By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Caroline O’Sullivan, Head of Ireland, Delta Capita.
This week sees new and notable appointments at Delta Capita, Safefood, Circle K Ireland, Esquires – The Organic Coffee Co., Dalata Hotel Group and Esri Ireland.
Caroline O’Sullivan, Head of Ireland
Delta Capita
Delta Capita, a leading global financial services consulting, managed services, and technology provider, today announces the appointment of Caroline O’Sullivan as its Head of Ireland. Based in Dublin, Caroline will be responsible for developing and executing Delta Capita’s regional business strategy with a focus on driving sustainable growth across all core service lines in addition to managing client relationships and overseeing business operations. She will report to Philip Freeborn, Co-Head of Global Markets and Wholesale Banking Services at Delta Capita.
Prior to her new role, Caroline held the position of Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the delivery of Delta Capita’s assignments in Ireland. She brings a wealth of experience to her new role, with over 25 years in the financial services sector and having held significant positions at leading investment banks and financial markets industry groups.
Commenting on her appointment, Caroline O’Sullivan said “I am honoured and excited to take on the role of Head of Delta Capita Ireland. Our team is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions and unparalleled service to our clients and I look forward to leveraging our strong foundation to drive further growth and success throughout the region.”
Philip Freeborn, Co-Head of Global Markets and Wholesale Banking Services at Delta Capita said “Ireland is a critically important market for our clients. I am delighted to be working with Caroline as our new Head of Ireland. Caroline has the broad experience of our technology products, our services, and our consulting offerings to deliver the entire range of Delta Capita’s offerings to our clients. Caroline’s strong connection to our staff and dedication to their progress will make her a pivotal force in talent attraction and retention.”
Dr. Elaine Mooney & Elaine Clohosey, Advisory Board,
Safefood
Dr Elaine Mooney is a lecturer in the School of Home Economics at St Angela’s College, Sligo and a Home Economics and Biology graduate of the college. She has an MSc in Food Science from UCD and a PhD from University of Ulster. Dr Mooney is also Director of the National Centre of Excellence for Home Economics at St Angela’s College.
“It is a great privilege to have been appointed to the Advisory Board of Safefood,” said Dr Mooney. “I am passionate about nutrition and healthy eating, and I intend to use my expertise in food education to assist the organisation’s important work of promoting a better understanding of healthy eating across the island.”
Ms Elaine Clohosey is a Technical Manager with BWG Foods and has worked for the company since 2004. As a Technical Manager on the Food Solutions’ team, she advises on food safety matters to more than 1,000 independent retailers across BWG’s nationwide network of SPAR, EUROSPAR, MACE and Londis retailers. An Honours graduate of UCC, her qualifications also include Dip. Dairy Science, BSc. Food Business and MSc. Food Retailing. She recently added an MSc in Food Safety Management from Technological University Dublin.
“I am very proud to be appointed to the Safefood Advisory Board and to join a team who have a passion about promoting food safety and providing nutritional advice across the island of Ireland,” said Ms Clohosey. “Through my active and enthusiastic contributions, I hope to support Safefood ’s work positively and constructively during my time on the Board.”
Safefood Chief Executive Officer Dr Gary A. Kearney added; “We are very pleased to welcome Dr Mooney and Ms Clohosey to Safefood’s Advisory Board. They each bring a wealth of experience and expertise and I am certain that their input will be invaluable to our organisation.”
Cora Lyons, People Director,
Circle K Ireland
Pictured: Cora Lyons, People Director, Circle K Ireland
Circle K Ireland has announced the appointment of Cora Lyons as its new People Director. This strategic move underscores Circle K’s commitment to promoting and investing in the development of its people, as well as enhancing its HR practices and fostering a positive work environment within Ireland.
Cora Lyons will drive the HR strategy, practices, and ways of working at Circle K Ireland, collaborating closely with senior leadership across Irish and European operations. Since joining Circle K in 2004, working in various HR roles including Employee Relations Manager, Cora has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication, most recently serving as Senior Human Resources Manager for Circle K Ireland.
Áine Griallais, previously the People Director for Circle K Ireland, has been promoted to a Global HR Director position. Áine will provide strategic leadership at a global level, collaborating with regional HR teams, and working closely with senior management to optimise HR practices across all countries and regions that Circle K operates in. Áine joined Circle K in 2002, working initially in operations and then in several HR roles including Retail Human Resources Manager. More recently Áine worked as interim European Head of HR for Circle K. Her experience and leadership will now benefit Circle K’s operations worldwide.
Speaking on both appointments, Managing Director of Circle K Ireland Ciara Foxton said, “We are very pleased to announce the promotion of Cora Lyons to People Director of Circle K Ireland and Áine Griallais as Director of Global HR Projects. At Circle K, investing in the development of our people is a key priority for us and these are well-deserved promotions.
“Cora’s extensive experience and strategic vision will greatly benefit our local operations, ensuring we maintain a supportive and dynamic work environment in Ireland. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Áine for her exceptional leadership and contributions here in the Irish business. We wish her the very best in her new role and are confident she will achieve great success globally.
Brendan Duigenan, Managing Director,
Esquires – The Organic Coffee Co.
Brendan, who has held senior positions with coffee chains Starbucks and AMT, began his hospitality career 25 years ago managing bars and restaurants before joining Starbucks in 2007 as Store Manager of the brand’s flagship unit in Kildare Village. He quickly rose through the ranks to become District Manager before joining AMT Coffee in 2014 as Area Manager for Ireland.
In 2019, Brendan was recruited by Esquires – The Organic Coffee Co. as Head of Operations. Since joining, he has successfully implemented several systems and processes for franchisees aimed at reducing operational costs while ensuring Esquires – The Organic Coffee Co. remained at the forefront of innovation and technology.
In July 2024, following the retirement of Tony McVerry who introduced the Esquires Coffee brand to Ireland in 2000, Brendan was appointed as Managing Director. With 15 Esquires stores already in Ireland, he is committed to growing the brand’s franchisee portfolio, focussing on individual entrepreneurship and local community engagement.
Commenting on his appointment, Brendan said, “I am delighted to be heading up the Esquires brand in Ireland. Esquires is a premium brand based on excellent service, top class food and of course the very best of organic fairtrade coffee. We are in challenging times but our commitment to deliver on our core strengths whilst growing in the market is unwavering.”
Kathrin Jung-Reinhard, Head of Development Strategy for Northern Europe,
Dalata Hotel Group
Dalata Hotel Group plc (“Dalata” or the “Group” or the “Company”), the largest hotel operator in Ireland with a growing presence in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathrin Jung-Reinhard to the role of Head of Development Strategy – Northern Europe.
Kathrin’s appointment underscores Dalata’s ambition to expand its portfolio into continental Europe, targeting locations in large European cities with attractive market dynamics and strong corporate and leisure demand. Kathrin’s deep knowledge of the European hotel market and her network of key contacts will support the Group’s strategic growth in both existing and new markets, while further strengthening Dalata’s Acquisitions & Development team.
Dalata first entered the continental European market in February 2022, with the acquisition of the Hotel Nikko Düsseldorf. In October 2023, the Group added the Hard Rock Hotel Amsterdam American to its portfolio. Both hotels are now operating under the Group’s Clayton Hotel brand.
Kathrin brings a wealth of experience to this role, having most recently served as Head of Real Estate Portfolio Management at Universal Investment GmbH, an investment fund company headquartered in Frankfurt, managing over €35 billion in real estate assets. Prior to this, Kathrin held senior roles with CBRE Germany and Deka Immobilien GmbH (“Deka”). During her time with Deka, Kathrin played a pivotal role in Dalata’s transactions on the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road, Maldron Hotel Smithfield, Clayton Hotel Birmingham, and the Gibson Hotel, Dublin.
Nikita Awasthi, Digital Marketing Coordinator,
Esri Ireland
Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is today announcing the appointment of Nikita Awasthi as Digital Marketing Coordinator.
In this new role, Nikita will support the design, development, and delivery of marketing campaigns to enhance Esri Ireland’s digital presence, help to further boost brand awareness, and drive customer growth and retention. She will focus on marketing analytics, present data-driven insights and performance measurements, and utilise Esri’s global capabilities within Esri Ireland’s marketing operations.
Nikita will support these marketing activities by executing brand awareness and lead generation campaigns, and by optimising the company’s website, social channels, and email marketing efforts. She will contribute to Esri Ireland’s success with the Great Place to Work initiative and collaborate with team members across various departments within the business, including international teams.
Before joining Esri Ireland, Nikita worked as a Digital Marketer at a D2C fashion start-up in Mumbai, India, for two years. Here, she managed marketing activities for two emerging brands, overseeing campaigns, social media accounts, content creators, stakeholder collaborations, email marketing, and follower growth.
Prior to this, she was a Graphic Designer at JetSynthesys, also in Mumbai, overseeing the end-to-end design process for client marketing campaigns both online and offline. Nikita has also led and delivered various commercial design and marketing projects as a Graphic Designer at Worldex India Exhibitions and Promotions.
Nikita holds a Masters in Digital Marketing from Dublin City University. She has also presented at DigiMarCon, a global digital marketing conference, discussing the significance of location intelligence in digital marketing.
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