The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, today (Thursday) announced the appointment of Mr Frank Ryan as Chairperson designate of the Board of IDA Ireland.
In accordance with the Government decision of 12 April 2011, Mr Ryan will appear before the Joint Committee for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation later today.
Mr Ryan recently retired as CEO of Enterprise Ireland, having served as CEO of Enterprise Ireland for two five year terms from 2003-2012, during which time jobs and exports from exporting Irish companies hit record levels. Exports from Irish companies increased from €9.6billion in 2003 to a record high of €16.2billion in 2012, despite the crisis.
He previously worked for 25 years with IDA Ireland, serving in North America from 1979 to 1983 and was a member of the team who successfully attracted the Intel investment to Ireland in 1989, and was Executive Director of the Agency at the conclusion of his service for IDA.
At an earlier stage of his career Mr Ryan worked for 6 years in the ICT industry.
Making the announcement, Minister Bruton said: “IDA Ireland is one of the best multinational investment agencies in the world. In the past two years it has delivered record performances in terms of jobs growth, with over 12,000 additional jobs created, record numbers of investments delivered and a growing list of world-leading companies establishing operations in Ireland.
“Frank Ryan, with over 35 years’ experience in supporting the economic development of Ireland is ideally placed to oversee the next phase of the growth of the multinational sector. I am confident that under his chairmanship, the multinational sector can continue the strong growth which has been so crucial to our economic recovery in recent years.
“Furthermore, with his experience as CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Frank is uniquely positioned to oversee the increased collaboration between the multinational sector and our innovative Irish companies that is so important to our economic recovery. Increased linkages between the multinational sector and our innovative Irish companies is a win-win for our economy – delivering major supply-chain opportunities for Irish companies, and innovative products and services for multinationals. I have said many times that we must not only seek to attract world-leading companies to Ireland, but also start and grow more world-leading companies in Ireland”.
“I would like to wish Frank every success in his term as Chairperson and I look forward to working with him.
“I would finally like to thank Liam O’Mahony for his commitment, energy , expertise and service to the country as Chairperson for the past 5 years, and to commend him on the success that occurred on his watch in recent years”.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Frank Ryan is a native of Dundalk and was educated by the Christian Brothers in Dundalk .
On leaving school he joined Air Traffic Control and after basic training in Cork Airport was assigned to Dublin Airport.
He later returned to Dundalk to work in an Irish computer company Qeleq Limited for a period of four years. He then moved to Honeywell Computers, Dublin for a further two years. In August 1978,he joined IDA Ireland as a Project Executive, working on the attraction of overseas IT companies to Ireland.
During a twenty five year career with IDA Ireland Mr Ryan served in North America from 1979-1983 and was a member of the IDA team which successfully attracted the Intel investment to Ireland in 1989. Today, Intel employs over 4,000 people at Leixlip, Co. Kildare with an associated investment of $7 billion. At the conclusion of his IDA service he was the Executive Director of the Agency responsible for the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment to Ireland.
During his time in IDA Ireland he completed a Diploma in Business Strategy at the Irish Management Institute and an MSc in Strategic Management at Trinity College, Dublin.
He was appointed Chief Executive Officer at Enterprise Ireland in November 2003. By end 2012 exports by Irish companies had grown from Euro 9.6 Billion in 2003 to Euro 16.2 Billion. His tenure at Enterprise Ireland was characterised by a focus on leadership including the setting of high expectations of his own work ethic and that of others to deliver on behalf of our clients and the state.
He retired from Enterprise Ireland on 2 November, 2013 following the completion of his second five year term as Chief Executive Officer.
Earlier this month he was conferred with an honorary degree Doctor of Laws by University College Dublin and was the recipient of the Innovation in Management Award 2013 from the Irish Management Institute.
In addition, he is currently:
· Chairman of the Early Learning Initiative(ELI), National College of Ireland
· Chairman, Judging Panel, Deloitte Best Managed Company Awards
· Council Member, Irish Tax Institute
· Member of the Committee of Industry and Commerce, Royal Dublin Society(RDS)
He is married to Rose, and has two adult children.
He now resides in Co. Meath.