Appointments

New and notable appointments at Bord Bia, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Owens McCarthy Claims Specialists and Esri Ireland

By Business & Finance
06 May 2021
Pictured: Karen Connaughton, Industry Talent Manager, Bord Bia

This week sees new and notable appointments at Bord Bia, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Owens McCarthy Claims Specialists and Esri Ireland


Karen Connaughton, Industry Talent Manager
Bord Bia

Bord Bia has appointed Karen Connaughton as its new Industry Talent Manager, with responsibility for the Bord Bia Talent Academy, which helps to identify and develop future executive talent for Ireland’s food and drink industry.  In her new role, Karen is returning to Ireland from the UK, where she spent the past five years with Bord Bia, most recently as its Market Specialist for the Dairy, Seafood and Alcohol sectors.

Karen joined Bord Bia through its Marketing Fellowship programme, gaining a Masters in International Marketing Practices at UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School. She also holds a BBs in International Hotel Management from Shannon College of Hotel Management and previously worked in the hospitality sector and with Net Affinity, the hotel booking and digital services company.


Shane Buckley, Senior HR Manager
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Shane Buckley

Pictured: Shane Buckley, Senior HR Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific has appointed Shane Buckley as its new Senior Human Resources Manager for Irish operations. With over 20 years’ HR experience, Shane will be responsible for leading the HR team that serves the global life sciences company’s operations in Ireland, which has a 560-strong workforce nationwide. His appointment comes at a time of growth for Thermo Fisher Scientific in Ireland, with its largest Irish site — a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) in Cork — seeing a 10% increase in its workforce over the past year.

Speaking on the appointment, Peter Ercoli, VP and General Manager of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Cork site said: “Our employees are at the heart of our operations, delivering on our mission to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. It is down to them, that against the backdrop of the pandemic, Thermo Fisher Scientific has delivered steady growth, and gone from serving one customer to more than 10. We are delighted to welcome Shane to the team at such a significant point in operations. As we continue to grow, having the expertise that Shane brings will ensure our colleagues are supported and equipped on every step of our journey, through employee engagement and support, organisational development and workforce planning.”

Thermo Fisher Scientific operates out of Cork and Dublin, with the Currabinny facility in Cork suppling Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to customers for use in clinical trials and approved medicines for commercial supply. This includes medicines to treat cancer, Parkinson’s disease, depression, HIV, congestive heart failure, diabetes and respiratory diseases, along with raw material for consumer healthcare products.

On his new role at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Shane added: “Having a passionate and motivated workforce is key to any company’s ability to deliver on their values and mission. Already I can see the team at Thermo Fisher Scientific is hugely dedicated to what they do, and it is important now, more than ever, to foster a rewarding and cultivating workplace that supports them. I am excited to join such an important global life sciences company at this transformative stage and look forward to contributing to the outstanding work being done by Thermo Fisher Scientific.”

Previous to joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, Shane worked at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences as the country HR Lead.


Stephen Nolan, Claims Specialist
Owens McCarthy Claims Specialists (OMC)

Pictured: Stephen Nolan, Claims Specialist, Owens McCarthy Claims Specialists (OMC)

Owens McCarthy Claims Specialists (OMC), a Commercial and Domestic Loss Assessors, has appointed Stephen Nolan to their team of Claims Specialists.

Having qualified as a building surveyor and gained experience in the construction industry for a number of years, Stephen entered Loss Adjusting in 1995 and worked for some of the leading players in that sector culminating in his role as a Director, Major and Complex Loss, with Thornton Group/Davies Group, up to March 2021. Stephen continued his academic studies gaining success in Insurance, Loss Adjusting and Dispute Resolution Examinations. However, it was at the coalface that Stephen learned the skills and gained the experience that resulted in his recognition as a phenomenally successful and respected Major and Complex Loss Specialist.

Stephen has managed high value and complex claims, in Ireland and internationally, including property, construction, business interruption, financial and liability cases, where his experience and expertise were of immense value.

John O’Donoghue, Managing Director of OMC said ‘We are thrilled to add Stephen to our team and know that he will bring significant expertise to our broking supporters and major clients, in Ireland, the UK and internationally. People of Stephen’s calibre and professionalism are almost impossible to find, and we warmly welcome him to the OMC team of professionals.’

Stephen commented ‘I am very happy to be joining a company of the calibre of Owens McCarthy, who lead the market in Ireland and who share my focus on professionalism as the route to providing a top class claims service. I have worked with many of their team over the years and appreciate their approach to acknowledging the interests of policyholders, brokers, underwriters and loss adjusters in the claims solution.’

Stephen will be based in the OMC North Dublin office, working alongside Declan Feely, Head of Major and Complex Loss for the group.


Dr Andrew Bell, Solution Architect
Esri Ireland

Dr Andrew Bell, Esri

Pictured: Dr Andrew Bell, Solution Architect, Esri Ireland

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has announced the appointment of Dr Andrew Bell as Solution Architect in its Northern Ireland office.

In this role, Andrew architects comprehensive solutions which are tailored to customers’ specific needs using cutting-edge location intelligence. Andrew is responsible for leading projects from the design to development and deployment phases, as well as the technical aspects of projects including system design and technical delivery.

Andrew joined Esri Ireland’s team in Holywood, Co. Down, in 2019 as a Lead Consultant. Prior to this, he spent over four years with digital technology company Sopra Steria, where he worked across the areas of GIS and software engineering, most recently in the role of Senior Consultant.

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Queen’s University Belfast, where he completed his PhD on spatial analysis approaches to slope stability in 2014. Through this research, Andrew designed viewers and integrated slope assessment toolboxes for University of Alberta and Roads Service NI. He also holds a Masters (MSc) in Landscape Heritage and the Environment from Queen’s University.

Outside the office, Andrew is a keen sailor and hockey player, having played interprovincially for Ulster Juniors.

Dr Andrew Bell said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed to the role of Solution Architect at Esri Ireland. This role allows me to gain an innate understanding of clients’ specific needs, and tailor a solution to suit those needs using high-tech location intelligence. Working with a client and exploring the potential of GIS and what it can do to enhance the day-to-day experiences and running of their companies gives me great satisfaction. I look forward to this new challenge and the opportunity to apply both my academic and practical experiences to the role.”