President's message

Taoiseach, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am truly honoured to address you as the new Ibec President.

I wish to begin by welcoming and thanking Taoiseach Simon Harris for joining us this evening. Throughout his various Ministries and now as Taoiseach, he has consistently engaged with businesses of all sizes. I know he shares the view of everyone in this room that a thriving business community is integral to realising our societal ambitions and that it is through a strong business sector that we can generate the resources needed to deliver real change for our country.

I want to thank Paul Duffy for his work and dedication as Ibec President over the past 12 months. Paul has represented the business community with distinction here in Ireland, Brussels, and in Washington D.C. It has been a pleasure working closely with him, most recently when we met Minister for Finance Jack Chambers and Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform Paschal Donohoe to discuss Ibec’s Budget 2025 priorities.

 

Presidents Speech 2024 pdf | 109.6 kb

Anne O'Leary - Biography

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. Anne is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, a commitment mirrored in Meta's workforce in Ireland, which comprises 80 teams representing over 110 nationalities.

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. Beyond her role at Meta, Anne also serves as the Vice President of IBEC and will take up the role of President in September 2024. She also holds seats on the boards of ERSI and Greencore. Anne 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.

In her spare time, Anne loves to swim in the Irish sea, run, cycle, do yoga and enjoys socialising with friends and family.

Anne O'Leary

VP of Mid-Market Global Business Group & Head of Meta Ireland