By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Ciara Foxton, Managing Director of Circle K Ireland
This week sees new and notable appointments at: Circle K Ireland, Niaron Ltd. and Kin + Carta
Ciara Foxton, Managing Director,
Circle K Ireland
Circle K Ireland is announcing the appointment of Ciara Foxton as its new Managing Director. She will take over from existing Managing Director Gordon Lawlor who will be taking up the role of Managing Director of Circle K Norway. Ciara will assume her new position at the beginning of next year 2024, and will be responsible for leading the business in Ireland. Ciara Foxton has amassed a wealth of experience across her career particularly in the retail sector. She has worked for Circle K since 2018 and currently serves as Director of Finance & Real Estate. Her previous roles include Senior Finance roles at Life Style Sports, Arnotts, Kefron, and Diageo.
Ciara Foxton, Managing Director at Circle K Ireland said: “I am honoured to be appointed Managing Director of Circle K Ireland and to lead our business of almost 2,500 team members. Our business is in a really strong position, and I am excited to build on the progress made in recent years, and further elevate Circle K’s standing as Ireland’s leading forecourt and convenience retailer. We will do this by continuing to meet the needs of our customers and the communities we serve across Ireland. With over 400 sites across the Island of Ireland and nine standalone convenience and food stores in city centre locations, we are better equipped than anyone else to do this. The forecourt and convenience retail sector has evolved significantly in recent years and Circle K has been at the heart of this both locally here in Ireland and globally. It is important we continue to innovate and meet the changing needs of our customers. This means continuing to evolve our already strong offer across food, coffee, convenience, and fuel, with additional focus on progressing critical areas such as EV charging facilities, and sustainable and alternative fuel initiatives such as HVO and CNG.”
Current Circle K Ireland managing director Gordon Lawlor will commence his new position in Oslo, Norway at the beginning of next year. He has successfully led the growth of Circle K in Ireland since August 2019, having previously held the role of Fuels Director in Ireland. He will now lead what is a strategically important market for Circle K globally as Norway continues to lead the rest of the world in the electrification of vehicles, while also serving as Circle K’s global hub for its E-Mobility capabilities.
Colin Cleary, Managing Director,
Niaron Ltd
Niaron Ltd – the Irish-owned construction and civil engineering group, with offices in Limerick and Dublin, has announced the appointment of Colin Cleary as Managing Director. Niaron Ltd is an Irish construction and civil engineering firm that targets further progress, growth and development in the construction, utilities and energy sectors.
Founded by brothers Niall and Ronan Keane, Niaron Ltd. is a highly accomplished Irish family-owned construction and civil engineering company employing 80 people specialising in a range of services, including civil engineering, construction, marine projects, power generation, utilities, traffic management and transportation services. The company has extensive operations and resources nationwide. With a commitment to excellence and a track record of successful delivery of projects, Niaron has established itself as a trusted partner both for semi-state bodies and private companies across multiple industries, programmes and projects. The company has established a strong reputation for its capability to deliver high-quality results for industry-leading clients including complex state infrastructure and mission-critical projects.
From Knockerra, Killimer, Co. Clare, Colin Cleary has held senior management and operational roles in Ireland and the UK, successfully leading the delivery of heavy infrastructure, motorway, marine, pharmaceutical, energy, mechanical and electrical projects. He is a Fellow Chartered Engineer of Engineers Ireland holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Law from Trinity College Dublin, and a Diploma in Engineering from Technological University Dublin.
Niall and Ronan Keane Co-founders and Directors of Niaron Ltd said: “We warmly welcome Colin as Managing Director as we target further growth and development and look forward to continuing success for our high-performance team of people, in partnership with our valued clients. Colin will leverage his strong leadership qualities, supporting continuous development in the skills of our people and our organisational and operational resources as we meet evolving industry trends for ongoing success. We strive for excellence and innovation across every aspect of our organisation and operations. This strategic appointment marks our ongoing commitment to providing top-tier construction and civil engineering services where we have built our company on the values of reliability, dependability, and responsiveness, and we’ve seen this reflected in the trust that our clients place in us. Colin’s extensive experience and skills align seamlessly with our company’s goals and, we’re looking forward to building further on the solid foundations for growth that we’ve already established.”
Colin Cleary, Managing Director of Niaron Ltd. said: “I’m delighted to join an outstanding team of multi-skilled people where Niaron has a long-established reputation for the delivery of excellent services together with a commitment to quality, reliability and client satisfaction, while setting remarkable standards in our industry. Building on these foundations, we will continue to develop our organisational and operational capabilities, meeting the needs of our clients and supporting their programmes and projects to success, based on the solutions we can offer and the enduring partnerships that we will continue to foster with the industries and clients who we serve.”
Nick Curran, Director of Business Development,
Kin + Carta
Nick Curran has been appointed as Director of Business Development at Kin + Carta, a digital transformation consultancy company. Joining Kin + Carta following a nine-year tenure at Endava, Curran steps into a similar role with Kin + Carta, tasked with ambitious expansion into new geographies, finding, creating, and converting demand for the digital transformation consultancy’s services within the largest and most ambitious financial services organisations globally.
During his time at Endava, Curran played an integral role in growing the software development business from 1,500 people when he started to more than 12,000 by the time of his departure. He also opened new geographies and drove strategic relationships with some of the world’s largest Tier 1 Retail/ Investment Banking, payments, and insurance organisations. Reporting to Adam Grant-Jones, Chief Growth Officer (Europe), Curran’s proven track record of creating and winning eight-figure engagements, his deep expertise in financial services, and his experience opening new markets from scratch makes this appointment a core feature of Kin + Carta’s growth ambitions.
Nick Curran, Director of Business Development of Kin + Carta, said: “There is some incredible talent and ambition across the organisation, which is largely responsible for the reputation Kin + Carta has already built supporting some of the world’s leading financial services companies, such as their work with Santander. Already displaying leadership across several domains, including Data and AI, and working with partners such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to help banking, payments, and wealth organisations achieve their cloud ambitions, the business is well placed to continue to make a significant impact on the sector.”
Adam Grant-Jones, Chief Growth Officer, Kin + Carta, said: “Financial services is our largest vertical globally. We’ve seen excellent growth of key clients, some by over 150%, and are continuing to win new business despite volatility in the market. Additionally, the acquisition of Forecast Data this year drove further growth and cemented our position as Data, AI, and App Dev experts in this space. Nick’s joining will capitalise on and accelerate this success. His proven track record of creating and converting substantial, interesting, and valuable work with leading institutions will ensure Kin + Carta continues to partner with the largest, most ambitious companies in banking, wealth, insurance, and payments.”
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