Ireland

Irish Times managing director retires after 11 years in role

Liam Kavanagh joined company in 2000 and oversaw acquisition of Examiner Group

From left, circulation and audience director Fran Walsh, Media Solutions director Eimear Moran, outgoing managing director Liam Kavanagh and Irish Times Group chief financial officer Michael Sheehan at a presentation for Mr Kavanagh. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
From left, circulation and audience director Fran Walsh, Media Solutions director Eimear Moran, outgoing managing director Liam Kavanagh and Irish Times Group chief financial officer Michael Sheehan at a presentation for Mr Kavanagh. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Jade Wilson
Wed Dec 01 2021 - 01:00

Managing director of The Irish Times Liam Kavanagh retires from his role this week after 11 years at the helm of the company.

Mr Kavanagh joined The Irish Times in September 2000 and was appointed to the board the following year. He became company secretary in 2002 and was appointed deputy managing director in 2006, before taking on the role of managing director in 2010.

In a note to staff last month, Mr Kavanagh said he was “honoured” to have played a role in developing The Irish Times over the past two decades.

In his time as managing director, he oversaw the advent of The Irish Times digital and print subscription services, which now have more than 125,000 subscribers, as well as the acquisition of the Examiner Group in 2018.

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“It’s now time for me to pass the role to a successor who will take the challenge from here,” he said.

ESB executive Paul Mulvaney has been appointed as Mr Kavanagh's successor. Mr Mulvaney has been a member of the ESB executive management team and executive director of customer delivery for ESB Networks. His appointment is effective from December 1st.

Chairman of the board Dan Flinter thanked Mr Kavanagh for his "outstanding leadership" of the company. "Liam has led the organisation through an extraordinary time of change within the media industry and is leaving The Irish Times group in an excellent position in the marketplace, where we are well placed for the future," he said.

Mr Kavanagh, who will turn 61 in December, is a former president of Dublin Chamber of Commerce and has served on the board of the World Association of Newspapers and the European board of industry group INMA.