By Business & Finance 
Pictured: L-R Niall Gaffney( Chief Executive), Ian Gleeson (Non Executive Director to Board), John Mulcahy (Chairman)
This week sees new and notable appointments at Royal London Ireland, Edelman Ireland, OptionsCard.ie, Real, Estate and William Fry LLM.
Paul Sutton, Pensions Sales Lead,
Royal London Ireland
Pictured; Paul Sutton, Pensions Sales Lead (Royal London Ireland)
Paul brings extensive expertise as a senior executive and sales leader, with over 36 years of experience driving growth within top-tier international financial services organisations. As the founder of The Trusted Advisor Group, he established an outsourced consultancy for financial advisors that achieved remarkable success, ultimately acquired by Ireland’s largest stockbroking firm. Following this, he was recruited to launch and lead Mercer Strategic Wealth, an innovative retail financial planning channel for Mercer (Ireland).
In recent years, Paul introduced the global platform technology powerhouse FNZ to the Irish market, further demonstrating his strategic acumen and depth in business development, sales growth, marketing, and M&A activities. Known for his vision, leadership, and ability to cultivate high-performing teams, Paul’s expertise in coaching, mentoring, and relationship-building at all levels—coupled with his board and executive leadership team (ELT) experience—make him an invaluable addition to Royal London Ireland, where his insights continue to drive growth and innovation.
Paul Sutton, Pensions Sales Lead, said:
“This is a very exciting move for me. I look forward to working closely with the Royal London Ireland team and our valued Financial Brokers. My ambition is to drive business growth while strengthening and expanding the support base and adviser proposition in the market. My past experience working with, and for, brokers has allowed me to see first hand the challenges faced by advisory businesses. It is my intention to help brokers overcome these challenges and to identify and capitalise on the opportunities that present themselves.”
Daragh Rea, CEO & General Manager
Edelman Ireland
Pictured; Daragh Rea, CEO & General Manager (Edelman Ireland)
Darragh, previously Managing Director of Brand, Digital & Creative, will oversee Edelman’s Ireland business, based in Dublin, following Joe Carmody’s recent appointment as Chief Operating Officer in Edelman UK. Darragh assumes this new position effective immediately, reporting to Jon Hughes, EMEA Chief Operating Officer.
Since joining Edelman Ireland in 2013, Darragh has built highly successful teams integrating strategy, creative, and digital, and delivering award-winning campaigns for clients including Xylem, SSE, Coca-Cola, Promise Gluten Free, Deep RiverRock, Jacobs, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, Unilever, and Mars. Darragh has held multiple leadership roles supporting the company’s growth, including serving as Interim MD of Brand in Amsterdam.
Outside of Edelman, Darragh has been a long-standing judge of the All-Ireland Marketing Awards, the Effie Awards, and the IAPI Female Futures Fund. He also served as an Independent Director of Triathlon Ireland for eight years and is a former Council Member of the Marketing Society of Ireland.
Daragh Read, CEO & General Manager, said:
“It’s an honour to lead Edelman Ireland into its next chapter. We’ve built something exceptional here, strengthening our expertise in the market while expanding our global reach through the wider Edelman network. The opportunities ahead are boundless, and I’m incredibly excited to lead such a talented and genuinely wonderful team.”
Joris Rosmolen, General Manager
OptionsCard.ie
Pictured- Joris Rosmolen, General Manager (OptionsCard.ie)
Joris brings 20 years of experience in consumer loyalty, employee motivation, and the rewards industry to OptionsCard.ie. Most recently, as Manager Enterprise – Major Accounts at Apple, Joris led the team responsible for launching the Apple Gift Card across Europe. At OptionsCard.ie, he will leverage his extensive expertise and proven success in driving sales growth, building client and brand partnerships, and developing high-performance teams.
Commenting on the appointment, Jonathan Grey, CEO of OptionsCard.ie, stated, “Joris’ appointment marks another significant step forward for OptionsCard.ie and our customers. Since our launch last year, we have seen extremely positive uptake from businesses in Ireland seeking a more flexible reward programme. Joris’ strategic vision and leadership skills will make him an invaluable addition as we grow our base with world-class digital employee reward offerings and continue to deliver exceptional results for our customers.”
Joris Rosmolen, General Manager, said:
“I’m excited to join Jonathan and the OptionsCard.ie team in delivering an excellent gifting experience that both consumers and businesses in Ireland can trust. With its transparency, no fees and flexible options for both employees and employers, I’m looking forward to instilling my expertise and providing our customers with even more value. My role involves working closely with and educating businesses on the importance of reward programmes and how they are integral to employee retention.”
Ian Gleeson, Non Executive Director to their Board,
IPUT Real Estate Dublin
With a career spanning over 30 years, Ian brings a deep knowledge of real estate markets globally across multiple sectors and strategies. He has held several senior leadership roles, including CIO Private Real Estate for CBRE Real Estate Investment Management and prior to that CEO and CIO of CBRE Global Investment Partners (CBRE GIP), where he oversaw the evolution and significant growth of that business. Prior to CBRE GIP, Ian held a number of senior roles including at Aviva Investors, where he led the development of international indirect property services, and at Ireland’s National Treasury Management Agency, leading the property investment strategy for the National Pensions Reserve Fund. In 2022, Ian established Torc Advisory to provide independent advisory services to real estate managers and investors. He has served on numerous boards and investment committees throughout his career and has been an active member of INREV including serving on its Management Board and chairing the Investor platform.
John Mulcahy, Chairman, IPUT Real Estate, said:
“Ian brings 30 years of experience in the Irish and international real estate markets to our Board. His expertise and insights will be invaluable as we continue to build on our position as the largest owner of offices and logistics assets in Dublin. Our commitment is to deliver market-leading through-the-cycle returns for our investors and position IPUT as the vehicle of choice for international capital investing in Dublin. We are excited to have Ian join the Board as we continue to deliver on that objective.”
Stephen Keogh, Managing Partner
William Fry LLM
Pictured- Stephen Keogh, Managing Partner (William Fry LLM)
Stephen trained in William Fry and was appointed a partner in 2005. He spent five years abroad as head of the firm’s London office and following his return to Dublin has headed the Corporate / M&A Department since 2020. Stephen is a recognised specialist in the Irish M&A market, advising William Fry clients on two out of the four largest M&A deals in Ireland so far this year.
Stephen Keogh, Managing Partner said:
“I am delighted to have been elected by my partners to the role of Managing Partner. I look forward to working with them, with our teams of talented lawyers and business support professionals and with our clients as we continue to deliver the best results for clients. I would like to thank Owen O’Sullivan for his hard work and dedication to the firm during his time at the helm. Under his guidance we have achieved continued growth and adapted to change with an unwavering commitment to excellence and success.”
Read More:
