Anne O’Leary President Ibec 2024/25
9th September 2024
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. Anne succeeds Paul Duffy, Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global Supply. Speaking about her appointment, she 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.”
Ibec President’s Dinner
Speaking at the Ibec President’s dinner last week, which marks the annual presidency handover, Anne said:
“The key theme of my tenure as Ibec President, and contribution this evening, will be ‘openness’.
Acknowledging that the global landscape is changing Anne said: “We need to intensify our competitive offering if Ireland is to remain open and primed for success.”
She also touched on ‘critical and social infrastructure’ gaps that persist in housing, childcare and education. “Such gaps are posing significant obstacles to the next phase of our economic growth,” she admitted.
On the important topic of diversity, equity and inclusion – an area Anne is particularly passionate about, she reflected:
“I see DEI not just as a driver for better business, but as a foundation for a better society.”
“Going forward, we need to be clear on what we stand for when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.
As business leaders who take responsibility to our customers, employees and stakeholders with the utmost seriousness, we can – and must – do more.
My presidency will be underpinned by the values that reflect Irish business and society.”
You can download Anne’s full speech here>>
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 holds seats on the boards of ESRI and Greencore. She 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.
