By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Eric Kenny, Development Underwriter, Hiscox Ireland
This week sees new and notable appointments at Matheson, Bank of Ireland Group, Maples and Calder, Hiscox Ireland and Cognate Health.
Various, Partners,
Matheson
Matheson, Ireland’s largest law firm, is pleased to announce that it has appointed thirteen new partners across twelve different practice areas. They bring the total number of partners and tax principals in the firm to 105.
The new partners have taken up their positions in the areas of; Tax; Employment, Pensions and Benefits; Structured Finance; Asset Management; Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency; International Business; Financial Institutions; Property Finance; Technology and Innovation; Healthcare; Projects, Energy and Infrastructure, and; EU competition and Regulatory groups.
Michael Jackson, Managing Partner of Matheson said: “As Ireland’s largest law firm, Ireland’s top performing M&A firm for 2021, and Ireland’s number one funds law practice for the eleventh year in a row, Matheson continues to grow and expand. We’re also incredibly proud to have been named the D&I Law Firm of the Year for 2021 at the Irish Law Awards, and to have become the first organisation in Ireland to retain the Irish Centre for Diversity’s ‘Investors in Diversity’ Gold Standard Award, two recent examples of the success of our Impactful Business Programme.”
“The combination of our innovative and sophisticated internationally focused client base and our proven commitment to our talent development strategy makes Matheson an attractive place to work. We are a business in which expertise and collaboration is recognised and rewarded at all levels and one which has fully embraced a new hybrid working model which has been designed in consultation with our colleagues across the firm. I congratulate our new partners on their appointments and look forward to working with them in their new roles as they continue to deliver for our clients and to mentor and develop the Matheson partners and leaders of the future.”
The thirteen new Matheson partners and their practice areas are;
- Tomás Bailey – Tax
- Ailbhe Dennehy – Litigation (Employment, Pensions and Benefits)
- William Foot – Finance and Capital Markets (Structured Finance)
- Kevin Gahan – Litigation (Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency)
- Anthony Gaskin – Asset Management
- Sarah Jayne Hanna – Corporate (International Business Group)
- Elaine Long – Corporate (Financial Institutions Group)
- Vincent McConnon – Finance and Capital Markets (Structured Finance)
- Daniel Peart – Finance and Capital Markets (Property Finance and Structured Finance)
- Carlo Salizzo – Corporate (Technology and Innovation Group)
- Justine Sayers – Litigation (Healthcare)
- Seán Scally – Corporate (Projects, Energy and Infrastructure)
- Calum Warren – Corporate (EU Competition and Regulatory)
Mark Spain, Chief Financial Officer,
Bank of Ireland Group
Mark Spain, Chief Financial Officer, Bank of Ireland Group
On 27 September 2021, the Bank of Ireland Group announced that Myles O’Grady would step down from the role of Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director in March 2022.
The selection process to identify a successor has concluded and the Group is pleased to announce Mark Spain as Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director.
Mark joined the Group in 1998 as a Client Advisory Director in IBI Corporate Finance. He became Director of Group Investor Relations in 2013, followed by Director of Group Finance in 2016. In 2019, he was appointed Chief Strategy Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee. As Chief Strategy Officer, Mark has led the delivery of a number of strategically important initiatives including the Group’s strategy refresh process, and the successful bid for Davy and agreement to acquire the KBC Bank Ireland portfolios in 2021. Mark holds a Batchelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from UCD and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland. He has previously worked for Diageo plc and KPMG.
Mark will formally take over as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director on 31 March 2022.
With Mark’s move to the Chief Financial Officer position, Enda Johnson will take over responsibility for Group Strategy, in addition to his current Transformation responsibilities, becoming Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer. Prior to joining the Group in February 2022, Enda was Interim Chief Financial Officer at Virgin Money having previously served as Group Corporate Development Director where he oversaw Virgin / CYBG’s strategy development and acquisition activity. Prior to joining CYBG, Enda held senior roles in AIB, the NTMA and Merrill Lynch.
Bank of Ireland’s Group Chief Executive, Francesca McDonagh, said: “I want to congratulate Mark Spain on his appointment as Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director. Mark is taking up this role during a transformational period for the Bank of Ireland Group. He brings to the role his depth of understanding in relation to the Group’s strategic and financial progress and targets, along with his significant experience in strategy development and delivery, transformation, and mergers and acquisitions.
As Mark moves to the CFO role, I am pleased that Enda Johnson will take over responsibility for Group Strategy, becoming Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer. Mark and Enda’s understanding and experience will strongly support the Group in delivering on its ambition, purpose, and strategic priorities over the period ahead.”
The announcement is made in accordance with Rule 6.6.5 of Euronext Dublin’s Listing Rules and Rule 9.6.11 of the London Stock Exchange’s Listing Rules. The Company confirms that there are no matters requiring disclosure under Rule 6.6.7 of Euronext Dublin’s Listing Rules/Rule 9.6.13 of the London Stock Exchange’s Listing Rules.
Eugene McCormick, Partner, Karole Cuddihy, Partner, Morgan Pier, Partner, Nichola O’Reilly, Of Counsel, and William Darmody, Of Counsel,
Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP
Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP, the Maples Group’s law firm, has announced the promotion of three Partners and two Of Counsel in its Irish office, further strengthening the depth of expertise in the firm’s Corporate, Dispute Resolution & Insolvency and Finance practice areas. The newly elected Partners are Eugene McCormick, Karole Cuddihy and Morgan Pierse, along with Of Counsels, Nichola O’Reilly and William Darmody.
With almost 500 people employed in Ireland, the Maples Group has grown significantly in the past few years, evolving its legal services offering to become a full service law firm and adding a variety of specialised practices, such as employment, data commercial and technology and financial services regulation to further support its international clients. The latest appointments elevate the firm’s partnership to an all-time high with the percentage of female lawyers at senior level also rising to 41% in Ireland.
In addition to the newly appointed Partner and of Counsel, and in line with its commitment to nurturing and growing a strong talent pipeline for the future, the Irish firm recently congratulated 10 of its trainees on their admission as solicitors in Ireland. Aileen McCormack, Edwina Hilton, Fiachra MacElhatton, Hilary Heelan, Krzysztof Podkonski, Lauren McGarry, Niamh Harford, Niamh Maguire, Peter Dunlea and Síofra McNamee completed their traineeships with the firm and were also promoted to Associates in its Finance, Funds & Investment Management, Tax and Structured Finance practices.
Speaking on the appointments, Ireland Managing Partner, Peter Stapleton said, “These senior promotions, along with our new Associates, showcase our continued growth and further cement Maples and Calder (Ireland) LLP as Ireland’s largest and most successful international law firm. Our growing Irish operations are now a significant part of our wider Group which comprises nearly 2500 people, including over 75 nationalities in 16 offices worldwide. Over the past few years we have continued to expand and broaden our expertise as we work with clients in an increasingly complex global environment.
Our new Partners and Of Counsel join their global colleagues in building on our collective success by continuing to provide world-class legal and financial services solutions to clients while also demonstrating both the growth and career development opportunities across the Group. Each of these promotions reflect the strong levels of activity that we anticipate for both our domestic and international clients. They also showcase our wide breadth of expertise in all practice areas.
These appointments are effective immediately and form part of the international law firm’s annual promotions. 17 new Partners and Of Counsel were appointed across the firm’s market-leading practice areas in seven locations, with a strong representation in particular across Europe, where nine lawyers were promoted to Partner and Of Counsel positions. Across the firm’s practices, globally, Dispute Resolution & Insolvency and Funds & Investment Management saw the largest intake of new Partners and Of Counsel, followed closely by Corporate, Finance, and Financial Services Regulation. In total, there were two promotions in Asia, nine promotions in Europe and six in the Caribbean region.
Eric Kenny, Development Underwriter,
Hiscox Ireland
Eric Kenny, Development Underwriter, Hiscox Ireland
Hiscox Ireland is delighted to announce the appointment of Eric Kenny as Development Underwriter, joining the new business development team at Hiscox Ireland, headquartered at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin.
Eric’s primary responsibility will include developing and managing key insurance broker relationships and underwriting new and existing business across core areas of Hiscox range of specialist commercial insurance solutions as well as underwriting private client and high net-worth individuals policies.
Eric is delighted to be appointed as New Business Development Underwriter at Hiscox Ireland and is looking forward to strengthening existing relationships, building new contacts, and working with the team of experienced Underwriters at Hiscox Ireland.
Prior to joining Hiscox, Eric worked with Marsh Ireland, marketing and placing risks across a number of lines of business such as property, combined liability and motor insurance.
Eric holds a Certificate in Insurance Practice CIP qualification and is undergoing studies for a Higher Diploma in Insurance Management (MDI), with the Insurance Institute of Ireland.
Dr Mark Rosso, Occupational Health Physician,
Cognate Health
Dr Mark Rosso, Occupational Health Physician, Cognate Health
Cognate Health has announced the appointment of Dr Mark Rosso as an Occupational Health Physician to lead its new Mobile Doctor Service. Dr Rosso has over 25 years’ experience working as both an independent Occupational Health Physician and for the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) of Malta. The new Mobile Doctor Service from Cognate Health, a leading nationwide occupational health provider, offers direct access for clients, where employees have fast access to expert primary care, urgent care for acute conditions and support for on-going health and wellness needs.
Dr Rosso, who will be relocating from his homeland of Malta to Cork to fulfil this role, has garnered a wealth of accolades over his career. After graduating with an Honours Medical Degree in 1988 from the University of Science and Medicine in Malta, he then returned to education in 2010 and graduated with a Master’s of Science in Occupational Medicine from the University of Manchester. Most recently he was accepted as Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine by the Royal College of London in 2019.
Paula Cogan, CEO of Cognate Health said: “As we continue to grow and expand our services nationwide this year, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Mark Rosso. We are pleased to be adding an occupational health physician of Mark’s knowledge, international experience, and multi-lingual capability to our team. At a time when businesses are embarking on return-to-workplace initiatives, Mark’s experience within private and public sectors, specialising in occupational health along with workplace health and safety, will be a great benefit to clients availing of both remote and in-person support.”
Cognate Health provides the most progressive occupational health services in Ireland, with a team of over 80, supporting employees in more than 2,000 client companies across the country. Its national network of occupational health physicians was the first of its kind in the country, with specialist expertise across several sectors including construction, ICT, pharmaceutical, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, public sector, and retail.
Speaking on his appointment, Dr Rosso said: “Since early 2020, many employers now face unanticipated challenges. Organisations need guidance, support, and direction to deal with the unknowns presented by the pandemic. Now as a phased return to the workplace begins, we are expanding our services to further support our clients and assist them in providing early intervention to support employees returning to work. I look forward to bringing my expertise in occupational health along with workplace health and safety to Cognate Health.”
More information on appointments can be found here.
