By Business & Finance 
Business & Finance has released its 2026 annual CEO 100 Index, recognising the leading chief executives in Ireland today.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Tom Donnellan, CEO
BnM
Tom Donnellan has served as CEO of BnM since 2017. He began his career in 1989 as a Project Manager at Apple, before taking on senior roles including European Materials Director at Samsung Electronics, Chief Operating Officer at Packard Bell, and Vice President of Worldwide Operations. A graduate of CEDEP, Donnellan brings decades of global leadership experience in operations and strategy to his role at BnM.
John Donohoe, Founder & Group CEO
Carne Group
John Donohoe is the Founder & Group CEO of Carne Group and has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Carne works with more than 650 clients – from boutique fund managers to global institutional investors – supporting funds distributed in over 160 countries and overseeing more than $2 trillion in assets under management.
Alongside his work at Carne, Donohoe sits on and chairs the boards of some of the largest and most complex mutual and hedge funds. Prior to establishing Carne, he was a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank for 12 years, serving as an executive/non-executive director on various Deutsche Bank boards and rising to become CEO of Europe, Asia and offshore. In 2011, Donohoe co-founded Funds Congress, which is now the largest complementary asset management conference in the world. He is a recognised industry expert and a regular speaker at international industry conferences.
Catherine Doyle, General Manager
Microsoft Ireland
Catherine Doyle joined Microsoft Ireland as General Manager in July 2024, where she leads the sales, marketing, and services business across Ireland. In her new role, she is focused on driving digital transformation for both public and private sector organisations, leveraging innovative technologies such as AI and cloud computing to help improve efficiency and success. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, Doyle has held various senior roles within the technology industry.
She served as Managing Director for Dell Technologies, overseeing the commercial and enterprise businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Her tenure at Dell Technologies was marked by significant contributions to the company’s growth and market share, particularly in the EMEA Software Sales Division and the Strategic Outsourcers team. Doyle is a graduate of the University of Westminster and the Cranfield School of Management.
Eric Eichmann, CEO
ESW
Eric Eichmann is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in technology and e-commerce. He currently serves as the CEO of ESW, a global e-commerce provider, a position he assumed in July 2023. Prior to joining ESW, Eichmann held various leadership roles, including CEO of Spark Networks, an online dating company, and CEO of Criteo, a commerce marketing firm.
His extensive career also includes stints as Chief Operating Officer at Living Social, Chief Operating Officer at Rosetta Stone, Senior Vice President of Ad Operations and Technology at AOL and a Senior Manager at McKinsey & Co. Throughout his career, Eichmann has demonstrated a strong ability to drive growth, innovation and operational excellence, making him a respected figure in the e-commerce and technology industries.
Conor Galvin, Chief Executive Officer
Ornua
Conor Galvin is the CEO of Ornua, a Dublin-headquartered Irish dairy cooperative. Galvin has a deep knowledge of the dairy sector and extensive senior executive experience. He has previously served as CEO of Dairygold Co-operative Society since January 2022, and has worked at Dairygold since 2014, holding various senior leadership roles.
Prior to joining Dairygold, Galvin was finance director with DCC’s food and beverage division and country finance manager with Procter & Gamble in Ireland. Originally from a farming background, Galvin is a science graduate from University College Dublin and holds an MBA from the Smurfit Business School.
Stephen Garvey, Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Glenveagh Properties PLC
Stephen Garvey was appointed chief executive officer in August 2019. Garvey is responsible for delivering on Glenveagh’s vision to create Ireland’s leading and most sustainable homebuilder. He has over 20 years’ experience in the construction and property industry in Ireland.
Prior to founding his own successful residential development business, Bridgedale Homes, Garvey worked with a number of Ireland’s largest property developers. From 2014 to 2017, he advised and managed the acquisition of Irish residential development opportunities on behalf of TIO RLF. A co-founder of Glenveagh, Garvey had led the growth and development of Glenveagh since the IPO.
Angelo Gatto, CEO
Chanelle Pharma
Angelo Gatto became CEO of Chanelle Pharma in August 2024. Founded in 1985, Chanelle Pharma is Ireland’s largest manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals for human and animal health. Previous to his CEO role, Gatto was the owner of Gatto Management, a strategy and management consultancy firm. Gatto holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Open University and a Master of Science from the Sapienza Università di Roma.
John Goulding, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Workvivo
John Goulding is CEO and co-founder of Workvivo, the employee experience platform built around employee communications and engagement. In April, Workvivo was acquired by Zoom, becoming the digital employee experience business unit led by Goulding. Goulding founded Workvivo along with his co-founder and CTO Joe Lennon in 2017 with a mission to elevate the digital employee experience.
Workvivo now works with some of the biggest global brands on the planet, becoming a digital heart for the organisation, boosting retention and bringing their workplace culture to life digitally. Goulding was previously CEO of CoreHR, a global leader in the HCM space, and Senior Director of Global Support in Dell-EMC.
Jason Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer
Carbery Group
Since January 2018, Jason Hawkins has been the Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Carbery Group, a leading international manufacturer of nutritional ingredients, flavours and an award-winning cheese producer.
Hawkins’s previous role was Chief Operating Officer with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), where he had responsibility for the organisation’s global ingredients business. DFA is a leading global dairy co-operative, based in Kansas, USA.
Prior to DFA, Hawkins had a long and distinguished career with Kerry Group, which he joined as a graduate accountant in 1999, after completing his business degree at the Institute of Technology Tralee.
Hawkins is a qualified accountant with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Paddy Hayes, Chief Executive Officer
ESB Networks
Paddy Hayes is the Chief Executive of ESB, a leading Irish electricity company. ESB is investing in technologies, infrastructure and services to support customers and communities to achieve net zero through clean electricity.
Before he was appointed as Chief Executive in 2021, Hayes headed up two of ESB’s main operating divisions, as Executive Director of ESB’s Generation & Wholesale Markets business and then as Managing Director of ESB Networks. A chartered engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Chair of the Open Doors Initiative.
Margaret Heffernan, Chief Executive Officer
Dunnes Stores
Margaret Heffernan is the CEO of Dunnes Stores. In 1956, Heffernan left school and started working at Dunnes Clothing Shop, her family business, at the age of 14. In 1988, Heffernan founded the People In Need Trust. Since its founding, the trust has raised millions of euros in support of local charity work.
Her charity work has earned her the City of Dublin’s Millennium Award in 1988 as well as the Lord Mayor’s Award in 1989. She became the director of the store in 1964. By 1995, Heffernan was appointed as head of all of the Dunnes Stores. In 2007, Heffernan was given an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the National University of Ireland. She also received an honorary degree from University College Dublin.
Paul Henderson, Chief Executive Officer
DMG Media
Paul Henderson has been the Chief Executive Officer of dmg media Ireland since 2008, driving consistent revenue and profit growth each year.
Under his leadership, dmg media has become a leading publisher in this market, boasting a vast digital network of Ireland’s most popular media brands and reaching over 3.6 million adults monthly, including Digital consumer brands such as EVOKE and Extra.ie. Parenting websites RollerCoaster and everymum, which reach 75% of mothers in Ireland.
Print titles Irish Daily Mail and The Irish Mail on Sunday. In the B2B sector, it publishes Business Plus Magazine and its more recently created online offering BusinessPlus.ie.
Henderson is a Chartered member of the Institute of Directors. He holds a BA in Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Ireland and a Graduate Diploma in Business Finance from the Irish Management Institute.
Tom Hickey, Managing Director
Kenmare Resources
Tom Hickey has been the Managing Director of Kenmare since 2024. Prior to his role, Hickey worked as a non-executive director at VorTech Water Solutions, urfurnish.com, Teamwork and United Oil & Gas. Hickey has 25 years of experience as an executive, adviser and Board Member (exec and non exec) in a variety of public and private businesses primarily focused on natural resources and growth equity. He also has extensive international oil and gas exploration, development and production, financing and M&A experience.
Neil Hosty, Chief Executive Officer
Fexco
Neil Hosty was appointed CEO of Fexco Group, a pioneer and a leader in innovative fintech solutions, in January 2022. He is responsible for driving Fexco’s technology and innovation-led growth agenda across its core business areas of Fintech, Payments and Business Solutions and into new sectors such as sustainability.
Devan Hughes, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Buymie
Devan Hughes is CEO & Co-Founder of buymie, the same-day, big-basket grocery delivery provider. By using local personal shoppers who pick from local stores, the buymie grocery delivery service has been delighting time-poor customers in Ireland and the UK since its launch in 2016.
buymie employs 70 employees across its Dublin, London and Armenian offices and boasts a network of circa 400 personal shoppers nationwide. In 2022, Buymie was acquired by Ireland’s largest retailer, Dunnes Stores, a long-term retail partner of Buymie. Following this acquisition, Hughes took on the additional role of Chief Digital Officer of the Dunnes Stores Group, alongside his role as CEO of Buymie.
Harry Hughes, Chief Executive Officer
Portwest
Harry Hughes is CEO of Portwest, a world-leading protective wear company owned and operated by brothers Cathal, Harry and Owen Hughes. Hughes studied and worked for seven years in the UK and then returned to the family business in 1978. Hughes won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year international category and the overall award in 2017.
Colin Hunt, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director
AIB Group Plc
In March 2019, Colin Hunt was appointed Chief Executive Officer of AIB and an Executive Director on the AIB Board. He joined AIB in August 2016 as Managing Director, Wholesale, Institutional & Corporate Banking Division, and immediately became a member of the executive committee. Prior to joining AIB, he was Managing Director at Macquarie Capital, where he led the development of its business in Ireland.
Previously, he was a Special Policy Adviser at the Departments of Transport and Finance, Research Director and Chief Economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers, Head of Trading Research and Senior Economist at Bank of Ireland Group Treasury and a country risk analyst at NatWest. Hunt has a PhD in Economics from Trinity College, Dublin and degrees in Commerce & Economics from University College, Cork. He served as a Non-Executive Director of Aer Lingus Group plc from 2008 to 2014. Hunt is also a Director of the Ireland Funds, Ireland Chapter.
Imelda Hurley, CEO
Coillte
Imelda Hurley is the CEO of Coillte, Ireland’s state forestry company, which is responsible for managing 440,000 hectares of primarily forested lands. Coillte is the nation’s largest forester and producer of certified wood, a natural, renewable, and sustainable resource.
Hurley is also a non-executive director and past President of Ibec, and a non-executive director of Dole plc. In addition, she is a patron of Chapter Zero Ireland, a community of non-executive directors that lead Irish boardroom discussions on the impacts of climate change. Hurley has extensive executive and non-executive experience in public companies, state-owned, private equity and venture capital-backed businesses
Hurley is a graduate of the University of Limerick, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and an alumna of Harvard Business School.
Peter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer
Flutter Entertainment plc
Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer, Peter Jackson was Chief Executive Officer of Worldpay UK, an operating division of Worldpay Group plc. He was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Travelex Group. Jackson then joined Banco Santander as Head of Global Innovation and was a Director of Santander UK Group Holdings plc. Jackson’s previous experience includes senior positions at Lloyds and Halifax Bank of Scotland, as well as time at McKinsey & Company. He holds an MEng degree and is a Non-Executive Director of Deliveroo plc.
Antony Jancic, Chief Executive Officer & Country Executive for Ireland
Bank of America Europe DAC
Antony Jancic is CEO of Bank of America Europe DAC and Country Executive for Ireland. With over 30 years of international banking experience, he has held senior leadership roles across credit risk, corporate and investment banking, and strategic growth. He serves on Bank of America’s International Management Committee and is a Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland.
Mark Jordan, Chief Executive Officer
Skillnet Ireland
Mark Jordan was appointed Skillnet Ireland’s New CEO in March 2025. Prior to his new role, Jordan was Chief Strategy Officer at Skillnet Ireland for six years. Jordan is an experienced leader with a strong track record in delivering results across operational management, risk and compliance, systems and process transformation, program management and execution.
He has also contributed to business acquisitions, divestitures, commercial strategy and talent development. Jordan graduated from the University of Colorado Denver and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Financial Management Services.
Tommy Kearns, Chief Executive Officer
Xtremepush
Tommy Kearns is CEO of Xtremepush, a global customer engagement, personalisation, and data platform. It provides brands with rich engagement capabilities across multiple channels, including email, website, mobile app, SMS and social messengers. The platform also empowers brands to unify their data for a true Single Customer View, and combines enterprise-grade analytics with a full suite of campaign optimisation tools.
Seamus Keating, Chief Executive Officer
FD Technologies
Seamus Keating was appointed CEO of FD Technologies in January 2020. He was first appointed to the Board as an independent Non-Executive Director in December 2012 and was appointed Non-Executive Chairman in July 2013. He has over 20 years’ experience in the global technology sector in finance and operational roles and has held a number of non-executive roles, including Version1, Comparethemarket, Callcredit and Mediclinic plc. Keating was Chief Financial Officer of Logica plc from 2002 until 2010, when he became Chief Operating Officer and head of its Benelux operations. Prior to his role at Logica plc, he worked for the Olivetti Group in senior finance roles in the UK and Italy.
Noel Keeley, Group Chief Executive Officer
Musgrave Group
Noel Keeley is group CEO of Musgrave, an Irish food retail, wholesale and foodservice company with 11 market-leading brands across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Spain, including SuperValu, Centra, Frank and Honest, Donnybrook Fair and Musgrave MarketPlace.
Keeley has over 30 years’ experience in senior and executive leadership roles in both private and public sector organisations. He has previously held the positions of Managing Director for Musgrave Wholesale Partners and Group HR Director with Musgrave. Prior to joining Musgrave in 2005, Noel was Vice President for Human Resources at University College
Cork.
He has also held a number of senior leadership roles with the Canadian Government in Northern Canada, where he lived and worked for 10 years. Noel holds an MBA from the Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Canada.
Ryan Keeling, Chief Executive Officer
Diaceutics
As a member of the Executive Management Team, Ryan Keeling has overall operational responsibility for the organisation, including overseeing R&D, product development and client delivery operations for the Diaceutics Group. His clients include 20 of the top 30 pharma organisations globally, for which we provide data analytics and implementation services to support the integration of diagnostics into various treatment pathways.
