Michael Cawley, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland, has announced the appointment of Paul Kelly as Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland. Paul, who was appointed after a competitive process by the Board, is a highly experienced senior executive. He has previously held positions as Marketing Director of Diageo Ireland and European Marketing Director for Aviva and is currently Strategic Marketing Director for UCD Smurfit Business School. He is a native of Wexford and a commerce graduate from University College Dublin.
Michael Cawley said: “I am delighted to have Paul Kelly as the new Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland. During his distinguished career in world-class consumer marketing led companies, Paul has demonstrated the management and marketing leadership, which will be crucial for the task of continuing the development of the Irish tourism industry which is so vital to Ireland’s economy.
“We have been very fortunate to secure the services of such an experienced professional as Paul as a leader of the Irish tourism sector and my colleagues on the Board of Fáilte Ireland and I look forward to working with him in the challenging times that lie ahead. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Shaun Quinn, who will retire as Chief Executive at the end of this month, for his many years of service and wish him well for the future.”
Paul Kelly said: “I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead such an excellent organisation as Fáilte Ireland and to further the development of such an important industry to Ireland as tourism. I hope to build on the great work done in recent years by Shaun Quinn and the strong team in Fáilte Ireland.”
The appointment will be effective from 1st February 2017.
