By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Fiona Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer, Mackin Professional Services.
This week sees new and notable appointments at Mackin Professional Services, DLA Piper, PineBridge Investments and Dillon Eustace.
Fiona Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer
Mackin Professional Services
The Cork-based Mackin Group has appointed a CEO to its newly formed international professional services division as part of a major growth restructure of the company. Fiona Donnelly, who has served as the Group’s Global Chief Operations Officer since 2020, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mackin Professional Services (MPS).
Fiona will lead MPS, which includes recruitment companies Mackin Talent and the newly acquired UK consultancy Greybridge Search & Selection, as well as environment health & safety consultancy Mackin EHS. Meanwhile, Andy Mackin – who founded the enterprise 20 years ago – will lead Roy’s International, the Group’s new property arm featuring the newly acquired Derryhale Hotel in Dundalk and both The Firehouse Inn and MackinGo coworking space in North Carolina.
The Mackin Group employs a team of over 250 dedicated professionals across its seven global offices. It reported a €36 million turnover in 2023, reflecting an increase of almost one hundredfold from €360,000 in the past ten years.
Commenting on her appointment, Fiona Donnelly said: “I am delighted to continue my journey with the Mackin Group, leading the long-standing and successful professional services division, as the company continues to evolve with a new property portfolio.
“We celebrate our 20th anniversary this year and bring all that experience to the fore as we continually seek to deliver the best service across staffing, recruitment and health & safety services. Both the recruitment and health and safety industries are changing rapidly – with evolving legislative, technological and labour trends – and it’s vital to stay ahead of these trends globally.”
Mackin Group was founded in 2004 by Andy Mackin following his retirement at just age 38 from the Navy, where he served for 21 years. Andy Mackin, who now heads up the Mackin’s diverse property portfolio, says Donnelly’s appointment is a big win for the Group.
“Fiona has served as Chief Operations Officer at Mackin Group since January 2020, overseeing Mackin Group’s global Mackin Talent brand, as well as Mackin EHS and Greybridge Search & Selection. We are thrilled that she is now leading this global services division and will continue to bring her skills and her relationship-based leadership to help Mackin Group continue to grow.
Elizabeth Bradley, Partner
DLA Piper
Elizabeth Bradley, Partner, DLA Piper
DLA Piper has announced the appointment of Elizabeth Bradley as partner in the firm’s Finance practice group, based in Dublin. She will join January 2025.
Elizabeth joins from Maples Group Dublin, where she was a partner in the firm’s banking and finance team for over 10 years. Elizabeth focuses on banking and finance law, acting for Irish and global financial institutions across a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions – including real estate financing, acquisition financing, corporate treasury and fund financing. Elizabeth is ranked in legal directories, including Chambers Global, The Legal 500 and IFLR 1000.
Elizabeth will join DLA Piper’s growing team of 115 people in Ireland, which includes 20 partners and 13 legal directors. As the firm reaches its five-year anniversary milestone in Ireland, the business continues to grow significantly across all its practice groups and key sectors.
DLA Piper’s Finance practice group is one of the largest in the world with more than 130 partners and 500 lawyers internationally. Elizabeth’s appointment will further strengthen the capability and profile of the firm’s Irish-based Finance team, which has enjoyed exceptional growth since its inception in 2019.
Colin Wilson, Partner and International Group Head of Finance at DLA Piper said: “Elizabeth’s appointment is a very welcome addition to DLA Piper’s global finance practice. Elizabeth brings significant knowledge and a strong reputation in the market. This appointment will significantly enhance the capabilities of our finance practice, not only in Ireland but internationally.”
Commenting on the appointment, Conor Houlihan, Head of Finance in Ireland added: “We are delighted to welcome Elizabeth to DLA Piper. Her addition to our team will help to accelerate the delivery of our ambitious strategy as we continue to scale in Ireland in support of the needs of our clients. Welcome to DLA Piper, Elizabeth.”
Anna Long, Chief Executive Officer
PineBridge Investments
PineBridge Investments, a private, global asset manager focused on active, high conviction investing, has appointed Anna Long as Chief Executive Officer.
In her new role, Long will be responsible for the Irish business and its future strategic direction. Previously Head of Risk within PineBridge’s Irish business, Long has worked with the firm for nearly two decades and brings a wealth of experience to her new role.
Mick Sweeney, CEO of PineBridge Investments EMEA, said: “The combination of Anna’s experience and extensive expertise makes her the ideal leader for the business going forward.”
Anna Long said: “I am delighted to take on the role of Chief Executive Officer. This is an exciting time for the firm. I look forward to leading our talented team and continuing to build the Irish business.”
Prior to PineBridge, Long spent a number of years at Duff & Phelps, working across regulatory, risk and compliance. Long succeeds Mick Sweeney, who previously held the CEO position at PineBridge Investments Ireland Ltd. Mick Sweeney is the CEO of PineBridge Investments Europe Ltd. and leads the business across the EMEA region.
Karl Manweiler, Director of Innovation and Legal Technology
Dillon Eustace
Pictured (L-R): Donnacha O’Connor, Managing Partner and Karl Manweiler, Director of Innovation & Legal Technology.
Dillon Eustace has announced the appointment of Karl Manweiler as Director of Innovation and Legal Technology. With over 20 years of experience in technology at law firms, multinational corporations and public sector, Karl brings vast knowledge and experience to this role.
Donnacha O’Connor, Managing Partner of Dillon Eustace, commented on the appointment: “I am delighted to welcome Karl to the Dillon Eustace team. Our clients’ needs and expectations are continuously evolving, and the legal industry continues to transform. The Dillon Eustace Legal Technology and Innovation group provides a focal point for innovation in our firm and the delivery of technology-driven solutions for our clients.”
Karl Manweiler said, “I am very pleased to be joining Dillon Eustace at this exciting time for the legal profession. Legal technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, data has grown exponentially, industry regulation has increased, and business has become increasingly globalised. It is now more important than ever to drive innovation to address client challenges in ways that go beyond traditional law firm practices. Our technology solutions will help increase efficiency and solve further legal challenges for our clients.”
