By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Mella Frewen, Non-Executive Direcotr, Hume Brophy
This week saw new and notable appointments at Hume Brophy, Hiscox, Aspira, Byrne Wallace Tax Practice and Welltel.
Mella Frewen, Non-Executive Director,
Hume Brophy
Mella Frewen — recently retired Director General of FoodDrinkEurope — has been appointed a non-executive director of Hume Brophy, the international government relations and communications consultancy.
Ms. Frewen joins the firm following the appointments of Alastair Gornall as the company’s chairperson and Ian Wright as its Deputy Chairperson last year. The move further bolsters Hume Brophy’s credentials in the agrifood sector, with its international practice experiencing rapid growth.
Welcoming his appointment, Hume Brophy co-founder and Director, John Hume said:
“Mella brings a career of expertise at the highest level in leadership, advocacy, and governance to our company. Her leadership of FoodDrinkEurope in recent years has been an exemplar of strategic advocacy on behalf of a critically important sector to the European economy.”
“We look forward to Mella’s expert counsel as we continue to build our business across Europe, Asia, and the UK. The challenges our clients face as the impact of Brexit, the war in Ukraine, and the pandemic unfold are real and enduring. Mella’s experience and expertise will be an invaluable asset to us and them.”
Mella said she is delighted to be joining Hume Brophy: “Hume Brophy is a leader in Communications and Public Affairs, with an excellent reputation in Brussels, the EU and also on the global scene. It has built up a team of very skilled and talented people with outstanding expertise in many and varied sectors. I am really pleased to join the company as a Non-Executive Director.”
Hume Brophy has a strong track record of delivering communications and government relations services in the financial services, transport, agriculture and food and energy and natural resources sectors. It has a full integrated global offer delivered through teams in London, Brussels, Dublin, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, Frankfurt and Paris. This appointment will further bolster Hume Brophy’s credentials in the agriculture and food sector in the UK, Ireland and at EU level.
The company has grown considerably in the recent years and adapted well to the challenges presented by the global pandemic and Brexit.
Sarah Ryan CIP, Development Underwriter,
Hiscox
Pictured: Sarah Ryan CIP, Development Underwriter, Hiscox
Hiscox Ireland is delighted to announce the appointment of Sarah Ryan as Development Underwriter, joining the renewals team at Hiscox Ireland, headquartered at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin.
Sarah’s primary role will be to work in harmony with Hiscox established panel of brokers to underwrite Hiscox commercial insurance products including professional indemnity, management liability, cyber insurance, property and liability lines of business, to obtain the best terms possible while meeting agreed service standards and building rapport and strengthening new and existing relationships.
Sarah is delighted to be appointed as Development Underwriter at Hiscox Ireland and is looking forward to developing her own expertise in a continually changing market and working with the team of experienced Underwriters at Hiscox Ireland.
Prior to joining Hiscox, Sarah worked with Marsh Ireland as well as roles with FBD Insurance and Willis Towers Watson.
Sarah holds a Certificate in Insurance Practice CIP qualification with the Insurance Institute of Ireland and a Bachelor of Business Studies with Risk Management from the University of Limerick.
Peter Ryan, CEO,
Aspira
Pictured: Peter Ryan, CEO, Aspira
Aspira, the Irish-owned international consulting and technology business, has today announced the appointment of Peter Ryan as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr Ryan succeeds Aspira co-founder Pat Lucey who has served as CEO since the company was founded in 2007.
Pat Lucey, along with fellow co-founder Colum Horgan, will be taking up strategic roles on the Aspira board. Mr. Ryan previously held the role of Managing Director of Aspira Europe, helming the company’s European headquarters in Amsterdam.
Speaking on his appointment, Mr. Ryan said: “I am honoured to be appointed as CEO at Aspira. I have seen first-hand the reputation that Aspira has built since it was founded almost 15 years ago. The company has experienced accelerated growth, doubling in size every three years, in part due to an increased demand for technology expertise in both the private and public sector. As a result, we have expanded our operations internationally and added to our team.
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Pat, Colum and the entire Aspira team, as we make our shared ambitions a reality.”
Commenting on the appointment of Mr. Ryan, Mr. Lucey said:
“This is a new phase for Aspira, as we continue to build on our reputation as the leading provider of technology project solutions, services and resources. As well as holding the role of Global Sales Director, Peter has led our European headquarters since 2018, sharing his passion for project management as a tool to bring about digital transformation with our clients across the continent.”
“As Chairman of our board, I am looking forward to supporting Peter’s vision for Aspira, advising on our overall strategy and expanding the company’s international presence.”
“We are delighted to be able to draw on our internal talent for this next stage of growth. With his extensive background in IT services, consulting, and project management, Peter will leverage his considerable experience and deep knowledge of Aspira and our clients in his new role as CEO.”
This latest announcement follows the company’s 2021 expansion, which saw the opening of its new headquarters in Penrose Dock, Cork, alongside the creation of 40 new roles within the business and the opening of their new offices in Lisbon.
Educated in University College Cork and Waterford Institute of Technology, Mr Ryan has also served as founding partner and board member at Agelerate.
Lee Squires, Partner and Head of Indirect Taxes,
ByrneWallace Tax Practice
Pictured: Lee Squires, Partner and Head of Indirect Taxes, ByrneWallace Tax Practice
The ByrneWallace Tax Practice is pleased to announce the appointment of Lee Squires as Partner and Head of Indirect Taxes.
Squires has over fifteen years’ experience in Ireland and the UK advising leading private and public sector organisations, international corporations and financial institutions on their VAT, customs duty and indirect tax issues across a range of sectors, including real estate, construction, financial services, investment management, technology, healthcare, life sciences and manufacturing.
He has extensive experience advising on stamp duty matters, customs duty and international trade issues, relevant contracts tax, and disputes and litigation with the Revenue authorities. He has significant expertise advising clients on the implications of Brexit for their cross-border trade, where he is ideally placed to provide insight from both an Irish and UK perspective.
Squires is a qualified solicitor in Ireland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. He was previously Head of Indirect Tax at a leading global law firm in London, and led an indirect tax team at a large advisory firm in Ireland. He is a regular speaker and writer on VAT and indirect tax issues.
Head of Tax, Anthony Smyth, comments, “Lee’s appointment reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to deliver a best-in-class service to our clients. With his considerable experience and reputation as a strategic adviser, Lee will be a valuable addition, further strengthening and enhancing our extensive tax offering.”
Managing Partner, Feargal Brennan, adds “As a full service law firm, ByrneWallace LLP is committed to delivering excellence by recruiting, investing in and developing the very best people. Providing a cross-departmental solution, Lee will work collaboratively with his colleagues across the firm, ensuring that ByrneWallace LLP continues to deliver a comprehensive and fully integrated tax and legal service on domestic and international client transactions.”
Smyth concludes “Along with the rest of the team, I am delighted to welcome Lee to ByrneWallace and look forward to working with him as we continue to grow and build upon our commitment of providing expert tax and legal advice to our clients.”
Yogesh Desai, Head of Sales for Enterprise and Markets,
Welltel
Pictured: Yogesh Desai, Head of Sales for Enterprise Markets, Welltel
Welltel, Ireland’s leading dedicated business communications and IT provider, is today announcing the appointment of Yogesh Desai as Head of Sales for Enterprise Markets across Ireland and Europe. Yogesh has worked in sales roles in the IT industry for over 30 years with leading multinational organisations including BT Ireland, Cisco and Motorola.
Yogesh will lead the Enterprise Sales Team across Welltel’s entire product suite including unified communications (UC), cloud contact centres, connectivity, cybersecurity and managed services. With a broad sales background underpinned by managing successful teams, he will be responsible for delivering innovative business solutions to enterprise customers in the finance, insurance, manufacturing, and retail sectors.
Before joining Welltel, Yogesh spent five years with BT Ireland, most recently as Global Business Development Director. Prior to this, Yogesh worked with Cisco for more than 20 years across various senior sales management roles in the Irish, UK, EMEA and Asia-Pacific markets.
Previously, he spent nearly seven years as a Strategic Account Manager for network solutions with Motorola in the UK.Yogesh holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Surrey.
Yogesh outlined his ambitions in the new role: “As Welltel continues to expand its footprint into other markets, I plan to leverage my experience working across multiple regions within the telecoms sector in this new role.
“From the bottom up, the talent and dedication at Welltel is the true driving force for its expansion and success in delivering success to its clients. This ethos aligns with my passion in developing diverse teams with unique skillsets to solve customers’ business problems. I look forward to being an integral part of the Welltel team.”
