Business Class Acts - UCD Connections

ELIZABETH SHEEHAN

BComm International 1994

Elizabeth Sheehan has been appointed Country Executive of 30% Club Ireland. In the past 12 months she has also been named chair of the board of creative agency Pluto and its events wing, Pluto Live, joined the board of Bus Éireann as a non-executive director with a special interest in sustainability and strategy, and co-founded The Coaching Network. She continues in her roles as board member of the ASAI and chair of Ad Net Zero Ireland.

BARRY O’SULLIVAN

BA 1995, MBA 2008

Diageo Great Britain has appointed Barry O’Sullivan as its Managing Director. O’Sullivan, who joined Diageo in 2021, was previously Managing Director of Diageo Ireland where he oversaw consistent and sustainable growth, initiated a €100 million decarbonisation programme at St James’s Gate and announced a €30 million investment in the production of Guinness 0.0. Prior to joining Diageo, he held roles with Mars and Mars Petcare in multiple locations around the world.

JOHN O’DRISCOLL

MSc Financial Services 2015

Asset manager Gresham House Ireland has announced the appointment of John O’Driscoll as its Sales and Business Development Manager. O’Driscoll was previously with BCP Asset Management. Gresham House Ireland manages over €800 million in assets and is part of London headquartered Gresham House plc, which has €10 billion in assets under management.

CATHAL MARLEY

BA 1988, MBA 2003

EirGrid Group has announced the appointment of Cathal Marley as its new CEO. Marley was formerly CEO at Gas Networks Ireland, and is a 20-year veteran of the utilities and infrastructure sector across electricity, gas and water industries. Marley takes up his new role at a transformational time for EirGrid as it works to deliver on the decarbonisation of Irish society.

PAUL LYNAM

BSocSc 2010

The British Irish Chamber of Commerce has announced the appointment of Paul Lynam as its new Director General. Lynam has extensive experience in British-Irish relations and trade policy, having previously served as Director of Policy and Public Affairs and Deputy Director General. The Chamber works to strengthen the economic relationship between the UK and Ireland.

CONNIE COSTELLO

BComm 1987, DipPrAcc 1988

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has announced the appointment of Connie Costello as Group Chief Financial Officer. Costello joins HRI from the Central Bank of Ireland, having previously held senior positions in First Active PLC, Ulster Bank, An Post and the Department of Public Expenditure. A racing fan, Costello has a proven record in strategic financial leadership, operational efficiency and transformation programmes.

TONY CHAMBERS

BComm 1989, DipPrAcc 1990

Tony Chambers has been named President of The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, leading the US entertainment giant’s restructure of its businesses in the region. Chambers will oversee strategic priorities and financial operations, leading initiatives across businesses in the territory, and steering operations such as HR, communications, and finance. Chambers has been with Disney for 30 years and as head of global theatrical distribution oversaw Disney’s features output under the Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures banners.

LOUISE RYAN

MBS 1996

Drinks industry veteran Louise Ryan has been appointed Managing Director of Diageo’s Irish business. Ryan previously worked at Pernod Ricard. She started her career at Mars, and also worked as a consultant to companies in the FMCG sector. She is now responsible for brands such as Baileys, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Guinness, which has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years.

PAUL KELLY

BComm 1988

Wexford native Paul Kelly has been appointed CEO of the Royal Dublin Society, having previously held the role of CEO of Fáilte Ireland since 2017. The 3,000-member RDS sits on 43 acres in Ballsbridge and hosts a range of concerts, trade fairs and other events, and supports activities across a range of areas in the arts, culture, and science and technology. Its main stadium, which is currently being redeveloped, is home to Leinster Rugby and the annual Dublin Horse Show.

CONOR MURPHY

MBS 2005

Conor Murphy has been appointed Head of Regional Wealth at Davy. Murphy joined Davy’s Graduate Programme in 2005 and has been with the firm ever since. A registered representative of the Irish Stock Exchange and a chartered tax advisor, he is based in Davy’s Cork City offices. In his new role, Murphy will manage a team of portfolio managers, investment advisors, financial planning managers and client service executives offering financial planning and investment services.

SARAH BOGOSSIAN

MBS International

Marketing 1999 Sarah Bogossian, formerly Goodbody investment firm’s investment banking director, has joined investment company Elkstone as a venture partner. At Goodbody, Bogossian focused on the technology and video gaming sector; she will bring this expertise to Elkstone where she will oversee capital formation, support early-stage founders, and manage investor relations. Bogossian previously worked for EY as corporate finance director.

EAMON BRABAZON

BComm 1992, MAcc 1993

Bank of America has named Eamon Brabazon Co-Head of Global Mergers and Acquisitions. Brabazon, who has been with the bank for nine years, was most recently head of M&A in Europe, Middle East and Africa where he advised on some of Bank of America’s highest-profile deals. Brabazon began his career at Davy in Dublin and later joined JP Morgan. He is Bank of America’s first UK-based global co-head of M&A for many years.

LUCY CHADWICK

MVB 2009

Lucy Chadwick is the recipient of the Image MBA Scholarship 2024. Chadwick, who is undertaking the Executive MBA, is Global Partnerships Manager at Forte Healthcare, an Irish-owned animal health SME. After qualifying and working as a veterinary surgeon, Chadwick sought a role that would have a greater impact on overall animal health. She works with the R&D pipeline, looking at animal health solutions that enable a reduction in the use of antibiotics.

JIM MINTERN

BComm 1987, DipPrAcc 1988

Jim Mintern has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of CRH, having been with the building materials company for over 20 years. In recent years, CRH quit the Irish Stock Exchange and moved its main listing from London to the New York Stock Exchange. Mintern led this strategic transition of CRH’s primary listing. CRH employs 80,000 people in 29 countries and is the market leader in both North America and Europe, partnering on transportation and critical utility infrastructure projects, and complex non-residential construction and outdoor living solutions.

KEVIN LUCEY

BBLS 2000, MAcc 2001

DCC PLC, the conglomerate that owns Flogas, has appointed Kevin Lucey to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Lucey joined DCC in 2010 and has held various roles over the past 15 years, most recently that of Chief Financial Officer. DCC has its headquarters in Dublin but is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is in the process of implementing a new strategy to concentrate on its core energy business.

MANDY O’SULLIVAN

MAcc 1997

DCC PLC has promoted Mandy O’Sullivan to the role of Group Director of Corporate Development and its leadership team. Previously O’Sullivan, who has been with DCC since 2017, held the role of Head of Corporate Finance. The company is currently building a multi-energy sustainable business in the energy sector and aims to grow DCC into a global energy leader with its ‘Cleaner Energy in Your Power’ strategy.

PAT LAFFAN

BSc Economics and Finance 2003

Dairygold has appointed Pat Laffan as General Manager for its Dairy Ireland business. Laffan will have responsibility for the management of the manufacturing and commercial aspects of the business, enhancing its commercial and operational performance, and leveraging recent investments in modern facilities to seize new opportunities and optimise financial outcomes. Laffan has been with Dairygold for over 20 years, serving in a variety of commercial and financial roles.

CIARA REILLY

MSc Marketing Practice 2006

After almost two decades with the company, Ciara Reilly has been appointed the new Managing Director of RED C Research. RED C was acquired by the Business Post Group in 2021. In recent years, it has expanded into the UK under the RED C and Relish Research brands. The consultancy delivers insight through research and employs over 85 staff across Dublin and London. It is ranked among the top 125 market research companies globally.

ELIZABETH SHEEHAN

BARRY O’SULLIVAN

JOHN O’DRISCOLL

CATHAL MARLEY

PAUL LYNAM

CONNIE COSTELLO

TONY CHAMBERS

LOUISE RYAN

PAUL KELLY

CONOR MURPHY

SARAH BOGOSSIAN

EAMON BRABAZON

LUCY CHADWICK

JIM MINTERN

KEVIN LUCEY

MANDY O’SULLIVAN

PAT LAFFAN

CIARA REILLY

ELIZABETH SHEEHAN

BComm International 1994

BARRY O’SULLIVAN

BA 1995, MBA 2008

JOHN O’DRISCOLL

MSc Financial Services 2015

CATHAL MARLEY

BA 1988, MBA 2003

PAUL LYNAM

BSocSc 2010

CONNIE COSTELLO

BComm 1987, DipPrAcc 1988

TONY CHAMBERS

BComm 1989, DipPrAcc 1990

LOUISE RYAN

MBS 1996

PAUL KELLY

BComm 1988

CONOR MURPHY

MBS 2005

SARAH BOGOSSIAN

MBS International

EAMON BRABAZON

BComm 1992, MAcc 1993

LUCY CHADWICK

MVB 2009

JIM MINTERN

BComm 1987, DipPrAcc 1988

KEVIN LUCEY

BBLS 2000, MAcc 2001

MANDY O’SULLIVAN

MAcc 1997

PAT LAFFAN

BSc Economics and Finance 2003

CIARA REILLY

MSc Marketing Practice 2006

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