By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L-R): Andrew Tollerton, Risk Management Consultant, Conrad Smyth, Client Account Director, and Cormac Ward, Client Account Manager, Gallagher
This week sees new and notable appointments at Gallagher, Accenture, IQ-EQ, Objectway Group, Smith & Williamson Investment Management and RE/MAX Ireland.
Andrew Tollerton, Risk Management Consultant, Michael McLaverty and Conrad Smyth, Client Account Directors, and Cormac Ward, Client Account Manager
Gallagher
Gallagher has welcomed four new insurance and risk management specialists to its Belfast office, adding additional manpower to support clients across Northern Ireland.
The new recruits have all joined from commercial insurance broker and risk advisory business ABL Group who acquired Willis Towers Watson’s Northern Ireland operations in October 2021. They are the latest additions to Gallagher’s 60-strong employee base at its Belfast office, based on Alfred Street. The team looks after the risk management and insurance needs for a range of businesses across Northern Ireland, with sector specialisms including construction, manufacturing, not-for-profit organisations, financial and professional services, social housing, plus property.
Pictured (L-R): Andrew Tollerton, Conrad Smyth, Michael McLaverty
Andrew Tollerton joins as Risk Management Consultant, a newly-created role in Northern Ireland, in response to growing client demand for risk advisory services. Bringing over 37 years’ experience in risk consultancy, Andrew will work closely with clients to evaluate and advise on any potential threats to their organisation, and plan, design and implement an overall risk management strategy, including helping businesses to build risk awareness within their own organisation.
Michael McLaverty and Conrad Smyth have been appointed as Client Account Directors. Bringing 30 and 26 years’ insurance experience respectively, Michael and Conrad will look after a portfolio of large corporate clients from a range of sectors, as well as identifying new business opportunities.
Cormac Ward joins as Client Account Manager. With over 20 years’ experience in insurance, Cormac will manage Gallagher’s service to a range of mid-to-large corporate clients.
Shane Matthews, Northern Ireland Managing Director for Gallagher, said: “Northern Ireland is home to a thriving and diverse business landscape, and is set to become an even more prominent global investment destination over the next decade. The recent signing of the Belfast Region City Deal, and the development of three additional City and Growth deals across the country, are set to drive further economic growth. At a time which has brought many unprecedented challenges for businesses, including facing increasing contractual, supply chain, and operational risks, they require an individual approach to insurance. With the support of a specialist insurance broker, they can have peace of mind that they have insurance in place that meets their needs, so that they can continue to focus on running their business and maximising growth opportunities.
“We’re very pleased to be adding further talent to our specialist team, strengthening our broking capabilities, and bolstering the advisory service we provide to clients to help them manage risk. As a trusted advisor to businesses in Northern Ireland, we pride ourselves on providing a local, on-the-ground service, and our new hires are excellent examples of our commitment to investing in high-calibre talent to support our clients in Northern Ireland.”
Aisling Campbell, Head of Human Resources, Antony Keane, Strategy and Consulting Lead, Aoife Aherne, Head of Resources for Ireland
Accenture
Accenture has today announced the appointment of three new members to its leadership team. Aisling Campbell takes up the role of Head of Human Resources, with Antony Keane appointed as Strategy and Consulting Lead for Ireland, and Aoife Aherne as Head of Resources for Ireland.
Pictured (L-R): Antony Keane, Aisling Campbell, Aoife Aherne
Commenting on the new appointments, Alastair Blair, country managing director of Accenture in Ireland said: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting time for our business and is a great illustration of the breadth and diversity of our business in Ireland. At Accenture, we are dedicated to building leaders, and Aisling, Aoife, and Antony have made an enormous contribution and demonstrated fantastic commitment to our business. Their promotion to the leadership team reflects their focus, dedication, leadership and experience which will be instrumental to us as we continue to make a positive difference for our clients and our communities and grow our business in Ireland.”
Aisling Campbell takes on her new role as Head of HR for Accenture in Ireland having previously worked as HR Lead for Accenture’s Operations business. She began her career in Accenture in 2015, when she joined as HR Manager for Accenture’s global R&D and innovation centre, The Dock, and managed a wide range of people performance and support areas, from talent planning and culture to human capital strategy. Aisling holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Queen’s University, Belfast, and a master’s in Occupational Psychology from the University of Leicester.
Antony Keane takes on his new role as Strategy and Consulting Lead for Ireland, having spent over 20 years with Accenture in various roles within the Financial Services sector. Antony worked with some of the firm’s biggest banking clients across London, France, and the Netherlands before eventually returning to Accenture’s Dublin office. Antony’s new position will see him lead all aspects of Accenture’s Strategy and Consulting business. Together with his team, Antony works with the executive teams of Ireland’s leading organisations to help them accelerate their digital transformation, grow profitability, and deliver sustainable value. He has both a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering and a master’s in Management Science from UCD.
Frédérik Benoit, Global Head of Transformation,
IQ-EQ
Pictured: Frédérik Benoit, Global Head of Transformation, IQ-EQ
Frédérik Benoit has been named IQ-EQ’s Global Head of Transformation. Frédérik has 32 years operations and technology securities services experience, spanning senior leadership roles in Luxembourg, Ireland and Malaysia. His expertise includes cross-border programmes aimed at achieving technology, regulatory and operational transformation, including client on-boarding, in-sourcing, offshoring and migrations in almost all banking and funds arenas including FA, TA, AM, Compliance, Custody – UCITS and PERE.
Prior to joining IQ-EQ, he was Managing Director, Global Head of Fiduciary & Fund Services Operations, Financial Markets for a British multinational banking and financial services company, where he was responsible for their overall operational footprint including hub operations in India, Malaysia and China.
Frédérik will be based in the Luxembourg office and will be working closely with another new hire Joanna Macleod, IQ-EQ’s Group Chief Operating Officer. In this role he will ensure that IQ-EQ operates as effectively and efficiently as possible through driving business improvement initiatives on a global scale.
Speaking about his appointment role, Frédérik said: “I’m thrilled to have joined IQ-EQ at such an exciting time for the company and I look forward to helping us achieve our transformational journey. The combination of IQ-EQ’s exciting transformational agenda together with my international experience will, I’m sure, bring this new role to life.”
Joanna Macleod, Group Chief Operating Officer, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Frédérik to IQ-EQ. Frédérik is the latest in a number of new senior hires who have joined the business recently, demonstrating our investment in company talent as we grow our business and commitment to ensure IQ-EQ remains a global player in technology, regulation and client service.”
Karl Im Brahm, Chief Executive Officer,
Objectway Group
Pictured: Karl Im Brahm, Chief Executive Officer, Objectway Group
Objectway, a global top 100 wealth, banking & asset management software provider, has announced the appointment of Karl im Brahm as Chief Executive Officer of Die Software Objectway Group.
Karl joins Objectway’s management team to develop and execute the group expansion strategy in the DACH region and in the core banking market in Europe.
Karl im Brahm brings more than 28 years of experience in the banking sector with significant expertise in leading digital transformation. Prior to joining Objectway, Karl was responsible for all activities of the Avaloq Group in the German market. Among other positions, he was a member of the extended executive board of the Deutsche Postbank AG as well as a member of the executive board for S Broker AG & Co. KG and with the Deutsche Wertpapier Service Bank AG. He also held senior executive roles at major German banks on digitisation and sales projects.
With the acquisition of Die Software in August 2021, Objectway has strengthened and broadened the offering of Wealth and Asset Management solutions with a reliable and complete Core Banking platform to support the digital transformation of private banks, wealth and asset managers.
Karl will drive the expansion of the Objectway Group in the DACH region delivering on this combined value proposition, set to enhance end-customer digital and personalised experience, improve front-office productivity, innovate investment services, enable process automation and achieve operational scalability.
Karl im Brahm commented on his appointment: “I am delighted to join the Objectway team and thrilled to pursue the company’s growth in a context of increased pressure for banks to integrate new technologies and to modernise their core systems. Customer centricity, end-to-end process digitisation, and sustainable profitability stand out as the top three agenda items for banking decision makers in the German-speaking region, where Objectway’s proposition is aimed at enabling a long-term competitive advantage for them.”
Luigi Marciano, Objectway Group CEO, said: “We are enthusiastic to have Karl bringing his deep experience in the sector and knowledge of the market to lead our plans for growth. The DACH market and the core banking segment are major growth areas for Objectway and Karl’s expertise and leadership enable us to accelerate our expansion and bring significant business opportunities to market our offering in the Banking space.”
Fiona Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer,
Smith & Williamson Investment Management
Fiona Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer, Smith & Williamson Investment Management
Smith & Williamson Investment Management (Europe) Limited (SWE), the Dublin based subsidiary of leading wealth management and professional services group Tilney Smith & Williamson, has announced the appointment of Fiona Sweeney as its new Chief Executive Officer.
SWE is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, and acts as the group’s European hub of operations, allowing it to provide practical, effective investment solutions and financial advice to clients in Ireland. SWE also has a full license to operate across Europe under the EU’s MIFID regulations, serving the group’s clients across many countries.
Fiona is a highly seasoned professional, with more than 30 years’ experience in the asset management industry. She has held senior management roles in leading Irish investment firms, including AIB Investment Managers and Davy Asset Management, managing a full range of assets for a broad range of clients. She holds an Undergraduate and a Masters Degree in Economics from University College Dublin and was awarded the Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors in 2018. Fiona is a member of the CFA Institute. In addition to her career in the Investment Industry, Fiona is currently a Non-Executive Director of CIE Group.
She succeeds Cedric Cruess Callaghan as CEO of Smith & Williamson Investment Management (Europe) who will continue to look after our clients as a senior investment manager, as he has since founding our Irish firm.
Chris Woodhouse, Group Chief Executive of Tilney Smith & Williamson commented: “I am very pleased to welcome Fiona to the Tilney Smith & Williamson group. Fiona brings a wealth of experience having worked at leading financial services firms in Ireland which I know will be valuable as we continue to build our presence in both Ireland and the wider European Union. This is an exciting time for SWE as we see considerable opportunities for the expansion of our European client base in a post-Brexit world. I am delighted that we have appointed someone of Fiona’s calibre to lead the team in Dublin during the next phase of growth and development.”
Fiona added: “I am delighted to be joining Smith & Williamson Investment Management (Europe) at an exciting time for the company, in light of the expansion plans in both Ireland and Europe.”
Amber Young, Head of Operations,
RE/MAX Ireland
Pictured: Amber Young, Head of Operations, RE/MAX Ireland
Waterford-based finance professional, Amber Young QFA, has joined the RE/MAX Ireland Group as Head of Operations. The appointment was announced by Paul Gartlan FIPAV, Regional Director of RE/MAX Ireland.
A University College Dublin graduate, with a post-graduate diploma in financial analysis and advisory, Amber Young has worked for twelve years in the financial sector.
She was most recently with Loanitt, an online finance intermediary, as Head of Mortgage Product and Customer Advisory.
Previously, Young spent five years with KBC Bank Waterford, where, as Hub Manager and Business Development Manager, she successfully established KBC Bank in the South East region, driving customer acquisition and product sales.
A similar role with Bank of Ireland for five years prior to that saw Amber Young awarded for achieving the highest revenues in the South East, consistently exceeding mortgage, loans, life assurance and pension targets.
With the independent real estate group, the financial advisor will deliver sales and marketing supports to the regional RE/MAX offices, including financial and property market analysis and advice, as well as customer data and customised sales tools.
RE/MAX estate agents operate in Dublin, Kildare, Carlow, Waterford, Limerick, Roscommon and Galway. They provide mainly residential property services, including free property appraisals and advice, with commercial property and auctioneering services from some local agents.
The group is actively recruiting new and existing real estate businesses to join the brand, as it invests further in shared technology and business development supports that, essentially allow local agents to focus on customers’ needs.
RE/MAX is found in more than 100 countries around the world, with 120,000 independently-owned real estate agencies, marking an international presence greater than any other.
