5 September 2024
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Cork native Anne O’Leary appointed Ibec President
Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has announced the appointment of Anne O’Leary, Head of Meta Ireland, as its new President for 2024 to 2025. She succeeds Paul Duffy, Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global Supply.
Ibec Picture Conor McCabe Photography.
Speaking about her appointment, the Blackrock lady said:
“I am immensely proud to have been appointed as Ibec President. In my various roles with businesses in Ireland, I have always placed great value on Ibec’s role as the voice of business and employers.
Ireland’s economy is in a very strong position, thanks to factors such as our openness to trade, capital, and people. We must continue to be agile and responsive to new investment, support Irish businesses in internationalising, and ensure that Ireland remains a place where careers can grow and develop. However, I believe the position we are in now is predominantly due to the hard work of businesses and their ambition to grow and scale. As a country, we have a real opportunity to make strategic investments that will ultimately future-proof our success so that businesses can continue to thrive. I look forward to working on behalf of Ibec and our members with this government and the next in navigating these opportunities.”
Ibec CEO Danny McCoy said: “We are delighted to announce Anne as the incoming President. Anne has a deep understanding of the global business landscape in Ireland and, through her many roles, has worked closely with the Irish SME sector. At this time of change, having someone of Anne’s experience supporting the business community is crucial for our advocacy work. Anne is not only a brilliant champion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion but also someone who works hard to uphold these principles through her leadership of Meta Ireland, a global giant based in Ireland with a diverse and global workforce representing over 110 nationalities. We extend our best wishes to her for a successful year ahead.”
Anne O’Leary joined Meta in September 2022 as the Vice President of Mid-Market Global Business Group in EMEA. In May 2023, Anne was appointed Head of Meta Ireland to oversee the community and culture across three locations; Meta’s HQ in Ballsbridge Dublin, Clonee Data Centre in Meath and Reality Labs in Cork.
In her day-to-day capacity, Anne collaborates closely with business leaders across the EMEA region, empowering them to harness the potential of Meta’s apps to expand their reach and engage new customers.
Anne also holds seats on the boards of ESRI and Greencore. Anne previously spent 9 years as CEO in Vodafone Ireland, as well as spending time in BT Ireland as Managing Director and Esat Telecom as Regional Director.
Anne will address Ibec members and stakeholders at their annual President’s dinner this evening in RDS where Taoiseach Simon Harris TD will also speak.