By Business & Finance 
Pictured: ByrneWallace LLP’s newly appointed Senior Associate group. Pictured with HR Partner and Head of Property Alison O’Sullivan (second from left), new Senior Associates (L:R) James Kelly (Property), Fergal McConnon (Tax), Ben Grogan (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), Sinead Ronan (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), and Pádraig Murray (Property). Also promoted, but not pictured, Aislinn Cullen (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), and Lisa Maloney (Infrastructure, Construction, Energy).
This week sees new and notable appointments at ByrneWallace LLP, FRS Network, Collen, and SystemCore
Various, Associates and Senior Associates,
ByrneWallace LLP
ByrneWallace LLP has announced the promotion of nineteen lawyers within the firm – twelve have been appointed to associate level and seven have been appointed to senior associate level.
The promotions span the firm’s key practice areas and include the following:
Appointed as Associates:
Timothy Brennan (Infrastructure, Construction, Energy)
Andrew Booth (Property)
Laurenda Channing (Health and Social Care)
Chloe Donoghue (Property)
Lorraine Heffernan (Employment Law)
Mark Kilcullen (Property)
Jessica Kirk (Health and Social Care)
Elizabeth McGeown (Employment Law)
Art O’Connor (Litigation and Dispute Resolution)
Ciara Redmond (Health and Social Care)
Eimear Redmond (Litigation and Dispute Resolution)
Laura Sheehan (Corporate)
Appointed as Senior Associates:
Aislinn Cullen (Litigation and Dispute Resolution)
Ben Grogan (Litigation and Dispute Resolution)
James Kelly (Property)
Lisa Maloney (Infrastructure, Construction, Energy)
Fergal McConnon (Tax)
Pádraig Murray (Property)
Sinead Ronan (Litigation and Dispute Resolution)
Commenting on the promotions, Managing Partner Feargal Brennan said, “The firm has experienced significant growth during the last 12 months, with strong demand from clients across all our key practice areas.
“These appointments reflect this continued growth and our commitment to ensuring that our practice area teams possess highly capable and experienced lawyers with the expertise to deliver for our clients.”
HR Partner and Head of Property Alison O’Sullivan added, “As a firm we are committed to developing exceptionally talented people, and we pride ourselves in providing our lawyers with continuous training and development, and the resources and opportunities to enable them to perform at their very best.
“We are very proud of what these exceptional nineteen lawyers have achieved during their careers with ByrneWallace LLP. Their promotions are both an endorsement of their unique abilities and progression within the firm, but also an acknowledgement of their hard work, dedication and commitment for which we are very grateful, and upon which our firm relies.”
Feargal Brennan concluded, “On behalf of the firm, I would like to congratulate our new generation of associates and senior associates, and wish them every success as they continue to develop their careers with ByrneWallace LLP.”
Pictured L:R New Associates Tim Brennan (Infrastructure, Construction, Energy), Laurenda Channing (Health and Social Care), Laura Sheehan (Corporate), Elizabeth McGeown (Employment Law), Jessica Kirk (Health and Social Care), Art O’Connor (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), Lorraine Heffernan (Employment Law), Eimear Redmond (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), Chloe Donoghue (Property), Ciara Redmond (Health and Social Care), Mark Kilcullen (Property). Also promoted, but not pictured, Andrew Booth (Property).
Neil Keane, Head of Agriculture,
FRS Network
Neil Keane, Head of Agriculture, FRS Network
Neil Keane has been appointed as the new Head of Agriculture at FRS Network, the farmer owned co-operative organisation that provides skilled people to meet customer requirements. In his new role, Keane will be responsible for evolving and growing FRS Network’s deep ties to the farming community, furthering their connections and offerings to Irish agriculture.
Keane has an extensive background in agriculture and agribusiness, having worked in the sector for more than 20 years, both in Ireland and abroad.
In his most recent role he was Commercial Director with Alltech, working across global markets. He previously managed Alltech’s beef sales and farm products across Europe. He has also worked with Countrywest and Thomas Flynn & Sons over the course of his career.
Keane is also a former President of the Agricultural Science Association.
Based in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow, Keane holds a number of agriculture and business qualifications from University College Dublin, the University of Plymouth and University College Cork.
Speaking about his appointment, Colin Donnery, Group CEO of FRS Network said, “We are delighted to have Neil Keane join us in the role of Head of Agriculture. Neil brings in depth knowledge of all things agriculture and agribusiness to the role, having gained extensive experience at home and abroad over the course of his career. As the last few years have shown, Irish agriculture is evolving fast. At FRS Network we pride ourselves in always being able to quickly adapt to the needs of the market. Neil’s expertise will greatly assist us in not only improving what we provide to our customers today, but also knowing how we can further enhance our farming services for tomorrow.”
Neil Keane, Head of Agriculture at FRS Network said, “I’m honoured to be joining FRS Network, it is great to be working for one of Ireland’s most recognisable Co-Op’s. FRS make a tangible impact in addressing key agricultural issues, providing labour solutions, innovative agri-products and support services to farmers, government and NGO’s. Having worked internationally for over 20 years, focusing on productivity and profitability, I can see how the net has widened to the industry in recent years as part of efforts to decarbonise food production. I’m looking forward to working with the talented FRS team and our stakeholders to help address these challenges and deliver for the needs of the agri-sector.”
FRS Network is active in every county across Ireland and incorporates a range of business units which employ approximately 2,000 staff. These businesses include FRS Farm Relief, FRS Fencing, FRS Recruitment, FRS Training, Herdwatch, Turas Nua, FRS Business Services, FRS Employability and WrkWrk. FRS are also one of the key partners in the Irish Soil Expert Consortium (ISEC).
David Barron, Technical Director,
Collen
Image – David Barron, Technical Director at Collen. Image Credit: Robbie Reynold
Collen, one of Ireland’s leading construction companies, has appointed David Barron as the company’s Technical Director. In his new role, Barron will also serve on Collen’s Executive Management Team, which consists of eight senior executives who will oversee the strategic direction of the business to facilitate growth both in Ireland and internationally.
In his role, Barron will oversee Collen’s Technical and Engineering processes and strategies, to ensure their efficiency and their alignment to the company’s larger strategic objectives. David will also drive the company’s adaptation of the latest advances in Digital Construction, MEP, Modular Construction, Planning Processes and Design Management across the Group.
He brings to the role over 21 years of experience in senior engineering positions across the construction sector. David’s career started with Mercury Engineering before moving to BAM as MEP Director.
David Barron, Technical Director with Collen said “I am delighted to join a best-in-class organisation with a reputation for quality and excellence and a rich history spanning over 200 years. As a member of Collen’s Executive Management Team, I look forward to contributing to the firm’s overall strategic direction as we seek to capitalise on our substantial growth to date. The construction industry is constantly evolving, and Collen is best placed to capitalise on key growth areas while maintaining the reputation for excellent service for our clients which we have earned.”
Under Collen’s Executive Management Team, the company will focus on a number of strategic priorities including its work with Data Centre Service Providers and the Energy Sector, both of which are forecast as growth markets. It will also seek to build on the growth of its Irish operations and internationally in the Nordics region.
The business has been in the Collen family for eight generations and over 210 years. During that time, it has completed a number of iconic projects including the RDS, Croke Park, Fitzwilton House, Dublin Port and Inishthrahull Lighthouse. In more recent times, Collen’s projects include The Freight Building/Premier Inn, 1 & 2 South County Leopardstown and Haymarket Smithfield.
Conor McGinn, Managing Director
SystemCore
Conor McGinn, Managing Director, SystemCore.
Photo credit: Cormac O’Kelly
Sustainability building consultancy, SystemCore, has appointed Conor McGinn as Managing Director
Dublin based sustainability building consultancy, SystemCore, has announced that Conor McGinn has taken up the role of Managing Director, having co-founded the company in 2021.
Specialising in Energy Retrofits and Asset Rejuvenation to help restore and retain architecture across Europe, SystemCore utilises data to inform the design and management of building systems; partnering with businesses to improve their asset value and to assist on their journey towards Net Zero Carbon.
McGinn joins Co-founder and Director, Cathal O’Leary in leading the charge for large-scale rapid energy transitions, both domestically and internationally, across a range of sectors including commercial; industrial; manufacturing; hospitality; data centre, healthcare; pharma; education; and retail.
In his new role, McGinn, a Fellow Chartered Building Services Engineer with over 20 years’ experience, brings extensive local and international expertise with previous roles with EDC, Delap & Waller, Ethos, Smith + Anderson, and Mercury Engineering.
Speaking about SystemCore’s approach, McGinn said “Our aim is to re-invent existing buildings so that they can compete with challenging sustainable demands. Our designs are informed by real building data extracted from energy management, BMS and building analytics software, to continuously improve our product and fine-tune our clients’ buildings to eliminate wasted resources.”
“The SystemCore team has been carefully built with diverse and complementary skill-sets essential for navigating the complexities of large-scale energy transformation projects. Conor explained “The strength of our business is our people and our relationships. Our culture is focused on collaboration and innovation, with a commitment to deliver to an exceptionally high standard.”
Cathal O’Leary, who brings over 25 years of expertise in corporate and capital markets, with previous senior management roles in Arizun Asset Management and NCB / Investec, transitioned to the sustainability sector over 10 years ago, initially engaging in local community initiatives to develop sustainable energy consumption and production strategies. His volunteer work with community stakeholders has made him a key driver in advancing Ireland’s environmentally conscious community.
O’Leary leads the SystemCore customer advocacy and project strategy team, leveraging his extensive experience working with both local and international clients, to develop sustainability strategies. He adopts a holistic approach to energy investments, ensuring that clients’ assets are protected from premature depreciation, by navigating investment strategies and grants to fund sustainability projects.
O’Leary explained “The appointment of Conor has positioned SystemCore to be more effective at delivering challenging projects by leveraging his vast experience in building design across multiple sectors. We are delighted to have him lead our team as we become Ireland’s leading specialist building retrofit consultancy.”
Delivering design solutions that reduce energy consumption by between 30%-60% in old and new buildings, SystemCore’s approach simplifies the renewable transition journey for its clients providing innovative, reliable, and cost-effective solutions tailored to each client’s specific needs.
SystemCore has grown significantly over the past three years, having delivered energy upgrade projects for high profile clients such as Grafton Group; Herbert Park Hotel; ATA Group; The Ascott; Mater Private; and Fine Grain Property. The company plans to expand its team of engineers, project managers and designers, with an additional 50 people over the next two years to keep pace with the sustainability retrofit market demands.
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