CEO Update: Welcoming Paul Duffy as new Ibec President

Dear member,

I am delighted to announce that Paul Duffy, Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global Supply has been elected as the Ibec President for 2023 to 2024.

Paul has worked for Pfizer for more than 30 years and has held multiple roles of increasing global responsibility. Paul is a current Board Member of Ibec and recently held the position of Chairperson of the Workplace Relations Commission. Over the years he has been a Board Member of various organisations, including IDA Ireland.

I wish to extend my thanks to outgoing Ibec President, Imelda Hurley, CEO of Coillte, for her tireless work and dedication to Irish business over the past year. Also, congratulations to Anne O’Leary, VP of EMEA Global Business and Head of Meta Ireland, who has been appointed Deputy President for the upcoming year.

Their appointments took place on the same day as Ibec’s Annual President’s Dinner attended by over 750 people in the RDS last night. It was a particularly special evening as we celebrated 30 years of Ibec and the contribution the organisation has made to Irish business over the last three decades.

In his keynote address (available here), Paul highlighted that Ireland’s current strong economic positioning presents us with a remarkable opportunity to progress many aspects of our society. He noted that the most significant catalyst for the growth and advancement of our industries in Ireland remains our people. He said it is imperative that Ireland continues to excel as a country that not only attracts diverse talents but also nurtures their careers, providing an environment that is a great place to live and work.

It is a real privilege to have someone of Paul’s experience and credentials in the position of Ibec President and working on behalf of the organisation. I look forward to working closely with him over the next 12 months and wish him great success.

At the dinner, we were honoured to have guests not only from business but also media, civil society and politics. We were especially pleased to be joined by Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Simon Coveney TD, who noted in his address that despite some current economic uncertainty ambitious plans need to be made for the future. He said the Government wants to get the balance right between committing to spending based on income that is not guaranteed in the future and the need to invest in public services and support living standards.

His comments are prescient in the context of our ongoing series of Regional Executive Committee (REC) meetings currently taking place across the country. The meetings are a great opportunity for the business community to engage directly with their local political representatives on key issues such as cost competitiveness, increased infrastructure and social investment requirements and the importance of future-proofing our talent pipeline so that the Irish economy and society can thrive.

These priorities are clearly reflected in Ibec’s Budget 2024 campaign ‘Harnessing Abundance’ which went live over the summer. You can learn more about the campaign and read the full submission by visiting ibec.ie/Budget2024

As always if you have any feedback or comments, please let me know.

Thank you for your continued support.

Regards,

Danny McCoy

CEO

Ibec