By Business & Finance 
Rowan Devereux, Chair, Bloom Equity
In association with Next Generation, Business & Finance highlights notable new appointments at Bloom Equity and Science Foundation Ireland.
Rowan Devereux
Rowan Devereux, Chair
Bloom Equity
HBAN (Halo Business Angel Network), the all-island group responsible for the promotion of business angel investment in Ireland and a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, announced Tuesday the appointment of Rowan Devereux to the Chair of the Bloom Equity Syndicate.
Rowan is the Founder and Managing Director of Roznat Investments, which helps companies in the early start-up stage. He is also the Co-founder of Blue Insurance, which created brands such as Gadget Insurance and Car Hire Excess Insurance.
Two years before selling Blue Insurance in 2013, Rowan was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2011.
Rowan said of his new appointment: “I am honoured to be appointed to the Chair of Bloom Equity. Under the chairmanship of my predecessor, Anthony Bermingham, the syndicate has been a prolific investor in high-potential start-ups, particularly in the tech space, over the last six years. Anthony has been the lead angel in several Bloom Equity deals which included investments into Bentel, iCabbi and Effective Software among others.
“During my tenure as Chair I’d like to build on Anthony’s great work by increasing the number of high calibre, serial investors we have by 25%. People may not realise it, but angel investing is a suitable alternative to property, and stock market investments, within a structured network like HBAN that vets, prepares start-ups to ensure they are investor-ready.
“I believe that Ireland is the world leader when it comes to innovation. The multinational companies located here in the tech and pharma sectors particularly, have created a fertile ecosystem for people with the skills, experience and knowledge to set up innovative and exciting companies. This means that there is a consistent supply of great companies pitching at our monthly pitching sessions.”
Dr Ciarán Seoighe
Dr Ciarán Seoighe, Deputy Director General
Science Foundation Ireland
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has announced the appointment of Dr Ciarán Seoighe as Deputy Director General of Science Foundation Ireland. He joins from Accenture and will assume the role on the 15 January, 2018.
Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Irish Government, Professor Mark Ferguson, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ciarán to Science Foundation Ireland as Deputy Director General. Ciarán brings significant international leadership and industry expertise, as well as experience in corporate strategy, transformation and business development, to Science Foundation Ireland.”
Ciarán has a BA (Mod) in Natural Science and PhD in Quantum Physics from Trinity College Dublin. His experience across a host of sectors and his career in Accenture will be key assets for SFI.
