Pictured (L–R): Aideen Ginnell, European Director and Susan Keogh, Ireland Director, H/Advisors Cicero
There were new and notable appointments this week at H/Advisors Cicero, Xeinadin Group, Starcircle, Irish Funds and Healy Communications
Susan Keogh, Ireland Director
H/Advisors Cicero
H/Advisors Cicero, the corporate communications and public affairs agency at Havas Village Dublin, has appointed former broadcaster Susan Keogh as its new Ireland Director. The move comes just sixteen months after the former journalist joined H/Advisors Cicero as a Communications Consultant after a long career in Irish media.
Keogh will be taking over from Aideen Ginnell who has been promoted to European Director within the company. Her role will now focus on driving the growth of the global public affairs function of the company, working alongside teams in Washington, Brussels, and London.
Since September 2021, Keogh has been providing strategic corporate communications support to a range of Irish and international clients. With her unique understanding of Ireland’s media and political landscape, she has been helping clients devise and execute the most effective communication strategies to build profile with all stakeholders. She will now take a lead role in driving growth in the domestic market.
H/Advisors Cicero, with offices in London and Brussels, opened its doors in Ireland in 2018. The company was then acquired by the Havas Group in February 2020 which has offices in over 90 cities around the world.
Speaking about the changes H/Advisors Cicero CEO Mark Twigg said ‘Today’s announcement is really significant for our company and for the next stage of our growth. We are delighted Susan has agreed to take up the position of Ireland Director as we transition Aideen Ginnell to her new European role. We are very fortunate to have such a capable and ambitious team in Dublin and look forward to the next chapter.
H/Advisors Cicero, Ireland Director Susan Keogh said ‘Being part of the Havas Village Dublin gives us a distinct advantage to create value for clients across a full suite of communication services and in many different markets. I’m delighted to take on this role and particularly excited to build out our sustainability offering, Havas Genus, which we launched late last year, that brings together a broad set of capabilities to help businesses address their sustainability challenges. We’re lucky to have a range of exciting and innovative clients on our books and we’ve ambitious plans for what we want to achieve in Ireland’.
Brian McCabe, Director of Data and Insights
Irish Funds
Irish Funds, the voice of the Funds and Asset Management industry in Ireland, has announced the appointment of Brian McCabe as its new Director of Data and Insights. McCabe has over 25 years’ experience in the funds industry, both in Ireland and internationally. During his career he has worked with some of the world’s leading asset managers, across multiple disciplines, including operations, product, innovation and commercialisation.
Prior to joining Irish Funds, McCabe was the Global Client COO with State Street, where he was responsible for governance and end-to-end relationships management with key global clients. Prior to this, he was Head of Product & Innovation for State Street EMEA and has held CEO, Head of Country and a variety of regional and global roles with leading organisations in the funds and asset management industry. He has worked on both existing and emerging products and technologies to support the investment management lifecycle and led the completion of the first FinTech Strategy for Ireland, a cross industry and government initiative.
McCabe is originally from Dublin, holds a BA (Hon) Business Studies Degree from the University of West Glamorgan, Wales. He is an accredited Board of Director and has held a number of Director positions in the past.
Commenting on the appointment, Pat Lardner, CEO of Irish funds said: “Our industry and our association has grown and developed rapidly in the last decade, thanks to the support of our members, external stakeholders and a great team. Trust, capability, and innovation are core to the achievement of our mission, and I’m delighted Brian has joined our strong and growing team in this new key strategic position. Brian brings with him decades of industry experience, combined with a proven track record of delivering innovation and solutions. I look forward to working with him to further develop our capabilities and provide the best support for our 150+ member firms and the industry at large”.
Speaking on his new role, Brian McCabe said: “I’m honoured to take up this exciting opportunity and look forward to working with the team and the membership to build on the great work Irish Funds has been doing for many years.
Keith McDonagh, Director of Corporate Finance
Xeinadin Group
Xeinadin Group Limited (“Xeinadin”), a professional services groups in the UK and Ireland, has appointed Keith McDonagh as Director of Corporate Finance, Ireland.
The appointment marks the latest development in the growth of Xeinadin Corporate Finance, a dedicated division to support the significant market opportunity presented in 2022 to bring together corporate finance expertise from across Xeinadin’s footprint covering the UK & Ireland to support the active M&A market.
McDonagh is a chartered accountant with over 20 years of experience in financial services across professional practice and banking. He has held management roles in both EY and most recently at KBC Bank Ireland plc.
He will lead Xeinadin’s corporate finance offering in Ireland, responsible for bringing knowledge and expertise to Irish business owners looking to buy or sell a business or raise finance, providing advice around strategic options, exit planning, financial modelling, funding options including accessing debt and equity finance, and management buy-outs / buy-ins.
Xeinadin is a group of business advisory and accountancy practices in over 120 locations across the UK and Ireland that provides over 40 service lines to over 50,000 clients, predominantly small and medium sized businesses and their owner-managers. A fast-growing, acquisitive Group, it is one of the professional services market’s leading disrupters.
Led by Steven Lindsay and Paul Whitney, Xeinadin Corporate Finance has advised on numerous recent deals including the acquisition of IT Telemarketing Services (ITTS) by Agent3; EcoSpeed’s acquisition by distribution business CitySprint; the acquisition of Julian Wadden & Company by lettings and sales agency Thornely Groves; and the employee ownership trust based employee buy-outs of both Hardscape Group and Creed Communications
The division has further strengthened the team with the recruitment of Nathan Clark further developing the capability of the Corporate Finance service offering, based in Northwest England. The team has a strong pipeline of transactions it is working on including more completions it expects to be announced in the coming weeks.
Derry Crowley, CEO, Xeinadin Group, said: “We are pleased to have Keith joining our corporate finance team. Keith has the right experience and skills to support the growth of our corporate finance division, particularly in what we anticipate will be a busy year for the division, given the economic climate.”
Keith McDonagh, said: “I am looking forward to joining Xeinadin Corporate Finance. The Group is heading in an exciting direction and now is a great time to join the newly dedicated practice. There are lots of opportunities on the horizon and I’m looking forward to developing our presence in the Irish market.”
Paddy O’Connell, VP Business Development
Starcircle
Pictured: Paddy O’Connell, VP Business Development
Starcircle, the Irish talent sourcing engine, today announced the appointment of Paddy O’Connell as part of their ambitious growth strategy. The appointment of O’Connell on 1st February coincides with the development and implementation of Starcircle’s key expansion plans. The roadmap for this involves a renewed focus and consolidation of the Irish market while continuing to build the company’s expansive US-based clientele.
From their base in Cork, Starcircle harnesses its extensive expertise and unrivalled proprietary technology to help companies solve critical talent challenges by broadening the field of vision towards long-term solutions. O’Connell will work closely with CEO James Galvin and the senior leadership team to develop a greater footprint across specific markets, with immediate emphasis on the Life Sciences sector in Ireland as it strives towards digital transformation.
O’Connell has amassed over 20 years experience in the recruitment and talent management industry supporting clients across the globe. He spent the majority of his time at the helm of the Berkley Group, where, under his leadership as Managing Director, it grew to be one of Ireland’s most successful recruitment firms. O’Connell now sits on the board as a non-executive director.
O’Connell has consistently demonstrated domain expertise in the provision of tech candidates to a varied international client base, including those in the Financial Services sector, Telecommunications, and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. As part of his long list of achievements, O’Connell secured and advanced accounts with high-profile clients, markedly BT Ireland, PepsiCo, and TransUnion.
Commenting on his new role, Paddy O’Connell said, “I’ve tracked Starcircle’s phenomenal success over the past few years. I believe the way they support organisations to engage with diverse and passive talent pools through a pioneering data and technology-driven solution to be at the forefront of the Talent Solutions market. They’ve already got an impressive client list but still have a real ambition to bring their offerings to new customers and additional markets– that’s the kind of relational, purposeful, driven business I want to be a part of!”
“We’re delighted to welcome Paddy to the leadership team,” said James Galvin, Starcircle CEO. “Paddy will be integral to our forward momentum as a business. With his wealth of experience, I’m confident he’ll bring a lot to the table. His talent, tech acumen and innovative vision for aligning solutions to complex client needs are integral to us upholding and improving the excellent service we offer. We’re glad he’s joined us on the next leg of our journey.”
Donal Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer
CompuCal Calibration Solutions
Donal Sullivan has been appointed to the position CEO of Cork-based CompuCal Calibration Solutions. Sullivan joins the SaaS calibration & maintenance management specialists following his tenure as Chairman of CompuCal’s Board since 2021. He will lead the next phase of growth, developing strategic relationships through European and global partners.
Sullivan is also the current Chair of MCCI (Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland) – a large scale microelectronics technology centre, hosted at Tyndall National Institute, focused on delivering high impact microelectronic research, driven by global industry application needs.
CompuCal is a world leader in instrument calibration, maintenance and validation management working with some of the largest global brands and manufacturers. Headquartered in Cork, the business evolved over six decades from its foundation in mechanical engineering to its growth into electrical and instrumentation servicing.
CompuCal has developed as a ‘Global Leader’ in engineering-based calibration management software, servicing SMEs to Fortune 500 companies within the regulated industry sector as well as calibration service companies.
Speaking of the appointment, Jackie Dornan, Chief Financial Officer of CompuCal:
“Donal brings excellent experience, leadership acumen and clear vision to the role of Chief Executive Officer. His passion for assisting clients with their digital transformation needs and his drive to deliver effective calibration solutions for businesses across the globe has been demonstrated throughout his time as Chair of CompuCal’s Board for the past year. Stepping into the role of CEO is a natural progression for Donal.”
With over 25 years’ experience in the technology sector working with tech giants such as Apple and Flextronics, Sullivan brings a wealth of expertise as a highly successful business leader to CompuCal. For the past 17 years, he has been leading the Irish organisation of Johnson Controls as VP and General Manager. He has built a suite of digital businesses, driven complex global operations, and has delivered smart campuses and buildings across the globe. As the expert on SaaS/AI solutions, Sullivan has helped many global corporations to successfully implement their digital transformation strategy.
Enda Brady, Media Training Consultant
Healy Communications
Pictured (from l-r): Former Sky News journalist Enda Brady with Jonathan Healy, Managing Partner at Healy Communications.
Healy Communications, a communications consultancy with operations in Dublin, Cork and Waterford, has announced that former Sky News correspondent Enda Brady is joining the team as a consultant specialising in media training. The announcement will facilitate an expansion of the company’s media training division, which also draws on the skills of former journalists Ciara McDonagh and Mary O’Neill.
Wexford native Brady brings two decades of top current affairs reporting to Healy Communications, having interviewed world leaders, FTSE 100 CEOs, elite sports people and Hollywood A-listers in his career so far. He has also built a high profile in the Irish and international media contributing to many top-rated TV and radio programmes in recent years.
Since leaving full time journalism behind in 2022, Brady has been putting the knowledge he has gained to good use in coaching high-level business and sport leaders in the UK on how to work with the media and land their message. Today’s announcement will bring his skill to the Irish market for the first time.
Healy Communications has been broadening its media training offering during the past number of years, providing support to companies and organisations across a number of sectors.
Managing Partner of Healy Communications Jonathan Healy is delighted to have Brady on board: “I have known Enda for many years from working together in Sky News, and have always admired his ability to pinpoint the crux of a story and communicate it clearly to an audience. His incredible experience and his approach to dealing with people on the most diverse range of topics make him a fantastic addition to our media training team and I look forward to working with him as we continue to grow at Healy Communications.”
Enda Brady says working with Healy Communications is a positive move for him: “As the world of business evolves, leaders need to be able to successfully communicate to the public or media more than ever. Having seen countless examples during my career I’ve developed an innate sense of what works and what doesn’t, and I’m enjoying guiding people on that journey. Jonathan has built a fantastic team with decades of journalistic experience so this is a natural fit for me. Healy Communications has achieved a lot in a short space of time and I’m excited to be part of a fast-moving, agile organisation.”
Previous Appointments:
New and notable appointments at Quintas, Deloitte Ireland and Data Edge