Eir CEO Carolan Lennon to step down after four years in top job

11 Jan 2022

Oliver Loomes and Carolan Lennon. Image: Marc O'Sullivan

Diageo Ireland boss Oliver Loomes will be taking over at the telecoms company.

Carolan Lennon is stepping down after four years as CEO of Eir.

The telecoms boss told the Eir board last summer that she plans to leave in 2022 to pursue new career opportunities. In the coming months, she will work with her replacement to ensure a smooth transition.

Oliver Loomes has now been revealed as Eir’s CEO-designate and is joining the company on 1 February.

Loomes has a background in consumer industries, beginning his career at Mars. He went on to hold a number of roles with drinks giant Diageo, where he was most recently chair and managing director at Diageo Ireland.

Speaking about his new role, Loomes said he wants to advance Eir’s position in the Irish telecoms sector and help bring the latest tech to its networks.

“The last two years have only accelerated our reliance on the digital world, be that learning or working from home, or playing or shopping online. Eir has been innovating in telecoms for decades and its continued ambition to give its customers the tools they need to connect in an ever-changing digital world underlines its commitment to remaining at the forefront of the market.”

Lennon became CEO of Eir in 2018 – the first woman to take the helm at Ireland’s largest telecoms company.

In that period, she has overseen many developments including major investments in the company’s 5G network, the roll-out of new mobile brand GoMo and the acquisition of Evros – while the company also dealt with issues such as customer care challenges.

“It has been a true privilege to lead Eir over these last four years. Years which have seen us invest, grow, innovate and face unprecedented challenges without ever slowing our progress,” Lennon said.

David McRedmond, Eir’s chair, said Lennon had successfully steered the company “through a momentous rebuilding phase” that saw significant expansion of both its customer base and network reach.

“Eir is part of the fabric of Irish life. Its purpose is to connect for a better Ireland and, with that in mind, our objective was to appoint an Irish CEO who truly understands Eir’s significance,” McRedmond added.

“With decades of experience in leading iconic brands, Oliver Loomes is the ideal person to lead Eir’s next phase, focused on developing a world-class customer experience and a brand that Ireland can be proud of.”

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Sarah Harford was sub-editor of Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com