Business Movers
Here is a selection of people who have begun new roles with companies and organisations in Ireland, including Digital Business Ireland, Royal London Insurance, Sonica, SparksWealth, emovis and Three.
Jeff Gear, VP of Association of Fine Jewellers, has joined the advisory council of Digital Business Ireland (DBI), Ireland’s dedicated digital and eCommerce representative body. His family business, Gear Jewellers in Dublin, was established by his father Thomas Gear in 1969. Customer service is central to the Parnell Street store and the retailer’s online presence, which uses flexifi to allow customers to buy now and pay later. DBI is the voice of the Irish digital commerce sector and provides a range of services to its membership to include training and events and networking opportunities.
Noel Freeley has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Royal London Insurance DAC, trading under the name of Royal London Ireland. He takes up the role following his position as Royal London Group’s legacy division director. He is an experienced leader, with a track record of senior roles at Co-operative Insurance Society and Friends Provident as well as Royal London. Last month, Royal London’s Irish subsidiary reported business sales growth of 20% up to €152m (2018: €126.5m), while its new business contribution increased to €15m in 2019 (2018: €12.2m).
Andreas Heil has been appointed as head of design and architecture with construction fit-out company Sonica. He will support and lead all creative teams responsible for project design and sustainability and will also cover all design-related areas that support the continued global expansion of Sonica. Originally from Germany, he brings more than 20 years of postgraduate design and architecture experience in Ireland, notably working for Murray Ó Laoire Architects before he founded his own practice Innen Interior Architects. He was named “Fit-Out Designer of the Year” in 2016. Sonica has more than 50 employees in its offices in Dublin, Cork, Belfast and Berlin.
Will Sparks has launched personal wealth management firm SparksWealth, a boutique alternative to the large firms in the sector. A former associate director with Quilter Cheviot, he has launched the new firm with the aim of disrupting the industry. He said: “We focus on the client’s expenditure, worries and needs. For most clients, 2008 is fresh in their minds. We don’t shy away from events like the Covid-19 crisis.” SparksWealth also looks at how changes in government, tax regime, and market events will impact a client’s ability to cover living expenses etc. SparksWealth is based in Dublin 2.
Stephen McCarthy has been appointed as CEO for Ireland with emovis, the mobility solutions provider. He was the firm’s head of transition management and he will now oversee transport and mobility operations in Ireland. Emovis runs the Interoperability Management Services and also M50 Western Ring-Road free-flow tolling system. He previously worked for Vodafone for 16 years, notably as head of quality and performance. He has also worked in IT solutions for both Vertel and Astracon, and worked across their offices in Dublin, New Jersey and Chicago. He holds a degree in Computer Engineering from TCD.
Elaine Carey has been appointed as chief commercial officer of Three Ireland and Three UK, adding the UK to her existing Irish role. Her brief is to drive growth by maximising the platform of the UK’s largest 5G spectrum portfolio and fully leveraging the £2bn investment in IT and network. She brings more than 20 years of telecoms experience, driving the firm’s commercial growth in Ireland for the past 13 years, helping market share grow from 1% to 36%. She was a key member of the team that completed the integration of O2 in Ireland and has been the executive sponsor of Three Ireland’s digital transformation programme.
