By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L-R): Shane Hogan, Head of Tax Department and Olivia Long, Head of Tax Policy at Matheson.
This week sees new and notable appointments at Bank of Ireland, BNY Mellon, Sylvera, Simmons & Simmons, Matheson LLP, Arachas, EY Law Ireland and Dentons.
Alan Durcan, Director of Distribution Channels,
Bank of Ireland
Alan Durcan, Director of Distribution Channels, Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland has appointed Alan Durcan as Director of Distribution Channels in its Retail Ireland division. Durcan will lead Bank of Ireland’s Branch Network, which includes over 1,600 colleagues supporting customers financial needs across a broad range of products and services, in-branch, remotely and at their place of work.
Durcan joined Bank of Ireland in 2008 and has held a number of senior roles within the Group. He has extensive experience across a diverse range of areas including personal and business banking, branch operations, customer and colleague engagement, and wealth management.
Susan Russell, CEO, Bank of Ireland Retail Ireland, commented:
“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Alan Durcan as Director of Distribution Channels for our Retail Ireland division. Alan brings vast experience to the role having delivered strongly in a range of previous positions within the company.
“Our distribution channels includes 169 branches nationwide and support thousands of customers every day. Alan and his team will be central to this vitally important work, ensuring we are there when our customers need us and that we continue to support their financial wellbeing.”
Bank of Ireland’s Retail Ireland customers have access to a range of channels to fulfil their banking requirements including branches, 24/7 ATMs, digital, contact centre, and Bank of Ireland’s post office partnership for day-to-day banking services. The Bank recently announced an investment of more than €60 million in branch improvements, including its largest single investment in ATMs in the last decade.
Gary Delaney, International Chief Information Security Officer,
BNY Mellon
Gary Delaney, International Chief Information Security Officer, BNY Mellon
BNY Mellon has appointed Gary Delaney as International Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Delaney will be based in Dublin and brings 20 years of experience in cybersecurity architecture, governance and strategy.
Delaney will report to Matthew McCormack who leads the Information Security Division within BNY Mellon’s Engineering organisation, operating an enterprise-level cybersecurity division that enables and protects the assets of BNY Mellon’s businesses and its clients.
“Resilience is a key objective in our work today and has been for 240 years,” said Matthew McCormack, Chief Information Security Officer at BNY Mellon. “Gary brings a depth of experience, adding to BNY Mellon’s existing expertise and innovation in building cybersecurity capabilities and resilience.”
Delaney joins BNY Mellon after almost five years as CISO at Bank of Ireland (BOI) and before that, over four years with Allied Irish Bank (AIB) as Head of Cyber Security Strategy and Group Head of Technical Architecture. He has also held senior roles at Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank.
“As a globally admired financial services company, BNY Mellon has demonstrated its leadership position in building innovative products and resilient systems for the benefit of its clients and global financial markets,” said Gary Delaney, International Chief Information Security Officer at BNY Mellon. “I am looking forward to helping the organisation further meet its ambitions in this area.”
“Ireland is a true incubator of top-level talent in the digital, cyber and technology space,” said Paul Kilcullen, Ireland Country Manager and BNY Mellon CEO of Funds Services Ireland. “Gary’s appointment is another example of how BNY Mellon continues to invest in the technology and talent to be more for our clients.”
Adrienne Gormley, Chief Operating Officer,
Sylvera
Sylvera, a carbon data provider, has announced the appointment of Adrienne Gormley as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) to spearhead its next phase of growth.
Gormley brings over 25 years of operations, strategy, and commercial experience to Sylvera as it continues to scale its technology and grow its customer base globally. In her role, Gormley will lead Sylvera’s operational teams and strategic initiatives.
Gormley said, “As net zero targets draw closer and the climate change challenges grow more pressing, every organisation needs to take all actions possible to reduce their emissions and increase investment in climate solutions. That’s a major shift that will require critical changes to how companies engage with the carbon markets to fulfil the ‘net’ in their net zero goals. Having spent my career helping ambitious tech companies grow while deepening customer relationships, I am excited to have the opportunity, together with the Sylvera team, to partner with some of the world’s largest partner with some of the world’s largest companies to leverage to leverage the carbon markets and increase investments into real climate action that would otherwise go unfunded.”
Throughout her career, Gormley has been at the forefront of international expansion and scale at global technology companies, including Dropbox and Google. Most recently, she was the CEO and co-founder of Setforth, an acquisition and growth SaaS company. Prior, she was the COO of N26, overseeing the spectrum of banking and general operations. Serving as the VP of Global Customer Experience and Head of EMEA at Dropbox, she was responsible for global customer strategy and operations, impacting a 600 million-strong customer base.
Allister Furey, co-founder and CEO of Sylverasaid, “As more companies turn to the carbon markets to help fill the gaps in their net zero strategies, Sylvera plays a key role in helping them understand and navigate the risks and opportunities at every step of their carbon journeys. Gormley’s background in both operations and delivery or core commercial and strategic initiatives, scaling some of the biggest companies in tech, will help drive Sylvera’s continued expansion.”
Gormley also serves as a board member for several European tech companies, including Monta, Epidemic Sound, and Pleo, underscoring her deep understanding of and commitment to the European tech landscape.
Kate Curneen, Partner,
Simmons & Simmons
International law firm Simmons & Simmons continues its expansion in Dublin with the appointment of Kate Curneen as a partner in its financial markets team.
Joining from DLA Piper, Curneen brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in advising domestic and international clients on a range of real estate and development finance, acquisition finance, fund finance and asset based lending transactions.
Curneen has significant expertise in syndicated and club lending, multi-layered and loan-on-loan financings, and lending into QIAIFs, including ICAVs and other fund structures.
Her experience also includes distressed and non-performing loan portfolios, where she has advised vendors, purchasers, and financiers on various restructuring, workout, and refinancing scenarios. Her comprehensive understanding of regulatory matters, having previously been seconded to both a bank and a loan servicer, will further enhance the firm’s capabilities in consumer and SME lending, authorisation and compliance issues, passporting, credit servicing, and arrears resolution.
Curneen’s clients have included domestic and international financial institutions, non-bank lenders, asset managers, investment funds, corporates and family offices.
Welcoming Curneen to the firm, Simmons & Simmons Country Head, Rachel Stanton, commented, “We are delighted that Kate is joining our Simmons & Simmons team. Kate’s expertise and relationships in the domestic and international market, will play a pivotal role in the next stage of our growth in Ireland.”
Commenting on her appointment, Curneen added, “I am excited to join Simmons & Simmons, a firm known for its excellent client service, impressive sector expertise and collaborative cross-border approach. I look forward to contributing to the firm’s ongoing success and to working with the international Simmons & Simmons team in providing the best possible advice for our clients.”
Curneen’s arrival coincides with the firm’s upcoming move to their new offices at One Molesworth Street, in the heart of Dublin’s international financial quarter.
Olivia Long, Head of Tax Policy,
Matheson LLP
Matheson LLP has announced the appointment of Olivia Long as Head of Tax Policy within Matheson’s Tax Department.
Long joins Matheson from the OECD in Paris, where she spent a number of years working with the Tax Treaty Unit. As well as her work on tax treaties, during her time at the OECD, Long was heavily involved in the development of the Two Pillar Solution, the OECD’s flagship project.
Shane Hogan, Head of Tax at Matheson said “We are delighted to welcome Olivia back to Matheson’s tax practice to lead our tax policy function. Her experience, which included negotiating with government officials from around the world to agree the new international tax framework, is unique in the Irish market and will further enhance the ability of Matheson’s tax team to advise clients on the impact of the rapidly changing tax landscape on strategic business decisions.
“This senior appointment further distinguishes our tax practice in the Irish market and underlines our position as tax law firm of choice for internationally focused companies doing business in and from Ireland, and I am looking forward to working closely with her over the coming years.”
Matheson has the largest and most successful tax practice of any Irish law firm, with over fifty lawyers and approximately 20 partners.
Joey Wynne, CEO,
Arachas
Joey Wynne has been appointed CEO of Arachas Corporate Brokers, following official approval by the Central Bank of Ireland. Arachas is the country’s largest nationwide Insurance broker with over 700 employees at 18 offices located throughout the country and part of the Ardonagh Group, one of the world’s largest independent insurance distribution platforms.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, Wynne held the position of Deputy Chief Executive of Arachas, managing the day-to-day running of the business. Wynne initially joined Arachas in 2019 as Chief Commercial Officer, after the company’s purchase of Murray & Spelman, where he had been Commercial Director for over a decade.
As CEO, Wynne will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the business.
Commenting on his appointment, Wynne said: “I am delighted to take on the role as CEO and I look forward to driving the next stage of development of the company.
“I’m fortunate to work with a team of exceptionally talented people, and I’m focused on leading this team towards delivering continued growth across the business, with our customers at the centre of everything we do, implementing our placement strategy, honing our M&A excellence and, as always, making Arachas a great place to work.”
Aidan Lawlor and Conor O’Dwyer, Equity Partners,
EY Law Ireland
Aidan Lawlor (left) and Conor O’Dwyer (right) join EY Law Ireland.
EY Ireland is pleased to announce that Aidan Lawlor and Conor O’Dwyer have joined EY Law Ireland as Equity Partners. Lawlor and O’Dwyer have market-leading reputations as two of the foremost legal practitioners in the Corporate and M&A space in Ireland.
The pair join the fast-growing EY Law Ireland team which offers a unique end-to-end business proposition to the Irish market: a global and multidisciplinary professional services firm offering a law firm as an integral part of its client offering. EY Law Ireland is a fully regulated legal practice within the EY Ireland community and is regulated by the Law Society of Ireland. EY Law is a service that is available to clients in 92 countries throughout the EY global network.
For over 20 years, Lawlor and O’Dwyer have specialised in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance/equity capital markets, joint ventures, restructurings and corporate governance legal advice and have advised on some of the largest and most high-profile corporate transactions in the Irish market.
Lawlor and O’Dwyer have substantial experience advising leading Irish and international public, private and semi-state companies, private equity sponsors and other stakeholders across many sectors including financial services, real estate, agri food & drink, technology/fintech, energy/utilities, pharma/life sciences, waste management, logistics and engineering. They both join EY Law Ireland from McCann FitzGerald LLP where they were Senior Corporate Equity Partners.
Alan Murphy, Head of EY Law Ireland said: “We are delighted that Aidan and Conor have joined EY Law Ireland. Both are recognised as leading experts in the field of M&A, corporate finance, equity capital markets and corporate advisory legal advice and they join our thriving corporate practice at a time of significant growth. Aidan and Conor bring deep experience of complex and innovative transactions, leading large teams to deliver first-class legal services for clients, and their razor sharp commercial and legal insights will be a great addition to our extensive client offerings. We know they will both make a big impact with clients as we help them solve some of their most complex and strategic issues.”
“EY Law continues to disrupt and to attract incredible talent as we partner with our growing client base to deliver long term value. We will continue to invest heavily in our people and in technology as we reimagine the future of the provision of professional services and together with our clients build a better working world.”
Conor O’Dwyer said: “As a law firm at the heart of EY’s services, EY Law delivers exceptional industry insights, specialist advice and technology-enabled solutions for clients locally and globally. I’m delighted to be joining the firm along with Aidan Lawlor and am excited by what the EY Law team can achieve together for our clients.”
Speaking today Aidan Lawlor said: “I am very excited to join the terrific EY Law Ireland team with Conor O’Dwyer as we focus on delivering a differentiated client offering of coordinated finance, tax and legal services locally and across the globe – an offering we are certain will lead to superior outcomes for our clients.”
Susan Doris-Obando, Employment Partner,
Dentons
Susan Doris-Obando, Employment Partner, Dentons
Dentons, a global law firm, has announced the appointment of employment lawyer Susan Doris-Obando to its People, Reward and Mobility (PRM) team, as a partner in the Dublin office.
Doris-Obando joined the firm on 19 February, arriving from Matheson where she was a Senior Associate. Previous to that, Doris-Obando worked in the Dentons London office as Counsel for two years, having spent 11 years at Freshfields, London. Before then, she was an independent employment barrister in London for eight years, having been Called to the Bar of England & Wales by Gray’s Inn, London.
Doris-Obando has an impressive track record of excellence in the full spectrum of employment law – advisory, litigation and transactional. Her international expertise spans across various sectors, with notable achievements in the financial services, technology and retail industries. She is a CEDR accredited mediator, and is also a former management committee member of the Employment Law Association of Ireland and the Law Society of Ireland employment committee.
Eavan Saunders,Managing Partner at Dentons Dublin, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Susan to our team. Her commitment to excellence in her field is exactly what we need to build our PRM practice and offer the expert support we know our clients want. Susan’s appointment underscores our commitment to investing in premium talent and reinforces our position as a leader in the Irish legal landscape.”
Paul Jarvis,Chief Executive for the UK, Ireland and Middle East (UKIME) region of Dentons, added: “Susan is a very welcome addition to our Dublin office. Her vast experience and deep understanding of employment law will be instrumental in building the PRM practice in Ireland and helping us to consolidate our recent growth and strategic goals.”
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