The Board & Executive

John Fitzgerald F.C.C.A.

Mr. Fitzgerald has spent most of his career working in local government, serving in several senior positions, including that of Dublin City Manager from 1996 until 2006. He chaired the steering group which prepared and monitored the Strategic Planning Guidelines for the greater Dublin area. Currently, he is chairman of the Grangegorman Development Agency and of the two Regeneration Agencies set up in Limerick following his report to Government on problems of social exclusion in that city.

Patrick Compton

Employee Director
Appointed 1 November, 2008; fifth term
Age 52

Mr. Compton has worked in the postal service for the past thirty-five years and his current position is that of Partnership Co-ordinator, based in Roscommon.  He was a member of the national executive of the Communications Workers Union for twenty two years and its president in 1986.  He is active in community development in his local area and he is a member of Arigna Leader Board and Roscommon County Development Board. He is a director of The Prize Bond Company Limited.

Jerry Condon

Employee Director - 2
Appointed 1 November, 2008; fourth term
Age 55

Mr. Condon commenced work in 1971 with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and has worked as a Post Office Clerk for his entire career.  He has been an active member of the Communications Workers Union throughout his career and he served on the national executive of that union for thirteen years.

 Donal Connell, C.Eng., F.I.E.I., B.E. 

 Director - 2, 3
 Appointed on 14 August, 2006
 Age 55

Mr. Connell was appointed as Chief Executive on 14 August 2006.  He began his career in the Department of Post and Telegraphs and has held senior manager positions in Unitrode Ireland, 3Com Ireland and Maxtor Ireland where he was General Manager prior to joining An Post.  He is a non-executive director of Xilinx Corporation European Board and of Postbank Ireland Limited. He is also Chairman of An Post National Lottery Company.

Anne Connolly, B.A., M.B.A.

Director - 2
Appointed on 23 November, 2007
Age 55

Ms. Connolly is currently working as Director of the Ageing Well Network. She is also a director of Anne Connolly Consulting Limited, a strategic management consultancy company.  Prior to forming this company, she worked as strategy manager with Kingspan plc and, before that, at senior management level in the public and not-for-profit sectors.  She has previously been on the boards of ICC Bank plc and APSO and she was chairperson of the Federation of Simon Communities in Ireland.

Paddy Costello

Throughout his employment, he has represented members of the CWU at Delivery Offices right across Dublin.  He became the Office Representative for Finglas during the 1980s and later went on to represent the Branch in various positions, including Branch Liaison Officer, Vice Chairperson and Assistant Secretary.  He is currently serving as the Treasurer of the Dublin Postal Delivery Branch.

Patrick Davoren

Employee Director
Appointed 1 November, 2008; fifth term
Age 59

Mr. Davoren commenced work in 1965 with the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and has worked as a Post Office Clerk for his entire career.  He has been an active member of the Communications Workers Union throughout his career.  He was a local branch treasurer for twenty years and he served on the national executive of the union for two years.

Louise English, B.Comm, F.C.A.

Director - 1,2
Appointed 1 June, 2005
Age 46

An accountant by profession, Ms. English began her career with PriceWaterhouse and then joined IBI Corporate Finance. She held a number of positions there, including Director of Mergers & Acquisitions.  A member of the Institute of Directors, she has served on the Boards of a number of public and private Irish companies including Bord na Móna plc and Sherry Fitzgerald plc.  She is currently a non-executive director of St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group Ltd and other private companies.

Ciara Hurley, B.B.S., M.B.S. (Banking & Finance), M.S.I.

Director - 1
Appointed 3 April, 2006
Age 43

Ms Hurley is an Investment Manager with Citi Quilter.  She has over eighteen years experience in wealth management which she gained while working with Goodbody Stockbrokers, Merrill Lynch International Bank Ltd, where she was Investment Director, and now with Citi Quilter.  She is a member of the Securities & Investment Institute (Ireland) and also of the Institute of Directors.

James Hyland, B.Comm., F.C.A., F.C.I.S., M.C.I.Arb., M.E.W.I.

Director - 1
Appointed 11 December, 2003
Age 72

Mr. Hyland, a chartered accountant, is former Deputy Chief Executive of Golden Vale Group and was Group Chief Executive of Youghal Carpets plc.  He is Managing Director of James Hyland & Company, Forensic Accountants, and a partner of Hyland Johnson Murray, Chartered Accountants. He is chairman or director of several companies including An Post National Lottery Company.

Brian McConnell, B.B.S.

Director
Appointed 3 April, 2006
Age 61

A career banker by profession, Mr. McConnell has vast experience in the Financial Services Sector.  He has served as Chief Executive of Permanent tsb and Ulster Investment Bank (Corporate Banking / Finance). Now retired, he has held directorships in several financial institutions including Irish Life and Permanent Plc, Ulster Bank Limited, Allianz Ireland, Irish Intercontinental Bank and Kereskedelmi et Hittelsbank (Hungary). He is a director of Postbank Ireland Limited.

Gerry O’Toole

He has served on a number of branch committees for different unions over the years and, while he has not been active recently, he is a life long and committed trade unionist.  

John Quinlivan, B.Sc. (Mgt. & Law), M.Sc. (Spatial Planning), Dip. in Public Admin.

Director - 3
Appointed 24 June, 2008; second term
Age 70

Mr. Quinlivan has had a lengthy career in local government, serving in senior positions in nine counties, including fifteen years as Louth County Manager.  He served for five years as a member of the National Roads Authority and he also served as a member of the Local Government Management Services Board and the Local Government Computer Services Board and An Comhairle.

Alan Sloane

Postmaster Director
Appointed 1 January, 2007; third term
Age 51

Mr. Sloane has worked in the family grocery and post office business since 1976.  He was appointed postmaster of Loch Gowna post office, Co. Cavan in 1979.  He is also Managing Director of J.A.S. Limited, a security counter and furniture manufacturing business, which he established in 1985.

Catherine Woods B.A. (Econ)

Director - 3
Appointed 4 February, 2008
Age 46

Ms Woods has spent most of her career in London, concentrating on the financial sector. She has extensive experience of mergers and acquisitions and stockbroking from her seventeen years with JP Morgan as a Vice President. Her mandates included the recapitalisation of Lloyds’ of London Insurance market and the re-privatisation of Scandinavian banks. Since her return to Ireland, she has served on the Electronic Communications Appeals Panel from 2004 to 2007, opining on appeals against decisions made by ComReg.

Key to Board Committees

1. Audit & Security
2. Personnel
3. Remuneration

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The Executive

Donal Connell, C.Eng., F.I.E.I., B.E. 

Chief Executive, Age 55

Mr. Connell was appointed as Chief Executive on 14 August 2006.  He began his career in the Department of Post and Telegraphs and has held senior manager positions in Unitrode Ireland, 3Com Ireland and Maxtor Ireland where he was General Manager prior to joining An Post.  He is a non-executive director of Xilinx Corporation European Board and of Postbank Ireland Limited. He is also Chairman of An Post National Lottery Company.

John Daly, A.C.M.A., M.Sc.(Mgmt.)

Mr. Daly joined An Post in December 1988 having worked previously as a management accountant in FÁS.  During the early part of his career with An Post,  he worked in the Finance division as a management accountant.  He then held various senior finance and management positions within the Retail division before being appointed to his current position in October 2006. He is a director of The Prize Bond Company Limited.

Jack Dempsey, B.Comm., M.B.A., M.P.A.

Mr. Dempsey joined the Post Office in 1968 as an Executive Officer in the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. During his career, he has gained wide experience in all aspects of postal operations and commercial activities, both national and international, occupying a variety of senior management positions across the Company.

 
Peter Gallagher, B.Sc., M.B.A., M.Inst.D

Director of Strategy & Business Excellence, Age 47

Mr Gallagher joined An Post in April 2007 as Head of Strategy and Business Excellence. Prior to joining An Post, he had been a Partner in PA Consulting Group’s Global Business Transformation Practice where he led major transformational and business operational improvement programmes for private & public sector clients. Previous experience also includes Director of Strategy with KPMG Consulting and Business Operations Manager (UK & Irl) for Dell Computer Corporation. 

Pat Knight, M.Sc.(Mgmt.), F.C.I.P.D.

Mr. Knight joined An Post in March 2004 as Human Resources Director.  Previously, he had been General Manager Human Resources at Waterford Crystal, which he joined in 1986.  There, he progressed through various senior HR roles both in Ireland and the UK.  Previous experience also includes work as a Personnel Officer with Bord na Móna plc.  He is a Trustee of the An Post Superannuation Schemes.

 
Brian McCormick, B.E.(Mech.), M.B.A.

Services Director, Age 49

Mr. McCormick joined An Post in May 2002 as Strategy Director and was appointed to his current position of Services Director in October 2003.  Prior experience includes CRH plc and Merrion Corporate Finance where he was a Director.  He is a Trustee of the An Post Superannuation Schemes.

Liam O’Sullivan

Mr. O’Sullivan joined An Post in 1985 as a Post Office Clerk. During his 24 year career in An Post, he has gained broad experience across the full range of the Company’s business in senior managerial and project management positions, including the past five years as Director of Mails Processing and as Director of Collection & Delivery. He was appointed to his current position as Mails Operations Director in April 2009.

Peter Quinn B.Comm., F.C.A., M.B.A.

Mr. Quinn joined An Post in August 2004 having previously worked and held senior financial and strategic positions in PJ Carroll and Company plc and Monaghan Mushrooms Limited.  Earlier in his career, he trained as a chartered accountant and worked in practice with KPMG. He is a director of Postbank Ireland Limited.

Liam Sheehan

Mr. Sheehan joined An Post in 2000 as General Manager Sales & Marketing and he was appointed as Sales & Marketing Director in October 2006.  He has extensive experience in the Irish fast moving consumer goods sector and in brand creation, channel management and sales strategy.  He previously held senior Sales & Marketing positions in Proctor & Gamble and in Guinness and he was Commercial Director with Erin Foods. He is a director of the Irish Direct Marketing Association.

Mr. Tyndall joined An Post in January 1989 as Head of Financial Accounting and he was appointed as Company Secretary in April 1998.  He began his career in the accountancy profession from where he qualified as a chartered accountant.  He then worked and held senior financial and management positions in insurance and distribution businesses.  He is a Trustee of the An Post Superannuation Schemes and he is also Company Secretary to An Post National Lottery Company.

Barney Whelan, B.Sc., M.B.A., F.P.R.I.I.

Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Age 54

Mr. Whelan joined An Post in January 2005.  Having spent many years in the aquaculture industry, he was responsible for public relations and brand communications at the ESB.  He subsequently held the position of Director, Sales and Marketing at The Food Safety Promotion Board.  He was appointed to his current position in October 2006.