PR and communications agency Wilson Hartnell has appointed Sarah O’Connor as deputy chief executive.

O’Connor (pictured above) joined Wilson Hartnell as a director and head of its sports marketing business six years ago and has played a significant role in the growth and development of the company, it said, “leading the team to multi-award-winning work both locally and internationally”.

She began her career as a solicitor in corporate law with Arthur Cox and later became chief executive of the Sports Federation of Ireland, as well as serving on and chairing the board of BoardMatch Ireland.

Chief executive Sharon Murphy said: “Sarah’s appointment comes on the back of a period of very strong growth for the company. She has a rare mix of skills and experience, which will undoubtedly serve the company and our clients very well into the future.

“Her strategic ability is second to none, and she brings a well-rounded perspective to all her work. Apart from her abundance of skills, she is a fantastic colleague that we are privileged to work with.”

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Professional services firm Aon Ireland has recruited Mairead O’Mahony to the position of head of wealth solutions.

O’Mahony joins from Mercer Ireland where she had been chief commercial officer since 2019.

US-based Aon says the appoinment will “ensure the company’s retirement and investment services are best positioned to unlock value and capital for clients”.

The company stated: “A key priority for O’Mahony will be to help Ireland’s employers to navigate the new reforms to the pensions framework in Ireland. With the transposition of the EU’s IORP II Directive and the expected introduction of an auto-enrolment retirement savings scheme, businesses will face new regulatory requirements and responsibilities.”

Aon employs 750 people in Ireland and has four main business lines: commercial risk, health, wealth and human capital, and five shared service functions.

O'Mahony commented: “My priority in the coming months will be to help employers and trustees to harness the opportunities brought about by changes in the pensions landscape. This includes supporting schemes that need to make changes to comply with the new regulations, as well as those who will choose to move towards master trust pension schemes. For many employers, master trusts will prove to be the best vehicle to support their employees future financial security.”

In the legal sector, Hayes Solicitors LLP has announced that Kevin Harnett is joining the firm as partner and head of construction. Harnett joins from Maples and Calder and his practice encompasses advice to the various industry stakeholders, including contractors, developers, public bodies, designers, sub-contractors, financial institutions, insurers, materials suppliers and insolvency practitioners.

Joe O’Malley, managing partner at Hayes, commented: “This new move reflects our commitment to strengthening our focus in the commercial real estate sector. Kevin brings extensive experience to bolster our client service offering to all areas of real estate, property transactions and advisory and contentious construction matters.”

Kevin Harnett added: “Hayes has ambitious plans and a desire to deliver the best service to its clients. Our construction and real estate clients require an end-to-end service as their projects progress. While there is significant turbulence in the industry and challenges for the years ahead, there will continue to be many opportunities – my goal will be to help our clients navigate the best route to success on each project and over the long term.”