Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons is the most influential Irish business executive on social media for the second year running, according to The Reputations Agency.

The firm’s Social CEO 2021 Report places Three chief executive Robert Finnegan in second place as a social media influencer, with Vodafone Ireland head Anne O’Leary in third place.

The report also reveals that almost half of chief executives are not communicating on any social media channel.  

The report analysed the social media activity and LinkedIn profiles of 100 CEOs, and further explored those CEOs who are making best use of LinkedIn as a tool to communicate on behalf of their own organisation. 

The study showed that LinkedIn was social media channel of choice for chief executives, with 84% of the 100 Irish leaders examined having an account. However, only 55% posted in 2021, up from 38% in 2020, while just 22% posted on Twitter.

In Association with

Reputations Agency managing director Niamh Boyle said: “Leaders are an important conduit for enterprises to communicate about their organisations, articulating a clear and compelling corporate vision and sense of purpose. A leader who can communicate openly, authentically, and transparently can help win the hearts and minds of their stakeholders.”

Director Anne Browning added: “Over the course of the study it was interesting to observe the type of content used by Irish leaders who ranked in the Top 10. Across the board, those leaders understand the power of using rich imagery and video content for connecting with their audience.”

Publication of the comprehensive report also marks year two of the agency’s Leaders Reputation Programme, a three-month approach to educating business leaders in effective communication to build their firm’s profile.

Photo: Niall Gibbons (left) on the links with actor Bill Murray. (Pic: RollingNews.ie)