Dave Kirwan  is returning to his former role as managing director of Bord Gáis Energy, while incumbent Catherine O’Kelly will take up a new role in the UK at parent company Centrica.

It’s a case of musical chairs for the two. Kirwan preceded O’Kelly in BGE’s top job, then took off to the UK as managing director of Centrica’s UK Home division, while Kelly took over his desk at BGE.

Kirwan (pictured) will also be a member of the Centrica Group executive committee.

“After almost three years leading a great team and business in the UK, I am very pleased to take up the reins in Ireland again as managing director and continue to build on the very strong position of the company," said Kirwan.  

“As we emerge from lockdown, energy supply to businesses, homes and communities will be a vital enabler of Ireland’s economic recovery. I look forward to working again with the great team in Bord Gáis Energy and drawing on the wider strengths in the Centrica group as we play our part in Ireland’s recovery in both the short and long term.”

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Catherine O’Kelly stated: "I have been privileged to lead Bord Gáis Energy over the past two years, a period of growth for the company. I am extremely proud of what our business has achieved as we have introduced new products and services to Irish customers, rewarded customer loyalty, and invested to serve our customers better."

Centrica Restructuring

Centrica plc has announced plans for a significant restructure that will see three management layers removed. Around half of the current 40 strong Senior Leadership Team will leave the group by the end of August.

The company plans to shed c. 5,000 jobs, with over half the cuts from management layers. The company said most of the redundancies will occur in H2 following consultation with workers and their unions.

Bord Gáis Energy signalled that there are no planned redundancies in Ireland.

The changes are being implemented by group chief executive Chris O’Shea, who assumed the role three months ago.

“The harsh reality is that we have lost over half of our earnings in recent years. Now we must bring focus by modernising and simplifying the way we do business,” he stated. “The changes we are proposing to make are designed to arrest our decline, allow us to focus on our customers and create a sustainable company.”