Ibec CEO Danny McCoy and new Ibec president Anne O'Leary. Image: Conor McCabe
O’Leary is a veteran of business leadership, having worked with Vodafone Ireland for 14 years before taking on roles at Meta.
Anne O’Leary, the head of Meta Ireland, has been appointed as the new president of business lobby group Ibec until 2025.
O’Leary takes over from Paul Duffy, senior VP of Pfizer Global Supply. She is a veteran business leader, having worked with Vodafone Ireland for more than 14 years and taking the role of CEO in 2013.
In this position, she led the company’s 2,000 staff in Ireland and oversaw the nationwide roll-out of 4G and 5G. She was also a strong advocate for inclusivity at the workplace while at the helm of the telecoms giant.
In 2022, O’Leary left Vodafone to join Meta as its vice-president of the mid-market business division for the EMEA region. Within a year, she was also given the role of Meta’s head of operations in Ireland, replacing Rick Kelley who left after roughly one year in the position.
In this role, she collaborates with business leaders across the EMEA region to show them the potential of Meta’s apps in reaching customers.
“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,” said Ibec CEO Danny McCoy. “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.”
Speaking on her appointment, O’Leary said she has always placed “great value” on Ibec’s role as a voice for businesses in Ireland.
“Ireland’s economy is in a very strong position, thanks to factors such as our openness to trade, capital and people,” she said. “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.”
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