New and notable appointments at Aspira, Fuzion Communications, FREE NOW, Mullen and Eversheds Sutherland

Aspira, the Irish-owned international consulting and technology business, has today announced the appointment of Gillian Whelan as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). 

Having joined Aspira in 2017, Ms Whelan previously held the role Head of Training and Account Management. With 17 years’ experience, she has previously worked as project manager, program manager, trainer, and consultant, with an extensive background in Operational and IT project management. 

Speaking on her appointment, Ms Whelan said: “I am delighted to be assuming this new position as CCO. Over the last five years, I have been proud to witness the evolution of Aspira, from the opening of overseas office in Malaysia, Portugal, and the Netherlands to expanding our workforce and service offerings. 

“We are entering a new period of growth, and I am excited to have the opportunity to drive that growth, as part of the Senior Leadership Team.” 

This latest announcement follows the recent appointment of Peter Ryan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who succeeded outgoing CEO Pat Lucey. Mr Lucey, along with fellow co-founder Colum Horgan, have taken up strategic roles on the Aspira board. 

Commenting on the appointment of Ms Whelan, Aspira CEO Peter Ryan said: “We are excited to enter this next stage at Aspira – building our future using talent from within the company. Over the last five years, Gillian has leveraged her project management knowledge and experience as well as her strong work ethic across a range of business and technology projects. She has also spearheaded our Training services to the ongoing benefit of our clients and their teams. 

“I look forward to working with her to bring our collective vision for Aspira to life.”

Ms Whelan previously worked as Senior Project Manager at Citi Financial Services, before later taking on the role of Vice President from 2012 to 2015. 

The company has experienced accelerated growth, doubling in size every three years, in part due to an increased demand for technology expertise in both the private and public sector. In 2021, the company expanded further with the new opening of its headquarters in Penrose Dock, Cork, alongside the creation of 40 new roles. 

Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, Senior Account Manager,
Fuzion Communications

Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, Senior Account Manager, Fuzion Communications

Fuzion Communications is pleased to announce the appointment of Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh as Senior Account Manager, PR, and Events manager to their Public Relations team.

Ciarán is a versatile and creative media and communications professional with 15+ years of experience in the Irish and international media, sports, and tech landscape.

Since graduating from the University of Leeds BA in Journalism and Politics, he has been the Irish Sunday Mirror’s Chief Sports Writer and rugby correspondent for the London Times (Ireland Edition).

His work has also been featured in every British and Irish national newspaper, with frequent appearances on Newstalk FM, Sky Sports, RTE, TG4, Virgin TV, and others.

He has covered major sporting events, including UEFA European Championships, FIFA World Cup, Six Nations, Heineken Cup, Guinness PRO14, Champions League, Ryder Cup and built a strong network, while doing so – liaising with some of the biggest names in the sport, both on and off the pitch.

Ciarán also founded the company start-up “Fandom” which helps brands, events and agencies adapt to the growing power of social media. Fandom’s software platform saw the potential for brands to harness their owned media – and similar solutions are now in use in all major venues globally.

Fuzion Communications is an award-winning communication and creative agency with offices in Dublin and Cork, providing specialist PR, Marketing, Design, and Digital Marketing services offering integrated campaigns across a broad range of sectors.

Jane Maher, Head Of Marketing,
FREE NOW

Ireland’s leading multi-mobility app FREE NOW has announced the appointment of Jane Maher as its new Head of Marketing. With over 10 years of experience across B2B and B2C functions, Jane will be responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies for FREE NOW and strengthening its brand in the Irish market.  

As a member of FREE NOW’s senior leadership team, Jane will contribute to the strategic direction of the company and support the achievement of its ambitious goals concerning environmentally friendly transport, micro-mobility and driver-centricity.  

Before joining FREE NOW, Jane was the Head of Brand Communications & Partnerships at start-up beverage company The Naked Collective. Prior to this, she worked with premium spirits company William Grant & Sons for over 8 years and held roles across the US & UKI in global brand management, commercial development & local marketing management.    

Jane achieved an MBA from Technological University Dublin, and an MSc in International Business Development from DIT. She also completed a BA in History of Art & Architecture at Trinity College Dublin.  

Niall Carson, General Manager for FREE NOW in Ireland said: “We are delighted to welcome Jane to our team at FREE NOW Ireland. She has a wealth of experience from her career to date and proven track record in delivering standout results for leading brands. I look forward to seeing her support the continued growth of our FREE NOW brand as a multi-mobility leader in the public transport space with a dual focus on passenger (B2B & B2C) and driver partner engagement across Ireland.”  

Speaking about her appointment, Jane said: “I’ve engaged with FREE NOW as a passenger for many years and recognise as a marketeer how much the brand has evolved since first launching in Ireland almost 10 years ago. There is great potential to continue this journey of brand evolution and I’m looking forward to helping FREE NOW strengthen its position as market leader by delivering best-in-class driver and passenger engagement initiatives over the coming years.”

John Taylor, Senior Vice-President Global Manufacturing and Strategic Planning,
Mullen

Mullen Automotive, Inc., an emerging electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer, announces the promotion of Mullen executive John Taylor to the role of senior vice-president of Global Manufacturing and Strategic Planning.

As previously highlighted, Taylor brings a great breadth of experience, including oversight of several plant start-ups and over 12 vehicle launches in the U.S. and internationally.   In 1987, Taylor graduated from the Philpot School of Automotive Design in Detroit and began his automotive career with General Motors. At GM, he was involved with 11 major automotive vehicle launches while serving as launch manager, operations manager, and machine and equipment manager, among other roles. In 2010, John joined Tesla and was one of the first 50 employees, leading the advanced manufacturing engineering group. Taylor played a critical role in opening Tesla’s Fremont facility and manufacturing operations for the Tesla Model S and architecture for future EV projects.

“John brings a wealth of experience in the EV manufacturing space. He plays a critical role in the ongoing setup and expansion of Mullen’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center (AMEC) in Tunica, Mississippi,” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. “John’s international manufacturing experience will come into play as he strategizes and evaluates Mullen’s other domestic and international manufacturing opportunities.”

On Nov. 5, 2021, Mullen began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Markets LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the new stock ticker symbol “MULN.” Since Mullen’s first quarter as a public company starting in Q4 ‘21, the Company has debuted two versions of the Mullen FIVE show cars and announced the purchase of a vehicle manufacturing facility in Tunica, Mississippi. As Q2 ‘22 draws to a close, Mullen is expecting to report over $65 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand for continued momentum and programs development.

Mullen has recently announced a string of key partnerships with hofer powertrain, Comau, ARRK, Dürr, and DSA Systems for EV powertrain, engineering, manufacturing, vehicle production systems, and Over the Air (OTA) and vehicle system diagnostics, respectively. The Company expects these strategic developments to play a crucial role in bringing the EVs to market with the latest technology and in the least amount of time.

Mullen’s EV development portfolio includes the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover, the Mullen ONE EV Fleet Vans, and the DragonFLY Sports Car. The FIVE is built on an EV crossover skateboard platform that offers multiple powertrain configurations and trim levels in a svelte design that is “Strikingly Different^TM” and exciting to experience in person. The Mullen FIVE was also named “Top Zero Emission SUV” as part of the ZEVA® Awards at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November 2021, where it made its debut. The Company has also recently filed over 120 patents in 24 countries related to the Mullen FIVE. The Mullen ONE, coming to market in Q2 2022, will be available in two classes of electric vans and will be designed, manufactured, and customized by Mullen at its Tunica, Mississippi, manufacturing facility. Learn more about Mullen’s EVs at www.MullenUSA.com.

Various,
Eversheds Sutherland

Leading global law firm Eversheds Sutherland has appointed five Senior Associates and four Associates to its lawyer group at its Dublin and Belfast offices.

In Dublin, Sophie Dudley in the Corporate team, David McKeating in the Pensions team and John Kerin in the Real Estate team have all been promoted to Senior Associates. Corrina Cassidy and Hannah Boyd in the Real Estate team in Belfast have also been promoted to Senior Associates.

In addition, Thomas Costello and Philip Reynor in the Litigation team and Niamh Diskin in the Employment team, all in Dublin, have been promoted to Associates. Niall McCavitt in the Real Estate team in Belfast has also been promoted to Associate.

Managing Partner of Eversheds Sutherland Ireland, Alan Connell said:

“Despite all the challenges of the past couple of years we are confident about the future and remain entirely committed to the development and progression of our teams. These are big milestones and much-deserved recognition for the significant contributions of these hard-working and dedicated young Associates and Senior Associates.

“As the largest and most established global law firm in the country, providing seamless services right across Europe, the US, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, these ambitious new Associates and Senior Associates will be able to grow their expertise and utilise our global network to continue providing excellent service to all our clients. I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to each one of them and I wish them every success in their promising future careers.”