By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L-R): Mike Taylor, Director of Policy & Public Affairs, FASD Ireland.
New and notable appointments at FASD Ireland, McCann FitzGerald LLP, Mabral Advisory, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Ergo.
Mike Taylor, Director of Policy & Public Affairs
FASD Ireland
FASD Ireland has announced the appointment of Mike Taylor as the Director of Policy & Public Affairs. Mike’s appointment comes following an 18-month period working in the Oireachtas as a Parliamentary Assistant. Mike is from Kilkee and studied Law with Political & Sociological Science at NUI Galway, where he served as President of the Law Society there. He is currently undertaking a Diploma in PR & Communications from UCD.
Commenting on his appointment, Mike said; “I am delighted to join the fantastic team here at FASD Ireland. Having spent the last number of months on their Advisory Board, I am looking very much forward to the exciting challenge of working on our core aims with the team here. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is Ireland’s most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. We have the third highest prevalence of FASD in the world, and the HSE estimate that up to 7.4% of the population are living with FASD in the Republic of Ireland – whether they are aware of it or not.
“Despite all of these facts, there is no statutory diagnostic criteria and no diagnostic pathway, and most crucially no support provided by the State for people living with FASD. This significant gap in service provision is where we come in. FASD Ireland provides education, awareness and support, we also deliver advocacy on behalf of the FASD community in Ireland to key decision makers in areas of Government and public policy.
In his new role, Mike will lead efforts to shape policy agendas, engage with policymakers, and advocate for evidence based whole-of-Government solutions to address the challenges faced by individuals living with FASD. He will also oversee public affairs strategies to raise awareness and promote education about FASD, and work with the FASD Ireland team to drive systemic policy change for people living with FASD.”
Speaking about Mike’s appointment, Tristan Casson-Rennie, CEO of FASD Ireland said; “I’m thrilled to welcome Mike Taylor to the FASD Ireland Team in Ennis. Mike brings his expertise and political insight to our organisation. With his dedication and skills, we look forward to advancing our work in advocating for and supporting people living with FASD.”
As well as his role in FASD Ireland, Mike also sits as a Director on the Board of Clare Local Development Company and serves as a Peace Commissioner for County Clare. On a local level, he also sits on the Board of Raidío Corca Baiscinn and is a member of the Enabling Team of Loop Head Together. A former Local Election candidate, Mike has far-reaching connections in politics in Ireland going as far as Taoiseach, Simon Harris, who has recently been invited to meet the FASD Ireland team at their office at 51 O’Connell Street in Ennis.
Adam Finlay, Head of Technology & Innovation Group
McCann FitzGerald LLP
Chris Cashell, Principal Change Architect
Mabral Advisory
International change and project management specialist Marbral Advisory, has appointed Chris Cashell as a Principal Change Architect.
The new role has been created in response to the Company’s growing multi-jurisdictional portfolio and expansion into Ireland. Mr Cashell will deliver planning and implementation of projects in technical, operational, and cultural change environments. He will also be responsible for contributing towards the successful growth of the business and brand in Ireland.
Mr Cashell comes to Marbral Advisory from various roles in Ireland looking after large change portfolios. In his previous roles, he managed up to 150 global projects and teams of 150 people across the world. He is a proven leader with over 30 years’ experience of adding value in multiple industries through delivering effective thought leadership, digital transformation, change management and execution of large and complex projects.
Mr Cashell will be based in Cork but will be integral to projects across Ireland. He will be the first point of contact for new clients in the jurisdiction and will also be working with Marbral Advisory’s resource pool of circa 400 consultants and associates to enhance service offerings. He will be working closely with Marbral Advisory’s CEO Leonie McCrann, to identify new product lines and deliver specialised projects for both the public and private sectors.
Peter McDonald, New Process Development Services Director
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Pictured: Peter McDonald, New Process Development Services Director, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific has appointed Peter McDonald as Process Development Services (PDS) Director at its contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing campus in Cork. In this role Peter will focus on further strengthening Thermo Fisher’s Process Development offering, building on the site’s excellent process and analytical technical capabilities, as well as developing the talent onsite to attract new development customers.
He will lead a large team of chemists and analysts whose role will be to develop and optimise novel medicines and improve the chemistry process for existing life-changing medicines treating cancer, diabetes, HIV and more. Peter, who has a PhD in Chemistry, joined the site in 2000 as a Development Chemist and has held numerous roles over the past 24 years, including head of the Research & Development Pilot Plant and site lead for Project Management.
Speaking on his appointment, Peter said: “I am thrilled to be stepping into the PDS Director role. The chemists and analysts in our state-of-the-art laboratories and production facilities here in Cork work together to improve chemistry processes for customers, and ultimately patients. The team has grown significantly over the past five years to serve a growing portfolio of customers, many of whom are biotechs developing novel chemistries to treat rare diseases. The work is really exciting, the team gain incredible experience and I’m looking forward to building on that success.”
Also commenting on the appointment, Edel Collins, General Manager of Thermo Fisher’s Cork site said: “Our PDS team has been an integral part of growth and development of our campus. We hear from customers time and time again that we have a world-class PDS offering and that they really value our partnership in developing and improving their chemistry processes so that medicines can be reliably and safely scaled for large-scale production.
“Peter is a strong leader for our growing PDS team and he will embody our mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer, in his new role.”
John O’Shea, Relationship Manager IT Resourcing
Ergo
Pictured: John O’Shea, Relationship Manager, IT Resourcing, Ergo
Ergo has announced the appointment of John O’Shea as Relationship Manager of the IT Resourcing division, which connects IT experts with world leading companies. John has a strong history of delivering valuable outcomes for Ergo clients, having previously worked as an Account Director, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership and management skills. Prior to his role in Ergo, John was Head of Business Development at BoatyardX, a company acquired by Ergo in 2022.
John has a broad range of knowledge garnered from his time with Ergo, as well as his extensive experience working with companies such as The Irish Times and Independent News and Media, while also helping to grow early pioneers in the web and mobile space. His appointment within the IT Resourcing division bolsters Ergo’s offering, bringing together expertise from a range of industries and sectors to provide clients with the best possible solutions for their unique and complex needs.
Derek Kehoe, Managing Director of IT Resourcing said, “John is a fantastic asset to us here in the IT Resourcing division. He understands that an organisation’s best asset is its people, and is uniquely placed to assist companies in finding the best IT talent to suit their needs.”
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