By Business & Finance 
Pictured (from L-R): Marie Hunt, IPUT and Ray Crowley, Chair of The Urban Land Institute National Council
This week sees new and notable appointments at The Urban Land Institute National Council, Ergo, Beauchamps, Orbitus and Fidelity Investments Ireland.
Ray Crowley, Chair
The Urban Land Institute Ireland National Council
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Europe has appointed Ray Crowley, Director, BCP Capital, as the next chair of the ULI Ireland National Council. He will serve on a voluntary basis for the next two years, which commenced on 1 July 2025.
He succeeds Marie Hunt of IPUT following the successful completion of her two-year term as chair. Under Marie’s leadership ULI Ireland has fostered greater collaboration with public bodies and grown ULI Ireland Corporate membership.
Ray has been a member of ULI since 2007 and of the ULI Ireland Executive Committee since 2013. He is also a member of the ULI Europe Operational Real Estate Product Council. He brings extensive leadership experience in real estate having worked across direct real estate, listed real estate, sustainability consulting and public policy in Ireland, the UK and United States.
Outgoing chair Marie Hunt welcomed her successor’s appointment: “It has been a real privilege to lead ULI in Ireland, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for their collaboration, contribution and support over the last two years. I am pleased to welcome Ray as my successor, and am certain that under his leadership, ULI will continue to flourish in Ireland, delivering a programme with the highest levels of excellence to our members.”
Ray Crowley, Director, BCP Capital commented: “I am humbled to be appointed as chair of the Urban Land Institute in Ireland for the next two years following Marie’s highly successful tenure.
“ULI’s mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. During my tenure as chairperson, I will work closely with the executive committee to explore the themes of urban regeneration, the delivery of large-scale mixed tenure housing on public land and how to broaden the mix of domestic and international core long term capital active in Ireland’s real estate economy. I feel the intersection of these themes sits at the heart of many of the challenges we face in Ireland today”.
Sean McAvinue, Head of AI
Ergo
Sean McAvinue, Head of AI, Ergo
Ergo, the IT solutions provider, has appointed Sean McAvinue as Head of AI. McAvinue will lead the growing AI practice in Ergo, driving the integration of AI into the company’s wider IT solutions for clients, enhancing experiences, while positioning AI as a key catalyst for growth and innovation across the organisation. His focus will be on practical and results-driven applications of AI that address real business challenges and generate measurable value to customers.
Sean brings 14 years of evolving experience at Ergo to his new role. Joining the company as a graduate IT Engineer, he has built a distinguished career, most recently leading Ergo’s Modern Workplace Practice. Under his leadership, the practice has grown in scale and impact, contributing to Ergo being named Microsoft Partner of the Year in Ireland on six occasions and earning recognition across international markets for its expertise in Merger and Acquisition Integration. Sean himself has also been honoured as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Microsoft 365 on five occasions.
Speaking on the appointment, CEO of Ergo, Paul McCann, said: “Sean’s appointment marks an exciting chapter for Ergo and our clients. His technical expertise, combined with his deep understanding of customer needs, makes him the perfect choice to lead our AI strategy. We are committed to helping Irish businesses harness AI to drive efficiency, innovation, and growth, and Sean will be at the forefront of continuing these transformations.
Commenting on his new role as Head of AI, Sean McAvinue said: “I look forward to taking on this role at such a pivotal moment for technology. Having grown my own career at Ergo for over a decade and delivering AI readiness and adoption projects for clients as Modern Workplace Practice Lead, I have seen firsthand how innovation can reshape an organisation’s operations. AI now offers us the next great leap forward, and my focus will be on turning its potential into accessible and practical solutions for our clients. I’m excited to collaborate with our talented teams to deliver AI solutions that make a real difference for the businesses we support.”
Peter Curran and Darragh Blake, Senior Partners
Beauchamps
Pictured (l-r): Peter Curran, Partner, Projects, Infrastructure & Energy; John White, Managing Partner, Beauchamps LLP and Darragh Blake, Partner, Banking & Finance.
Beauchamps LLP has appointed Peter Curran and Darragh Blake as senior partners, further strengthening the firm’s expertise in projects, procurement, infrastructure, energy and banking & finance. Both join from Eversheds Sutherland. These strategic appointments come at a pivotal time for Ireland’s development, coinciding with the recent launch of the revised National Development Plan and following Beauchamps’ flagship housing conference, Momentum Matters I Accelerate 2025, at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.
Peter Curran – Projects, Infrastructure & Energy
Peter Curran was head of the all-island Projects and Procurement group at Eversheds
Sutherland. A commercial lawyer with over 25 years’ experience, Peter has advised on some of the most significant procurement, infrastructure and government-backed projects in Ireland and internationally.
Darragh Blake – Banking & Finance
Darragh Blake, also formerly with Eversheds Sutherland, brings extensive expertise in property, development finance, acquisition finance, project finance – including the energy sector, infrastructure, structured finance and syndicated lending. He is recognised by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a leading individual in Banking & Finance.
Commenting on the appointments, Managing Partner John White said: “We are thrilled to welcome Peter and Darragh to Beauchamps at such an important moment for Ireland’s economy and society. Their arrival reflects our commitment to being at the forefront of Ireland’s most important housing, infrastructure and energy projects and the associated financing. With their expertise, we are exceptionally well placed to help our clients, including Government, lenders, AHBs, developers and investors – deliver the housing, infrastructure and energy solutions that will shape Ireland’s future.”
Jennifer O’Brien, Head of HR
Orbitus
Jennifer O’Brien, Head of HR, Orbitus
Irish legal and tax advisory firm Orbitus has appointed Jennifer O’Brien to head its newly established HR division.
Jennifer brings more than 10 years’ senior-level experience in HR management and leadership. In her new role as Head of HR, Jennifer O’Brien will provide companies and employers nationwide with specialist HR services and support. She will work closely with Orbitus’ legal and tax teams to offer integrated guidance, ensuring client HR processes are aligned with relevant legal, tax, and compliance requirements.
This latest development reflects the continued momentum behind Orbitus’ ambitious growth strategy. The firm recently relocated to a new state-of-the-art office space in Tralee – a significantly expanded facility designed to support its increasing operational needs and growing team, alongside its Cork headquarters. From its origins, Orbitus has evolved into a thriving business employing over 30 professionals with significant plans to grow its headcount over the next 12 – 24 months. The launch of the new HR division is another step in building out Orbitus’ comprehensive advisory platform as the firm scales to meet rising client demand.
Commenting on the appointment, Ben Hardy, Partner & Head of Commercial at Orbitus, said: “We are pleased to welcome Jennifer as Head of our new HR division. Jennifer brings a wealth of experience in corporate HR leadership and recruitment expertise, having developed people strategies across multiple sectors for more than 10 years. Her experience in shaping organisational culture, implementing HR systems, and supporting talent development will be invaluable as we establish this new service within Orbitus. Jennifer is ideally placed to lead the division, ensuring that our clients receive practical, informed, and effective HR support alongside our legal and tax advisory services. We warmly welcome Jennifer to the Orbitus team and look forward to working with her as we develop this new division”.
Lorna Martyn, Head of Corporate Services Technology
Fidelity Investments Ireland
Pictured: Lorna Martyn, Head of Corporate Services Technology Fidelity Investments Ireland
Fidelity Investments Ireland (Fidelity Ireland), part of the privately held asset manager with $16.4 trillion of assets under management that employs more than 78,000 associates globally, has announced three senior leadership appointments in Ireland. Marking both continuity and change, the appointments highlight the career development and advancement opportunities within Fidelity Ireland where the company employs approximately 2,000 people.
Fidelity Ireland has today announced the promotion of current Ireland Site Lead, Lorna Martyn, to Head of Corporate Services Technology, which is an Enterprise CIO role within Fidelity Investments. John Ruane, who has been with Fidelity since 2009 and is currently VP, Operations and Services Group, takes up the Ireland Site Lead role succeeding Lorna Martyn. Sharon Walsh, SVP, Technology Management, who joined Fidelity in 1997, will take up a new role as Ireland Regional Leader, alongside Louise Crosbie, Ireland Regional Leader & VP, Finance.
Fidelity Investments first established a presence in Ireland in 1996. Since then, the company’s presence in Ireland has evolved significantly and Ireland is now a key hub for innovation and delivery of essential technology operations and support services across the entire group. Fidelity Ireland employs approximately 2,000 associates at locations in Dublin and Galway and is recognised as one of Ireland’s Best Employers by Sunday Independent, a STEM Employer of the Year, Investors in Diversity Gold, and a LinkedIn Top Company.
Speaking about the appointments today, Lorna Martyn, said: “Career growth means always being open to change and in Fidelity Ireland – whether you are a new member of the team or a long-term member like me, our organisation offers huge scope for innovation and change. This duality of continuity and change is a key factor in our innovation culture and is among the reasons we have been so successful in steadily growing the scale of the business here in Ireland and around the globe. In my new role, continuing to be based out of Galway, I look forward to strengthening Ireland’s connection across the firm.”
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