By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Anne O’Leary, President, Ibec, pictured at Business & Finance Awards.
This week sees new and notable appointments at Ibec, CleverCards, Dalata, Excel Recruitment and ByrneWallace LLP.
Anne O’Leary, President
Ibec
Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has announced the appointment of Anne O’Leary, Head of Meta Ireland, as its new President for 2024 to 2025. She succeeds Paul Duffy, Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global Supply.
Speaking about her appointment, Anne O’Leary said:
“I am immensely proud to have been appointed as Ibec President. In my various roles with businesses in Ireland, I have always placed great value on Ibec’s role as the voice of business and employers.
Ireland’s economy is in a very strong position, thanks to factors such as our openness to trade, capital, and people. We must continue to be agile and responsive to new investment, support Irish businesses in internationalising, and ensure that Ireland remains a place where careers can grow and develop. However, I believe the position we are in now is predominantly due to the hard work of businesses and their ambition to grow and scale. As a country, we have a real opportunity to make strategic investments that will ultimately future-proof our success so that businesses can continue to thrive. I look forward to working on behalf of Ibec and our members with this government and the next in navigating these opportunities.”
Ibec CEO Danny McCoy said: “We are delighted to announce Anne as the incoming President. Anne has a deep understanding of the global business landscape in Ireland and, through her many roles, has worked closely with the Irish SME sector. At this time of change, having someone of Anne’s experience supporting the business community is crucial for our advocacy work. Anne is not only a brilliant champion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion but also someone who works hard to uphold these principles through her leadership of Meta Ireland, a global giant based in Ireland with a diverse and global workforce representing over 110 nationalities. We extend our best wishes to her for a successful year ahead.”
Anne O’Leary joined Meta in September 2022 as the Vice President of Mid-Market Global Business Group in EMEA. In May 2023, Anne was appointed Head of Meta Ireland to oversee the community and culture across three locations; Meta’s HQ in Ballsbridge Dublin, Clonee Data Centre in Meath and Reality Labs in Cork.
In her day-to-day capacity, Anne collaborates closely with business leaders across the EMEA region, empowering them to harness the potential of Meta’s apps to expand their reach and engage new customers.
Anne also holds seats on the boards of ESRI and Greencore. Anne previously spent 9 years as CEO in Vodafone Ireland, as well as spending time in BT Ireland as Managing Director and Esat Telecom as Regional Director.
Anne will address Ibec members and stakeholders at their annual President’s dinner this evening in RDS where Taoiseach Simon Harris TD will also speak.
Ray Brash, Chief Operating Officer
CleverCards
CleverCards, a global digital payments platform, has today announced the appointment of Ray Brash as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). This key hire comes on the back of CleverCards’ recent €8 million funding round, marking another significant milestone in the company’s ambitious growth and expansion strategy.
Brash is an award-winning fintech leader with over 30 years of experience, bringing a wealth of expertise in the payments and financial services sector to CleverCards. Originally from the UK, Brash has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of fintech, particularly in Europe.
Before joining CleverCards, Brash co-founded PPS, now Edenred Payment Solutions, where he played a pivotal role in transforming the company into a leading fintech service provider across Europe. Holding senior positions including CFO and CEO, he drove significant growth, launching successful platform integrations for major fintech firms like Revolut, Monese, TIDE and Virgin Money, formed a joint venture with Mastercard and successfully sold PPS to Edenred Plc where under Brash’s leadership his team designed and delivered highly innovative payment solutions for Meal Vouchers, Employee Benefits, Incentives, Virtual Supplier Payments, Payroll and Fuel Cards in over 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East and South America.
Brash’s extensive experience well positions him to drive CleverCards’ ambitious growth plans.
Kealan Lennon, CEO and founder of CleverCards, commented: “Bringing Ray on board as our Chief Operating Officer is a strategic move that highlights CleverCards’ commitment to scaling our platform and solidifying our leadership in the global digital payments space. Ray’s extensive industry experience and proven track record in driving growth and innovation make him the ideal leader to help us execute our vision and achieve the next level of success.”
Shane Casserly, Deputy Chief Executive,
Dalata
Dalata, largest hotel operator in Ireland, has announced the appointment of Corporate Development Director Shane Casserly as Deputy Chief Executive with immediate effect. This comes as the company, with a growing presence in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, announces its results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2024.
Gemma Prendergast, Regional Manager Munster Region,
Excel Recruitment
Gemma Prendergast has been appointed as Excel Recruitment’s new Regional Manager for the Munster Region. Bringing nearly two decades of expertise in recruitment and human resources, Gemma is set to lead Excel Recruitment’s strategic growth and enhance operational performance in the region.
In her new role, Gemma will be responsible for driving business development across Munster, identifying new opportunities, and building strong relationships with potential clients to foster successful partnerships. She will lead a dedicated team of recruiters and administrative staff, providing leadership and mentorship to ensure they exceed performance targets. Gemma will leverage her exceptional analytical skills to monitor key performance indicators, implement to evaluate branch performance, and implement strategies to maximise efficiency and boost overall profitability. Her focus on compliance and market research will ensure Excel Recruitment remains at the forefront of industry standards and regional trends.
Commenting on the announcement, Barry Whelan, Group CEO, said:
“Gemma’s appointment represents a significant step in Excel Recruitment’s expansion strategy for Munster. Her extensive experience and deep understanding of the recruitment landscape make her an ideal leader to drive our operations forward in this key region. We are confident that her strategic vision and leadership will help our team not only meet but exceed our goals, bringing innovative solutions to our clients and forging strong, lasting partnerships.”
Suzanne Keenan, Andrew Feighery, Karen Outram and Louise McDarby, Partners
ByrneWallace LLP
ByrneWallace LLP is proud to announce the appointment of four new partners within the firm’s Employment Law, Tax, Banking and Finance, and Health and Social Care practices.
Joining the firm as Employment Law Partner, Suzanne Keenan has a wealth of employment law experience having practised employment law in Northern Ireland for over 12 years.
Andrew Feighery has joined the firm as Partner and Head of Tax Compliance. Andrew has a broad advisory practice, working across a diverse range of sectors, with deep specialisms in family and owner-managed businesses (including wealth protection and transference of wealth over time), property and related financing activities, and inbound/onward investment structures.
Newly promoted Banking and Finance Partner Karen Outram joined ByrneWallace LLP a decade ago. Karen has extensive experience advising a variety of domestic and international financial institutions, credit servicers, public bodies and investment funds/ICAVs on finance transactions across a wide range of sectors.
Partner Louise McDarby has joined the firm’s Health and Social Care team. Louise has over 16 years’ experience advising in the area of child care law, at District, Circuit, and High Court level.
Commenting on these new appointments, Managing Partner Feargal Brennan said, “As a full service law firm, ByrneWallace LLP’s long-term strategy continues to focus on strengthening and developing our broad range of specialist services, and supporting our clients with the myriad of issues they face in this ever-changing legal market.”
