Anne O’Leary, former CEO of Vodafone Ireland and VP of Meta Ireland’s EMEA Global Business Division, has been appointed head of Meta Ireland. This follows her joining the tech giant under a year ago.
Hailing from Cork, O’Leary is looking forward to leading the team in Ireland and contributing to the company’s success. She will officially take up the position on May 1, succeeding Rick Kelly who took over from Gareth Lamb in 2022 but announced plans to step down last month.
At the helm of Meta Ireland, O’Leary will be responsible for the international headquarters, governance, and executing the company’s future strategy. In her primary role as VP, she leads the sales team working with medium-sized businesses across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
“Our apps connect people to their interests and businesses to their customers, empowering people to build communities all over the world,” O’Leary said.
Meta has been experiencing a difficult time, as many other tech firms, having ballooned their headcount during the pandemic, only to slow down hiring and reduce their workforce last year due to economic conditions and an e-commerce slump. As of November, the company has cut 21,000 jobs, with another 10,000 positions being impacted last week.
Meta, which heavily relies on ad revenue, is also vulnerable to advertisers tightening their budgets due to rising inflation and interest rates. Later today, the company will publish their Q1 financial results.
O’Leary is no stranger to change and progress. Having spent 14 years with Vodafone Ireland, she spearheaded the expansion of the company’s product offerings to businesses, oversaw the rollout of 4G and 5G services, and the commencement of fibre broadband services.
She is also a strong advocate for women in business, having implemented fertility and pregnancy policies during her tenure at Vodafone Ireland. This includes extended leave for those dealing with fertility treatment and pregnancy loss, as well as their partners.
As part of this, Vodafone signed a four-year sponsorship deal with Irish rugby in 2016, which has been renewed for another four years and is valued at €16 million. This has seen Irish rugby grow in stature, and Ireland is on course for a Six Nations Grand Slam this year.
At Meta, O’Leary is leading a team helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation efforts, making her the right person at the right time.
