One of the world’s leading health data firms Datavant has appointed Deirdre Giblin as VP of Operations and Site Lead for its global R&D centre in Galway. 

Last month, the company announced its expansion into Ireland with the opening of its Global Development Centre which will initially create 125 jobs.

Datavant said recruitment is now open for a range of engineering roles.

Galway native Giblin is a senior technology and operations leader with over 27 years of experience in the communications and software industry.

She has held a series of senior global positions at a world leading communications technology company.

Most recently, as Head of Software Production Systems, Giblin led the global Software Development Ecosystem supporting over 10,000 developers across a number of R&D centres for a global communications technology company.

She drove large-scale transformation initiatives to enhance software delivery, operational resilience, and innovation. 

Giblin, who has a deep expertise in R&D, cloud transformation, Software-as-a-Service and site operations, is known for building high-performing teams and delivering technology solutions that scale globally. 

She is also a board member of itag (Innovation Technology AtlanTec Gateway) which is a non-profit, industry-led community of indigenous and multinational companies supporting a thriving technology community through talent development, upskilling and providing opportunities to member companies to connect and collaborate. 

In a statement the company said: "Her leadership will be instrumental as Datavant continues to expand its global footprint and build a culture of innovation and excellence in Ireland."

Datavant is considered a world leader in secure, compliant healthcare data exchange and has more than 8,000 employees. 

The firm's Chief Technology Officer Matt Vail said:  “We are delighted to welcome Deirdre to Datavant as our VP of Operations and Site Lead for Datavant Ireland.

"Her deep expertise in R&D and building high-performing teams make her a perfect fit as we set out to rapidly scale Datavant Ireland’s global R&D centre in Ireland.

"The fact that Deirdre is a Galway native fits perfectly with our view that this very metropolitan and welcoming city with its dynamic tech scene will play an important role in our ambitions for Datavant Ireland.

“Datavant Ireland is critical to achieving our vision that all health decisions should be informed by the right data at the right time in the right format.

"We are excited that Deirdre has joined us at the start of our journey in Ireland and will play a key role in our mission to ensure that health data is managed securely and compliantly and helps achieve better outcomes in healthcare globally.”

Speaking about her new role, Ms Giblin said: “I’m honoured to be appointed as VP of Operations and Site Lead for Datavant Ireland.

"There’s a real sense of purpose in joining Datavant, a company that’s building a common platform for healthcare data – something that’s never been done before.

"I truly believe this work will lead to better healthcare outcomes across the U.S., Europe, and globally, and I’m proud to be part of that mission.

“Having spent the past number of years in global leadership roles with a communications technology company, it’s incredibly exciting to bring that experience home and apply it locally here in Galway.

"Being part of Datavant Ireland from the beginning is a fantastic opportunity.

“We want to build a culture where creativity thrives, innovation is expected and problem solving is a shared mindset. It is about empowering teams to challenge the status quo and turn great ideas into real-world impact.”

Photo:Andrew Downes, exposure