New and notable appointments at BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, Wilson Architecture, Linked Finance, FREE NOW, Allianz Ireland, CubeMatch, and MediaCom Ireland

Pictured:  Claire Walshe, Senior Global Brand Manager, FREE NOW

This week sees new and notable appointments at BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, Wilson Architecture, Linked Finance, FREE NOW, Allianz Ireland, CubeMatch, and MediaCom Ireland.

John McCartney, Director and Head of Research,
BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland

Pictured: John McCartney, Director and Head of Research, Kenneth Rouse, Managing Director, BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland

McCartney joins BNPPRE from The Housing Agency, where he was Director of Policy and Communications.  Previously he was Director of Research at Savills Ireland and Head of Research at Lisney. 

John McCartney’s appointment was announced by Kenneth Rouse, Managing Director at BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, who said, “Detailed market analysis adds real value for clients and has become increasingly important as the investor base in Ireland has grown in sophistication. The appointment of John McCartney, a high-calibre research professional, will bring knowledge, experience and energy to our team and will enhance the already extensive research offering at BNPPRE Ireland.

With more than 15 years’ experience, John has a tremendous track record of leveraging technical knowledge into value-added insights for real estate clients.”

McCartney’s brief is to further develop the well-regarded market research resource at BNPPRE, which covers the analysis and collation of property data, market commentary and forecasting of real estate indicators.

“John will also be part of the BNP Paribas Real Estate international research team, and will both contribute to, and have the support of, a 60+ strong resource, producing market-leading pan-European research”, said Kenneth Rouse.

John McCartney holds a Ph.D. from Ulster University and first-class honours Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the National University of Ireland. He is on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Property Research, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy.

One of Ireland’s leading providers of commercial property services, BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, is on an ambitious growth programme.  The business relocated to Adelaide Road in Dublin 2 from Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, in 2021, from where it offers comprehensive services that span the entire real estate lifecycle, including property development, transaction, consulting, valuation, property management and investment.

Peter O’Donovan, Marcus Reid, Brian Westlake, Director, Associate Director, Associate Director, respectively,
Wilson Architecture

Pictured: Peter O’Donovan, Director, Wilson Architecture

Pictured: Marcus Reid, Associate Director, Wilson Architecture

Pictured: Brian Westlake, Associate Director, Wilson Architecture

Wilson Architecture is delighted to announce the promotion of three senior staff members to executive positions within the company. Peter O’Donovan has been appointed to the Board as a Director, with Marcus Reid and Brian Westlake being appointed Associate Directors. 

Peter O’Donovan has been an Associate Director with Wilson Architecture and has worked with the company for over 18 years. During that period he has been involved in the management of numerous large-scale commercial, residential, educational, and leisure projects for the practice. Peter’s key expertise includes project management, planning, health and safety, regulatory compliance, detail design, and on-site operations. 

Marcus Reid is a Senior Architect with Wilson Architecture, and is the Lead Architect in the Dublin Office. Marcus has 20 years experience in the design and project management of various construction projects with design and delivery experience on all aspects of retail, commercial, office, residential and leisure buildings. His core philosophy and ability is the promotion of an integrated design approach in the delivery of complex building projects within a multidisciplinary team, to create cost effective and sustainable outcomes.

Brian Westlake is a Chartered Architectural Technologist and has worked with Wilson Architecture for over 13 years. Brian has been involved in many large-scale education, residential, civic and commercial projects. His key expertise includes project management, multidisciplinary design co-ordination through the use of BIM related software systems, detailed design development, regulatory compliance, and on-site operations. 

Speaking about their appointments, Frank O’Mahony, Managing Director of Wilson Architecture said, “I would like to congratulate Peter, Marcus and Brian on their promotions which are truly deserved. All three are long serving and dedicated members of the Wilson Architecture team, whose efforts to date have significantly contributed to the success of the firm, and more importantly, will continue to do so in the future.”

Wilson Architecture has offices in Cork, Dublin and China. The company works on a range of projects from commercial to residential, and pharmaceutical to education; and includes a dedicated interior design studio. Wilson Architecture works collaboratively with clients, design teams, and construction contractors to ensure a hands-on approach to delivering successful projects.

Richard Glavin, Commercial Director,
Linked Finance

Pictured: Richard Glavin, Commercial Director, Linked Finance

Linked Finance, P2P (Peer-to-Peer) digital lending platform, has appointed Richard Glavin as Commercial Director. Richard will support the rapid growth of the lending portfolio which has grown rapidly to deliver over €166m in loans to over 2,900 ambitious local businesses in every county in the country.

Richard joins the Linked Finance team after spending 5 years as Commercial Director in Chill Insurance, Ireland’s largest independent Insurance Broker. Prior to joining Chill Insurance, Richard was Head of Sales and Business Development in 123.ie for almost ten years. In the role, he oversaw the customer acquisition model grow from 30 staff to 350, and from €10m to €120m in Gross Written Premiums in the first 4 years.

Richard will use his experience of scaling fast-growing technology-led platforms to focus on day-to-day operations and in delivering on the company’s current growth trajectory.

At the beginning of January, Linked Finance became the first non-bank lender to offer loans through the Government’s flagship Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS). Linked Finance has funded just under €30m worth of CCGS and standard loans to SME customers to date this year, underlining the success of alternative lenders in Ireland’s funding landscape.

In July, Linked Finance delivered the strongest monthly lending volume in the platform’s 7-year history with €5.5m in loans, and reached the milestone of issuing over €160m in loans to Irish SMEs earlier this year.

Commenting on the appointment, Niall O’Grady, Chief Executive Officer of Linked Finance, said, “We are delighted to welcome Richard to the Linked Finance team to help support the rapid growth of our lending portfolio. This year alone, Linked Finance has achieved a number of standout milestone targets – and there are more opportunities on the horizon. The firm has big ambitions for the future and Richard’s appointment will play a pivotal role in connecting growing Irish businesses with lenders who are looking to support Irish businesses. At Linked Finance we offer SME businesses a range of options to access finance fast and efficiently in a seamless digital way”

Linked Finance offers its investor network – including members of the public and institutions – the opportunity to lend directly to local businesses via the Linked Finance platform. Companies that have availed of lending through Linked Finance include: Tara Slevin, The Agile Executive, Lolly & Cooks, and Murphy’s Ice Cream.

Claire Walsh, Senior Global Brand Manager,
FREE NOW

Pictured: Claire Walsh, Senior Global Brand Manager, FREE NOW

FREE NOW has announced the appointment of Claire Walsh as its new Senior Global Brand Manager, having previously held the role of Senior Marketing Manager in the Irish market. In her new role, she will be supporting the Director of Global Brand in developing the company’s brand strategy.

Ms Walsh will relocate to Hamburg and take up her new role with immediate effect, where she will be responsible for delivering standout campaigns for Europe’s leading multi-mobility app.

Commenting on her appointment, Ms Walsh said, “I am delighted to be appointed as the new Senior Global Brand Manager for FREE NOW. We are at an exciting growth phase across Europe and I am looking forward to joining the leadership team that is fundamental to the further expansion of the company. I hope to contribute to the company’s future plans and success as a multi-modal leader at an international level by leveraging my experience in driving and designing marketing strategies within the Irish market.”

Commenting on the appointment, Niall Carson, General Manager for FREE NOW in Ireland said, “I’m proud of all that Claire has achieved during her time with us at FREE NOW Ireland and am sure that she will continue to thrive in her new role with our global team. Claire is a testament to the quality and talent of our team here in Ireland and I am excited to see this being recognised by our colleagues overseas in her new appointment.”

With nearly a decade of experience, Ms Walsh is an accomplished marketeer who has delivered a wide range of award-winning TTL integrated campaigns throughout her career. She is commercially driven with an analytical skill set and a creative mind and was shortlisted three years running for the Cannes Young Lion IAPI.

As well as holding a diploma in Financial Advice from the Institute of Bankers, Ms Walsh has an MSc in International Management and a Bachelor of Commerce from the National University of Ireland Galway.

Geoff Sparling, Chief Customer Officer,
Allianz Ireland

Pictured: Geoff Sparling, Chief Customer Officer, Allianz Ireland

Allianz Ireland has announced the appointment of Geoff Sparling as Chief Customer Officer with immediate effect. Geoff’s new role will see him be responsible for Allianz’s future sales and distribution channels spanning both intermediated and direct customers. As part of this role, he will deliver for customers and brokers by continuously driving change at Allianz. Geoff will also focus on growing the business through offering more customer centric approaches, processes and products for Allianz in Ireland.

Prior to this Geoff served as the Head of Customer Retail for Allianz, where he led a team of 130 people in intermediated and direct distribution programmes for the organisation’s retail lines. In that role he was responsible for meeting customer and partner needs across all distribution channels. He also served as Allianz’s Controller for Financial Reporting and Associate CFO, where he led the Finance, Actuarial and Risk Management teams.

Geoff has previously served as a board chairman for the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), and is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI).

Sean McGrath, Chief Executive Officer at Allianz Ireland said, “I am delighted to announce Geoff as our new Chief Customer Officer. He has achieved a huge amount of success already in Allianz and has been integral to driving growth in our retail division in Ireland. I look forward to continuing to work with him and focusing on profitable growth, while driving further enhancements to our commercial and retail brokers and customers.”

Commenting on his appointment, Geoff Sparling said, “I am honoured to be appointed as the new Chief Customer Officer for Allianz Ireland. Having worked in Allianz for over 20 years, I have been part of a great team responsible for creating positive experiences and winning solutions for customers and brokers alike. We have an incredible customer and broker base in Ireland, and I look forward to supporting their needs and ambition with dynamic and strategic change across our retail and enterprise business.”

Tom Lane, Group Chief Operating Officer,
CubeMatch

Pictured: Tom Lane, Group Chief Operating Officer, CubeMatch

CubeMatch, the global change and transformation consultancy, has appointed Tom Lane as Group Chief Operating Officer. Tom will have responsibility for service development and delivery as well as IT and operations across CubeMatch Ireland, UK, Netherlands and APAC. Prior to taking up this position, Tom was COO at CubeMatch Ireland.

With Tom’s experience in building high-performing teams, delivering aggressive key change and transformation initiatives, he will align CubeMatch’s employees, processes and systems to match the company’s rapid expansion.

Tom has over 20 years’ experience leading and delivering business transformation programmes and complex IT initiatives within financial services, with teams of up to 100 people and budgets of over €30 million.

Ben Hawley, Business Director and Strategic Lead,
MediaCom Ireland

Pictured: Ben Hawley, Business Director and Strategic Lead, MediaCom Ireland

MediaCom Ireland, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Hawley as its new Business Director and Strategic Lead for Mars Multisales, effective immediately. Ben will work within the MediaCom team on the Mars account to provide strategic guidance for media planning across 30 of the company’s worldwide markets.

In his new role, Ben will work directly with the client to develop innovative media strategies to best suit the multiple markets that Mars operates in.

As Business Director, he will also lead the Universal Pictures account, driving their media planning and buying operations and strategy.

Ben is returning to MediaCom after serving for two years as Business Director with Zenith. Prior to that he was an Account Director at MediaCom for three years from 2016 until 2019, after joining the agency from Newscorp Australia where he was a Senior Strategy Analyst.

Ed Ling, Chief Growth and Operations Officer at MediaCom Ireland, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Ben back to MediaCom. In his new role, he will be an integral part of our team, responsible for delivering strategic guidance and activation for Mars and Universal Pictures. Ben will also play a key role at MediaCom Ireland as we continue to grow our position in the market and provide innovative, market-leading solutions for our clients.”