectors.”
“I am pleased to work at a firm that have clear strategic ambitions to make a positive, meaningful difference through business and society.”
Killeen’s promotion follows on from the firm appointments of Mike Rebeiro as TMT and Digital Transformation consultant at the end of 2022 and the more recent appointment of specialist Data Privacy partner, Francis Katamba in May 2023.
This is the thirteenth partner promotion announced by the firm this year which took effect from 3 July 2023. It brings the number of partners at the firm, across its seven-office network to 174.
Áine Kerr, Chair of the Board of Directors,
Rethink Ireland
Rethink Ireland has announced the election of Áíne Kerr as Chair of the Board of Directors.
Rethink Ireland also announced the appointment of two new board members, Professor Michael Shevlin of the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities and John Fitzgerald, an expert in People and Organisation.
Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland said: “I am thrilled to welcome the award-winning entrepreneur Áine Kerr as our new chair, and new board members Professor Michael Shevlin, Professor of Inclusive Education at TCD and leader of the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities, and John Fitzgerald, an expert in People and Organisation.”
“All three are trailblazers in their fields bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organisation as together we lead the way to an equal, just and sustainable Ireland. Over the past six years we have created a €95 million social innovation fund for Ireland. In the run up to 2030, we plan to accelerate funding for positive social impact to meet the diverse and growing needs of communities in Ireland.”
She continued: “Critically, we support organisations that are thinking differently, finding new ways to solve urgent problems and putting their ideas into practice.”
“We enable philanthropy to effect positive social change through our venture philanthropy model which combines funds with business supports. The success of this model is clearly evident in the great impact of our Funds as directly experienced in communities.”
Áine Kerr, new Chair of the Board at Rethink Ireland, said:
“I am honoured to be elected chair of the board at Rethink Ireland. Social innovation is an exciting growth area that’s central to positive change and solving immediate issues in our society.”
“It is a privilege to be part of this movement. Rethink Ireland is now 7 years old and developing its Strategic Plan 2024-26 this year. I look forward to contributing to this and leading the Board through the next stage of growth and impact.”
Read More Appointments
Great-West Lifeco, Esri Ireland, FTI Consulting and Cork Society of Chartered Accountants Ireland
