By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Bob Savage, new member of the board at The Crann Centre
This week sees new and notable appointments at The Crann Centre, Masv, Lewis Silkin Belfast and Bank of Ireland.
By Youssef Fathalli
Bob Savage, Member of the board,
The Crann Centre
Mr Savage, former Site Leader and Vice President at Dell Technologies, Cork has joined the board of The Crann Centre. The engineer and business leader brings a wealth of experience to the role at a time when the charity, which supports children and adults living with neuro-physical disabilities and their families, is focused on securing a sustainably-funded future.
The organisation has seen significant growth in demand over the last three years, with the number of families registered for its services more than doubling from 380 in 2023 to over 800 in 2025. The Crann Centre relies on fundraising activities for the majority of its budget.
Mr Savage has served on the board of Enterprise Ireland, the American Chamber of Commerce and is currently strategic advisor to 3Sixty and is a board member of Tyndall National Institute. He is also a former chair of the governing body at Munster Technical University, one of the Crann Centre’s key community partners.
Mr Savage’s first encounter with Crann was in 2022 when his team at Dell took part in the charity’s Corporate Volunteering programme. This led to a close partnership between the neighbouring organisations and in the last year culminated in an award-winning collaboration, which harnessed AI for social good by streamlining Crann’s intake processes.
Mr Savage said: “It is a privilege to join the board of such a special organisation. The compassion and commitment shown by everyone involved is inspiring, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a cause that genuinely changes lives”
Crann Founder and Board Chair, Kate Jarvey said: “We welcome Mr Savage’s appointment as a major vote of confidence in Crann from a trusted and respected business leader. High standards of governance and stewardship were a founding principle of the Crann Centre and Mr Savage’s addition to the Board will serve to enhance this.”
Crann Chief Executive, Padraig Mallon added: “Mr Savage’s commitment to community is one of the hallmarks of his long and distinguished career. The leadership team at Crann are looking forward to working with him in building a sustainable organisation to serve the families who rely on us for support. His focus on inclusivity in the workplace as well as his vision and experience in technology, education, skills and infrastructure make Mr Savage the ideal fit to help Crann on its mission to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and opportunities for its clients and their families.”
Louise Phelan, COO,
Masv
MASV, the family investment office founded by Voxpro entrepreneurs Dan and Linda Kiely, has appointed former PayPal global vice president Louise Phelan as Chief Operating Officer as it steps up plans to scale a multi-million-euro portfolio of high-growth companies in Ireland and internationally.
The move marks a new phase for MASV, which backs globally ambitious founders in sectors including artificial intelligence, digital platforms and wellness. Current portfolio companies include Irish and international start-ups such as Manna, Solidroad, Protex AI, Sweepr, Riley, Sisu, Barspace among others.
Mrs Phelan joins MASV following a senior international career at PayPal, where she served as vice president of global operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She has also held leadership roles with GE Money and Phelan Energy Group, and currently serves as a board member of Kingspan and previously, Ryanair.
“MASV was set up to give founders the kind of hands-on support we wished we’d had when we were building Voxpro,” said Dan Kiely. “Mrs Phelan is one of the best operators I’ve worked with anywhere in the world. Her experience in scaling teams, putting in governance and getting complex organisations execution-ready is exactly what our portfolio needs for the next stage. With Mrs Phelan as COO, we are upgrading MASV from a successful family office into a truly world-class, operator-led investment platform.”
In her new role, Phelan will be responsible for building out MASV’s leadership and operations, deepening support for existing portfolio companies and sharpening the firm’s investment focus across AI, digital and wellness, with a particular emphasis on founders who are ready to scale internationally.
“There is no shortage of great ideas in Ireland, but there is often a gap in operational discipline, governance and go-to-market execution,” said Mrs Phelan. “MASV’s edge is that we don’t just write cheques; we roll up our sleeves and work with founders on structure, teams, sales and resilience. I’m especially keen to use that platform to back more female founders and to support emerging ventures in wellness and longevity, where Ireland can build globally significant businesses.”
MASV typically invests at early and growth stages and takes a collaborative approach, working closely with founders and co-investors. While MASV remains a privately owned family investment office, it is exploring the possibility of inviting a small number of aligned family offices and private investors to co-invest alongside it on selected deals, reflecting growing interest in the company’s deal flow and operator-led model.
Olivia O’Kane, Partner,
Lewis Silkin Belfast
Lewis Silkin Belfast has appointed Olivia O’Kane as a partner to lead specialist media law practice in both Belfast and Dublin.
With over two decades of experience specialising in media disputes related to a wide range of complex media areas, including defamation, technology related disputes, broadcast and newspaper disputes and pre broadcast clearance and advising on a variety of legal issues, Mrs O’kane has played a pivotal role in landmark High Court and Court of Appeal rulings.
Mrs O’kane is known for her unwavering commitment to defending freedom of expression in the public interest, protecting journalistic sources and advocating for the independence of the media.
Ranked Band 1 in defamation and reputation management and ranked in media and entertainment law, Mrs O’kane is Ireland’s appointed expert on anti-SLAPP law for the European Commission.
“Mrs O’kane is an experienced practitioner with a stellar reputation in media law, particularly in the area of defamation and reputation management.” Says Mathew Forde, partner at Lewis Silkin, “She brings depth and specialist expertise to Lewis Silkin’s IP & Media disputes resolution team in the island of Ireland, further augmenting the team’s ability to advise and act in a wide range of complex media areas, including defamation, privacy, investigative journalism, contempt, e-commerce and online liability.”
Mrs O’kane adds: “Lewis Silkin has a stellar reputation for media law, intellectual property, brands and technology law. I am excited to be expanding the firm’s offering for both in Belfast and Dublin. It’s clear that everyone at Lewis Silkin has a real passion for what they do and are subject matter experts in their area of expertise. I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues and to collaborate with our clients in navigating industry challenges, supporting clients with thorny novel problems and to assist clients in identifying new opportunities”
Commenting on the impact that this will have on the service offering at Lewis Silkin Belfast, Ciara Fulton, partner and head of Belfast office says: “Not only Mrs O’kane will play an integral role in our senior team, but her experience and knowledge will be vital in ensuring we provide our clients with the legal protections they need, whilst enhancing the provisions that we can deliver in Belfast.”
Carol Meehan, Director of Everyday Banking,
Bank of Ireland
Carol Meehan has been appointed Director of Everyday Banking, Bank of Ireland. Mrs Meehan has over 20 years’ experience working in a range of retail banking senior leadership roles in Ireland within AIB, KBC and EBS. Mrs Meehan most recently held the role of Commercial Director, AIB Homes, and was a Non-Executive Director of the AIB Mortgage Bank.
Prior to that she was Head of Propositions in AIB where she led proposition design and development for mortgages, consumer lending, SME and everyday banking.
Susan Russell, CEO Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland said: “We are delighted that Mrs Meehan is joining us as Director, Everyday Banking. She brings extensive experience and expertise having served in a number of senior roles across the sector. Mrs Meehan will be a great addition to our senior leadership team as we continue to evolve and grow our retail banking business and support more customers into the future.”
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Business & Finance, Appointments
Business & Finance, Appointments
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