Anne O’Leary, the current leader of Meta Ireland, has officially been announced as Ibec’s president for 2024-2025. This role was previously held by Paul Duffy, who was the senior vice-president of Pfizer Global Supply. In response to her appointment, O’Leary expressed her pride and eagerness to take on the position.
Emphasising the strong economic state of Ireland, O’Leary attributed this favourable condition to the country’s openness to commerce and capital ventures. She applauded the efforts and laterally the ambitions of the nation’s businesses to expand, which significantly contributed to Ireland’s economic standing.
On the road ahead, she stressed the importance of agility and responsiveness to new investments, the necessity to assist Irish businesses in their international journey and the effort to maintain Ireland as an ideal place for career progression.
Danny McCoy, the Ibec chief executive, was positive about the news of O’Leary’s appointment and expressed the significance of having an individual of her calibre stepping up for the Irish business community. Highlighting her profound comprehension of Ireland’s global business scene and her connection with the Irish SME sector from her past roles, O’Leary is expected to bring a wealth of expertise to her new position.
O’Leary’s journey in Meta began as the vice-president of mid-market global business group in EMEA. She transitioned to her latest position a year ago. Past credentials also include her nine-year service as Vodafone’s CEO, a stint as managing director at BT Ireland, and a regional directorship at Esat Telecom.
Recently released provisional data from the Central Statistics Office of retail sales in July 2024 pointed to a slight increase of 0.1 per cent compared to the earlier month. Notably, the most significant boost was witnessed in the clothing and textiles sector, escalating by 4.8 per cent.
O’Leary has a planned address to Ibec members at the much-anticipated annual president’s dinner scheduled for Thursday evening.