By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Lynn McCormack, General Manager, FRS Recruitment
This week sees new and notable appointments at Fine Grain Property, Benefacts, LYNOSLIFE, FRS Recruitment, Mater Private Network, and Bolt.
Damien Kilgannon, Real Estate Director,
Fine Grain Property
Fine Grain Property has announced Damien Kilgannon as their new Real Estate Director.
Damien joins the Fine Grain team with over 17 years’ experience in real estate development across the public and private sectors, and will lead real estate investment and management for the company, which has plans to double its one million square foot portfolio of commercial real estate across Ireland.
In his most recent role as Head of Property for IDA Ireland, Damien led the property function of the Irish Government agency responsible for Ireland’s long-term success in attracting and retaining inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Ireland.
Fine Grain Property is focused on creating sustainable workplace communities for growing businesses throughout Ireland, and currently provides offices for more than 60 multinational and Irish employers in business parks in Athlone, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Maynooth and Shannon.
Having developed and implemented several strategic plans across the public sector, Damien has led the successful development of over €2.0 billion of buildings and infrastructure. Damien will add a unique client perspective, energy, and enthusiasm to the Fine Grain team in creating workplace communities to suit the needs of employers across Ireland.
Damien said, “I am excited to join the team at Fine Grain Property and lead the real estate function through the next stage of development and growth. I look forward to partnering with new and existing clients through the development of tailored, sustainable and innovative property offerings that support them in building success for their businesses.”
Fine Grain has built a seasoned, experienced professional team in Ireland, which has successfully invested and rolled out their workplace community offering. Enhanced by the development of strategic partnerships with their clients and long-term investors, the company aims to strengthen the real estate offering that supports the sustained growth of new and existing companies.
“We are delighted to welcome Damien to the company, his extensive experience and knowledge in the market are a valuable addition to our talented team. Damien is uniquely qualified to lead the acquisition, management, and further development of a world class portfolio of workspaces for employers across Ireland,” said Colin MacDonald, CEO of Fine Grain Property.
Jennifer Coyne, Chief Financial Officer,
Benefacts
Pictured: Jennifer Coyne, Chief Financial Officer, Benefacts
Nonprofit data transparency organisation Benefacts is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Coyne as its new Chief Financial Officer.
A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Jennifer began her career at PWC before moving on to specialist finance roles in the private and charity sectors, where she has served in senior financial management positions at Gorta and Focus Ireland, as well as working with a variety of nonprofits as an independent consultant. Jennifer is a native of Blackrock, Co Dublin and a graduate of both University College Dublin and Dublin City University.
Jennifer Coyne commented, “Benefacts work promoting transparency and supporting evidence-based decision making in Ireland’s €14 billion nonprofit sector is crucial to the effective functioning of the sector. Given Benefacts’ unique role in providing extensive, trusted data to the sector and its stakeholders, I relish this professional opportunity at a crucial time for the sector, with the post-pandemic world bringing both opportunities and challenges for nonprofits.”
Benefacts founder and Managing Director Patricia Quinn said, “We look forward to having Jennifer on board. Besides her private sector experience, her deep familiarity with the sector and her practical experience of its work in Ireland and overseas will be of enormous benefit both to Benefacts and the wider sector.
“On behalf of everyone at Benefacts, I also want to wish our outgoing CFO Paula Nyland well in her new public service role, which she will be taking up in early November. In six years with the company, Paula made a huge contribution to Benefacts work, creating a loyal and skilful team and establishing robust financial reporting systems and services.”
Barry Connolly, Associate Director,
LYNOSLIFE
Pictured: Barry Connolly, Associate Director, LYNOSLIFE
LYNOSLIFE, the Irish health, wellbeing and cosmetics manufacturer, has announced the appointment of Barry Connolly as Associate Director
LYNOSLIFE employs a team of 120 across their Cork and Mayo campuses. The company offers a diverse range of services including contract manufacturing, formulation and cosmetic creations. With over 20 years industry experience, Mr Connolly has also held the role of Head of Supply Chain management with LYNOSLIFE since 2018. Having previously worked in companies across sectors including Vodafone, FCS Ltd., UCB, Bio-medical Research Limited and Lifes2good, Barry brings key insights into the manufacturing industry.
Commenting on the appointment, LYNOSLIFE CEO Aid
Mr Connolly said, “I am delighted to have been appointed as an Associate Director for LYNOSLIFE. I have experienced first-hand LYNOSLIFE’s phenome
“Our capacity and expertise means we consistently deliver large-scale projects and innovation in the health, well-being and beauty sectors. I look forward to further expanding o
In November 2020, LYNOSLIFE rebranded from Cosmetic Creations. In direct response to the growing Irish demand for hand sanitiser, the company launched its Irish-made Airmedica hand sanitisers in March 2020. The company has manufactured and delivered eight million units of hand sanitiser in total to sectors including retail, hospitality, and healthcare to date.
By the end of 2021, the company will also have invested a total of €1.5 million over 18 months into the Mayo and Cork sites, further increasing adherence to Good Manufacturing Practice and enhancing output capacity, commercial marketing, and e-commerce capabilities. Shipping to more than 15 countries globally, clients include brand leaders as well as household private label brand names for the Irish, UK and European retail markets.
Lynn McCormack, General Manager,
FRS Recruitment
Pictured: Lynn McCormack, General Manager, FRS Recruitment
Lynne McCormack has been appointed as the new General Manager of FRS Recruitment, one of Ireland’s recruitment businesses. In her new role she will be responsible for the strategic growth and development of FRS Recruitment, maintaining a quality centric focus on clients and candidates.
FRS Recruitment operates 10 offices across Ireland with locations in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny, Offaly, Cavan and Roscommon. A 100% Irish business, FRS Recruitment is part of the FRS Network – the social enterprise co-operative.
Ms. McCormack will succeed Colin Donnery who will be taking over as Group CEO of FRS Network.
Before taking this position, Ms. McCormack had been Head of Operations with FRS Recruitment. She joined FRS in 2015 and has also served as National Employer Service Manager with Turas Nua.
Her career in recruitment began in Scotland in 2005, working with Nuparc where she specialised in the oil and gas sector, while supporting domestic and international markets. From there she held a number of roles in Ireland focusing on foreign direct investment.
Based in Kilkenny, Ms. McCormack is a graduate of the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).
Speaking about her appointment, Ms. McCormack said, “I’m honoured and delighted to be taking on the role of General Manager with FRS Recruitment. Our clients and candidates know that if they engage with FRS they will find the right solution for their needs – be it securing top calibre talent or securing an exciting and rewarding new role.
“Our focus on not just delivering, but on finding the best match has been a central tenet of everything we do in FRS Recruitment. This has allowed us to grow into one of the leading recruitment businesses in the country and we don’t intend to change that approach. We will work to ensure that emphasis on quality continues to be at the centre of everything we for all our clients and candidates,” Ms. McCormack concluded.
Garry McCabe, Group Chief People Officer,
Mater Private Network
Pictured: Garry McCabe, Group Chief People Officer, Mater Private Network
Mater Private Network has appointed Garry McCabe as Group Chief People Officer. Garry has over twenty years’ experience in Strategic Human Resources and Industrial Relations and holds a Bachelors in Business Studies degree from UCD, specialising in Human Resources Management. He began his Industrial Relations/Human Resources career in Tayto before moving within the C&C Group to the Soft Drinks Division. Working with Kuehne + Nagel, the Freight & Logistics company, since 2007, Garry has successfully experienced both Human Resources and Commercial Leadership roles, delivering exceptional profitable growth during his tenure.
Speaking about his appointment, John Hurley, Chief Executive, Mater Private Network, said, “We are delighted to welcome Garry to our senior leadership team. He brings a wealth of experience to our organisation, having led the HR function in a number of leading Irish and global companies. We look forward to having the benefit of his expertise as we work to consolidate our position as the leading private hospital group and one of the top ten most trusted companies in Ireland.”
Aisling Dunne, Head of Public Policy,
Bolt
Bolt, the European app with the mission to make urban mobility more affordable, safe and sustainable, has strengthened its Irish team with the appointment of Aisling Dunne as Head of Public Policy. Dunne joins as the legislative environment around electric scooters gains momentum, with the Government’s Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 being published by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD. Dunne will be responsible for Ireland’s public policy and regulatory affairs with Bolt preparing to provide a range of mobility services in the country.
Coming from a background in transport and road safety, Aisling is eager to unlock the positive benefits electric scooters can bring to the country, whilst staying acutely aware of any concerns held by Irish cities and towns about the transport mode. With Bolt offering micro-mobility services in more than 160 cities across 20 countries, Dunne will collaborate with Government and Local Authorities to provide insight into best practices, based on similar European markets. This will ensure that policymakers can introduce scooters in a safe and sustainable way, and provide passengers with a range of mobility options.
Before joining Bolt, Dunne worked with Arup as a Senior Transport Advisory Consultant and as a Special Adviser to the Minister of Transport, Tourism & Sport for four years. In her role with the Department of Transport, Dunne worked closely with road safety organisations and advocacy groups to successfully deliver the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018. She also helped to craft safety regulations introduced in 2019 to improve safety on Irish roads for cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
Bolt offers a range of mobility services including ride-hailing, shared cars and scooters, and food and grocery delivery to more than 75 million customers in over 45 countries across Europe and Africa.
Announcing Aisling Dunne’s appointment, Sam Raciti, Regional Manager, Western Europe for Bolt said, “As we aim to bring a multi-modal mobility app to Dublin, Aisling will be integral to guiding the strategy behind our electric scooter roll out, ensuring Bolt thoughtfully and safely integrates with the infrastructure, transport system and wellbeing of the public.”
Following the successful launch of its taxi-hailing service in Dublin, Bolt is excited to create Ireland’s first multi-modal transport platform, where the public can choose between a car, scooter or even an e-bike.
Looking at the legislative process, Aisling Dunne indicated, “Ireland and e-scooter companies still have three hurdles to overcome before the introduction of rentals. Firstly, we welcome the publication of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 today. The legislative process will potentially take several months, bringing us into the new year. The Minister will then be required to prepare secondary legislation, which will also take a period of time, and may require input from the European Commission. For that reason, we envision the tendering process for local authorities is unlikely to begin before Summer 2022 and it realistically could be Christmas 2022 before rental electric scooters become accessible for Irish users.”
Dunne continued, “It is paramount that proper legislation is introduced to curb unsafe e-scooter habits emerging from private use, such as multiple people using scooters at once and their use on paths and pedestrian areas. We look forward to complementing safeguards introduced with our innovative safety features developed by our engineering team. Since our successful taxi launch, Bolt is in Ireland for the long haul and is ready to meet scooter demand and provide Bolt’s proprietary, 4th generation, sustainable e-scooters to Irish towns and cities.”
The Bolt 4 scooter, unveiled in December 2020, has a maximum speed of 25 km/h, a 40 km battery range, is weather-resistant to the IP67 standard and has a 5-year lifespan. It is designed and engineered by Bolt and is the safest model in the industry, with a lower and wider foot-deck to provide an optimal centre of gravity, in-built audio guidance, and dual mechanical and electronic brakes.
