Pictured: Laura Cunningham, newly appointed Head of Content for HER Family
The weekly new and notable appointments at Korn Ferry, LK Shields Solicitors LLP, Wilson Architecture, Greencastle Media Group Ireland, Workhuman®, and SEAT and CUPRA Ireland.
Conor Hourigan, Senior Client Partner,
Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry today announced that Conor Hourigan joins Korn Ferry as a Senior Client Partner. Based in the firm’s Dublin office, he will lead the Financial Services executive search practice in Ireland in addition to focusing on the wealth management sector globally.
Conor joins Korn Ferry having run his own executive search practice in New York where he focused on the wealth management sector in the Americas. He has over fifteen years’ executive search experience in EMEA and the Americas across all areas of financial services. Additionally, he was a senior executive in the Human Resources function at UBS where he was Co-Global Head of Talent Acquisition for Wealth Management.
“As a member of our global Financial Services practice, Conor will work closely with our Irish clients to help them attract the best professionals from a global talent pool. Additionally, he will partner with our wider Korn Ferry consulting business to advise clients on how to reward, motivate and develop their workforce in addition to right sizing their organisational structures. We are delighted that he has decided to relocate home to Ireland as the sector continues to grow and mature.”
Jill Callanan, Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution,
LK Shields Solicitors LLP
LK Shields Picture Conor McCabe Photography.
LK Shields Solicitors LLP is delighted to announce the appointment of Jill Callanan as its new Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution. Jill will replace outgoing head of department Michael Kavanagh to lead a team of specialists in litigation and dispute resolution across a wide variety of practice areas and sectors including commercial disputes, banking, employment, pensions, insurance, intellectual property and technology, property, regulatory investigations, corporate restructuring and insolvency and construction.
Jill Callanan has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation and dispute resolution, particularly in breach of contract, shareholder and property disputes. Jill has also led the firm’s highly regarded Insolvency and Restructuring practice for the last number of years.
Commenting on the appointment, David Williams, Managing Partner, LK Shields Solicitors LLP said: “I am delighted to welcome Jill as our new Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution. Jill joined LK Shields over 20 year ago and has been a partner since 2009. This appointment is part of the ongoing growth and development of the firm. We have a thriving national and international client base and are continually adapting and innovating to meet their evolving service requirements and those of the market as a whole. I would also like to pay tribute to and thank Michael Kavanagh for his very significant contribution as head of our Litigation practice over many years.”
Commenting on the appointment, Jill Callanan, Partner, LK Shields Solicitors LLP said: “The LK Shields Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department has become one of the most highly regarded practices in the Irish market over the last number of years. We have incredibly talented solicitors and I look forward to further developing the depth and breadth of experience among the team.”
Fionuala Lennon, Interior Design Principal,
Wilson Architecture
Wilson Architecture Interior Design Studio Expansion
Wilson Architecture, the company which has been responsible for some of Ireland’s most exciting commercial interior design projects in recent times, is pleased to announce the expansion of it’s Interior Design Studio. This dedicated Interior Design Studio is a design hub in the heart of the Wilson Architecture which taps into the creative spirit of the company. In the last year alone, Interior Design fit-outs were carried out for Varonis, Grant Thornton, Sophos, Flexi Workspace, IBEC, Aspira, Dennehy’s Gym, and the New Visa Office, Embassy of Ireland in Beijing.
The multi-award winning firm has appointed Fionuala Lennon as Interior Design Principal with a view to expanding their interior design offer. Fionuala brings a wealth of experience in commercial and hospitality interior design projects worldwide to her new role. Having built a reputation for dynamic, modern and eclectic interiors that delight the senses and capture the imagination, Fionuala said “Covering all aspects of the interiors markets, from office interiors to hospitality to residential, our aim is to lead clients to develop authentic, engaging interiors through a process of discovery, always focused on embracing individual, bold creative solutions and thinking big.”
Over the last year, the 1,850 sq.m. fit-out of Varonis, the global tech security company, at Penrose Dock in Cork, was carried out by Wilson’s Interiors team while working remotely with clients in Israel and New York. Yael Hershkowitz, Varonis Global Facilities Operations Manager said “The interiors team was attentive to our brief and vision and did a remarkable job in bringing the concept from paper to reality. The main implication of managing this project remotely was the need for everyone involved to be a lot more engaged, detail oriented and creative. And the end result exceeded all expectations.”
Wilson Architecture’s interiors team, Fionuala Lennon and Yvonne Dowling, provide an innovative custom interiors offer that covers all stages of the design and build process, from feasibility to opening. Aiming to add value, their offer extends to the provision of an array of additional services for their clients, including graphic design, furniture design, lighting design and dressing of the space. Fionuala continued; “We incorporate bespoke pieces into all our projects which could be anything from a light fitting, a wallpaper, or a piece of furniture to a door handle, making our designs exclusive to our clients. We bring spaces alive with design, detail and decoration. Our studio thrives on design innovation and exciting new ideas. We are design led, we customise, we love what we do.”
Wilson Architecture recently scooped the top award in two categories at the Building and Architect of the Year Awards 2021, including the top accolade of “Building of the Year”for their work on JCD’s Penrose Dock Office Scheme in Cork City. With over 35 years of experience, and offices in Cork, Dublin and China, it is one of Ireland’s leading architectural firms. Wilson Architecture’s projects range from commercial to residential, pharmaceutical to education where they work collaboratively with clients, design teams, and construction contractors to ensure a hands-on approach to delivering successful projects.
For more information on Wilson Architecture’s Interior Design Studio visit www.wilsonarchitecture.ie.
Lucia Gavin and Laura Cunningham, Head of Original Content and Head of Content for HER Family, respectively,
Greencastle Media Group Ireland
Greencastle Media Group (GMG) Ireland, part of technology and media investment firm Greencastle Capital has announced details of new strategic additions to its leadership team with the appointment of Lucia Gavin as its new Head of Original Content and Laura Cunningham as new Head of Content for HER Family.
The GMG brands comprise of the JOE and Her Media and Lovin Media businesses in Ireland as well as JOE.co.uk and The London Economic in the UK.
In her new role, as Head of Original Content, Lucia Gavin will be responsible for the development and commissioning of GMG’s new original content strategy, which will see a fresh slate of bespoke shows and formats produced for the different brands within the group across a range of verticals including sport, politics, lifestyle & wellness, tech and more. Lucia will also oversee the growth of the production team and upgrading of GMG’s Fumbally studio facilities.
Lucia joins GMG having worked as a senior producer at Web Summit since 2018. Lucia is also an IFTA winner for TG4 teenage drama series ‘Aifric’ and RTE sports documentary ‘Tall, Dark & O hAilpin’. She has extensive experience working with a variety of renowned production companies including Reel Story, Big Mountain, Midas Touch and Telegael developing and producing a wide range of documentary, commercials, non-scripted and live shows.
Laura Cunningham, newly appointed Head of Content for HER Family
Laura Cunningham joins GMG from strategic content marketing agency 256 where she most recently served as content editor. Laura has previously held editorial positions at The Wedding Journal, Prudence and Confetti Magazines and was also a fashion contributor and stylist at TV3 (Now Virgin Media).
At GMG, Laura will be responsible for leading the relaunch of HER Family and overseeing the content strategy for the inclusive family publisher, including the ongoing recruitment for the editorial team. Her Family will also soon announce the launch of a new weekly show that explores the trials and tribulations of a modern-day parent in Ireland which Laura will host and spearhead the creative direction of alongside Lucia Gavin.
Paul O’Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer at GMG commented, “We are delighted to announce these two new appointments today and would like to officially welcome Lucia and Laura to the team. At the turn of the year, we commenced a recruitment process which was focused on identifying the very best people with deep expertise in specialist areas which is integral to helping us execute our vision and with the appointments of Lucia and Laura, we have done just that. We are really excited at the value they have added to our team, culture, audiences, partners, clients and the overall business.”
“GMG is at an exciting growth phase in its development since becoming operationally profitable. Our long term vision has always been focused around developing original content aligned with our brands tone of voice, including new slates of formats and shows. We have now begun our investment into that vision with some exciting new additions to our production teams and the upgrading of our Fumbally studio facilities. The opportunity for us in Ireland is significant and are excited for what’s to come in the next few months and years with the talented teams we have assembled.
Scott Dussault, Chris Campbell, and Charles Kane, CFO, SVP of Product, Board of Directors, respectively,
Workhuman®
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., and DUBLIN – Workhuman®, pioneers of the human workplace, announced today that Scott Dussault has been named the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Dussault will be based out of the company’s Framingham offices. Dussault joins Workhuman with more than 20 years of operational and financial leadership experience and a track record of success in both public and private technology companies. He was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Demandware, Inc., (NYSE:DWRE) the category-defining leader of enterprise cloud commerce solutions, where he saw the number of employees grow from 120 to 500+ and annual recurring revenue increase from $8 million to $150 million. Scott led the company through its initial public offering and follow-on offering, which raised approximately $300 million and resulted in a market capitalization of over $3.5 billion. He has been a leading executive and board and advisory board member at other leading technology companies, including StorageNetworks (NASDAQ:STOR), BigCommerce (NASDAQ:BIGC), Desktop Metal (DM), and Oracle/Dyn.
“Scott brings more than two decades of success in various leadership roles across our industry and has a proven track record of leading complex financial teams globally,” said Workhuman CEO Eric Mosley. “We started off the year with tremendous growth and energy, and the rest of this year looks incredible. Scott’s experience and deep understanding of the financial landscape allows us to continue on positive path forward.”
Workhuman also announced the hiring of Chris Campbell as Senior Vice President of Product. Campbell spent the previous five years as the Senior Vice President of Product and Technology for Angie’s List (NYSE: ANGI) where he was responsible for the company’s product development efforts. Over the last five years Campbell delivered a turnaround for Angie’s List, achieving impressive YoY revenue growth for the first time in close to a decade through substantially evolving their marketplace product. Most recently, Campbell was a leader in the merger of three subsidiary products into one consumer experience and relaunched Angie’s List as Angi.
“Chris’s passion for technology and his desire to succeed has led to a track record of unmatched excellence in execution,” said Mosley. “Our company’s ability to thrive against a backdrop of huge uncertainty for the world has further demonstrated the need for our solutions in the workplace. His track record of building solutions with adoption at scale is aligned with our strategic plans of continuous innovation and our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences and outcomes.”
Additionally, Workhuman has announced the appointment of Charles Kane as the newest member of its Board of Directors and Chairman of the company’s Audit committee. Kane has been Audit Chair at 15 technology companies, including Demandware, Real Page, Progress Software, and Netezza. Earlier in his career, Kane served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of RSA Securities, Informix, and AspenTech.
As companies emerge from the pandemic and remote workplace environments, culture is more important than ever. Workhuman’s business has accelerated over the past year due to its award-winning Social Recognition® and Continuous Performance Management solutions, which are becoming mission critical tools to deepen the social fabric that leads to strong cultures within companies and organizations and helps to build communities of human beings within corporate environments.
For more information about how the Workhuman Cloud can help strengthen your workforce and drive better business performance, please visit www.workhuman.com.
Ger Boyle, Head of Aftersales,
SEAT and CUPRA Ireland
Ger Boyle, Head of Aftersales at SEAT and CUPRA
SEAT and CUPRA Ireland has announced the appointment of Ger Boyle as its new Head of Aftersales.
In his new role, Ger will be responsible for leading aftersales for SEAT and CUPRA retailers nationwide, ensuring they deliver the best possible aftersales experience for the brand’s growing customer base whilst overseeing commercial objectives.
He will also drive the exciting introduction of the CUPRA brand to the dealer network from an aftersales perspective, focussing on the brand’s electrification and enhanced connectivity strategy.
Ger Boyle has extensive experience in the motor industry having worked in the sector for close to 25 years serving as a technician, service manager and aftersales manager for a host of well-known and established car dealerships. Ger joined Volkswagen Group Ireland in 2014 as National Service Manager for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles before moving into Group Aftersales in 2017 as Head of Technical, Customer Care and Roadside Assistance.
Ger holds a diploma in Business Management from Griffith College, Dublin and is a fully qualified technician and master technician.
Ger Boyle, New Head of Aftersales at SEAT and CUPRA Ireland commented, “I am absolutely delighted to join the team at SEAT and CUPRA and cannot wait to get started.
Being part of VWGI for the last seven years, I have seen the resurgence in the SEAT brand, the growth of its product range and strong performance in recent years and I am really looking forward to being part of this ongoing success story.
CUPRA is also a hugely exciting brand to be part of with high-quality products in the pipeline, a real focus on electrification and the opportunity to work with some excellent retail partners across the country.”