Business Movers
Here is a selection of people starting new roles in Ireland, with Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, Esri Ireland, Hibernia REIT, Initiative Ireland, Irish Life Investment Managers and Savills.
Kyla O’Kelly has joined the board of the self-regulatory body Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. She is also currently a board director at advertising agency Javelin Group, where she works on the overall agency direction and vision while also overseeing the business of several key clients. She is also a board director for the Young Social Innovators, a charity working with young people in schools. Prior to Javelin, she lived and worked in Brussels training at the European Commission, followed by a communications role at an independent EU public affairs conference specialist. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, she is a mother of two and lives in Dublin.
Aideen Croasdell has been appointment as engagement manager for life-long learning for Esri Ireland, specialist in geographic information systems (GIS). She will lead integration and promotion of the Esri ArcGIS for Schools Programme across the island of Ireland, working on mapping projects with schools and geography teachers, including the new ‘Teach with ArcGIS for Schools’ teacher training course. She previously worked in senior roles at Esri Ireland for eight years, and as a GIS technician with eSpatial Solutions. She holds a degree in English and Geography as well as an MSc in GIS and Environmental Remote Sensing from NUI Maynooth.
Neil Menzies has been named as sustainability manager with Hibernia REIT, which owns and develops property and specialises in Dublin city centre offices. He will lead the firm’s sustainability strategy, cutting energy consumption and water usage across its property portfolio. He joins from Transdev, operator of the LUAS, where he was environment and sustainability manager, responsible for its sustainability activities in relation to the operation of the LUAS system. Mr Menzies said: “I’m thrilled to join Hibernia at a time when sustainability and wider environmental, social, and governance trends are hugely important in the property and construction sector.”
Declan O’Brien has been appointed as chief investment officer with property finance and impact investment firm Initiative Ireland, which helps investors to co-fund the construction of energy-efficient social and affordable housing projects nationwide. He brings 25 years of investment management experience, working in senior management roles at international banks such as JP Morgan, HSBC, and BNP Paribas. As group CEO of the Barak Fund Management, a trade finance and private debt fund management company based in Mauritius, he grew the business from $100m into $1bn of assets under management. Initiative Ireland is based at NovaUCD, and is supported by Enterprise Ireland.
Kathy Ryan has been named as head of responsible investment with Irish Life Investment Managers. A senior sustainable investment specialist, she is experienced in environmental, social, and governance factors in investments. She joins from Aviva Investors, where she was a product strategist in the same field. She has also been an executive director at Global Green Investments. She has also worked with the World Bank, attracting private capital for renewable energy projects. She has also advised the European Commission on green bond development and carbon tracker and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment on climate risk.
Mary Birmingham has been recruited as a consultant to the development and consultancy division of estate agents Savills. Her experience spans over 30 years across all real estate sectors, with a unique exposure to institutional fund management, project management, consultancy and the public sector. She previously spent eight years at NAMA as head of asset management and was a member of the state agency’s senior executive team. She also worked in senior roles at Irish Life Investment Managers and, more recently, Glenveagh Properties. She has also had lead roles in major property transactions and high-profile development projects in the Dublin Docklands including Project Wave, now known as Dublin Landings, where Ballymore are developing over one million square feet of offices, apartments and shops, in addition to Boland’s Quay on Grand Canal Dock. Savills Ireland’s development and consultancy division has 12 full-time employees.
