Mannok’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Liam McCaffrey, has announced he is to retire from the role this year.

The news broke today, Thursday, January 4, when employees at the company were informed of the 2024 change in leadership.

Mr. Caffrey (61) is to be succeeded in the CEO role by Dara O’Reilly, with Mr. Caffrey then to take on the role of a Non-Executive Director with the company, formerly called Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH).

The leadership change will see Brenda Rennick replacing Mr. O’Reilly as Chief Financial Officer at Mannok.

As part of the announcement, Mr. McCaffrey paid tribute to colleagues and staff at the company, as well as its senior management team, including Ms. Rennick, Mr. O’Reilly, and Chief Operations Officer Kevin Lunney.

He said: “It has been my privilege to serve as CEO, working alongside exceptional colleagues across the business and with a hugely supportive Board.

“What we have achieved for the business and the region, we have achieved together, and I know that will continue under the leadership of Dara, Brenda, Kevin and the broader senior management team.” 

Mr. O’Reilly said: “This is a resilient business with great people and a bright future.  Over the coming years we will continue to source, produce and employ locally, but we will also transform our manufacturing processes to become one of the cleanest producers in our industry.

“Managing that energy transition, whilst continuing to grow the business, will be our key priority for the business over the coming years.”

Mr. McCaffrey and Mr. O’Reilly have served as CEO and CFO respectively since the establishment of Mannok (then QIH) in December, 2014.

Since that time, Mannok has invested more than €100m in the region, turnover has doubled, and the business has added over 150 jobs.

Paying tribute to Mr. McCaffrey, Adrian Barden, Chairman of Mannok, said: “Liam has been a formidable leader of Mannok over the past nine years, developing and growing the company into a profitable and well-invested business whose people, products and services are widely respected in the industry.

“We are very pleased to have continuing access to his knowledge and experience in his capacity as a Non-Executive Director.”

He continued: “Dara and Brenda enjoy the respect and trust of their colleagues, and of the Board.

“I wish them well in our next phase of growth as an increasingly sustainability focused business.”