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16 Feb 2026
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16 Feb 2026
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Hollymount native Paul O’Malley, Director Global Engineering & Strategy at Hollister, Ballina, has been appointed Ibec West Regional President. The appointment was made by the Committee following a meeting with Minister James Lawless who is the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, at Ibec’s Eyre Square office in Galway.
Speaking about his appointment, Paul O’Malley said "I am delighted to have been selected to be Ibec West Regional President. Despite challenges such as global headwinds, infrastructural constraints, and the need to continuously upskill for the rapid pace of change, the Western region remains an incredible place to invest in and grow businesses. I am very conscious that this is a vital time for the region's development.
Our future success will depend on our ability to overcome obstacles to further growth, such as the delivery of critical infrastructure, housing, and energy security while ensuring we maintain our competitive edge in talent development. We are fortunate to have an incredible ecosystem to support talent through our Skillnets network, Education and Training Boards, Atlantic Technological University, and the University of Galway."
Helen Leahy, Head of Regional Policy at Ibec, said "I want to thank outgoing President Mary Ann Fleming of Penn Engineering for her tireless advocacy on behalf of the Western region. We look forward to progressing the business agenda under Paul’s leadership. The West continues to demonstrate excellence in sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing, MedTech, Tech, Tourism, and many more. Among the members of the regional committee, there is incredible optimism for future growth; however, our ability to expand capacity stems from the decisions we make now- particularly in following through on the recommendations made in the recent publication of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce."
Pictured above L-R: Helen Leahy, Ibec's Head of Regional Policy, James Lawless, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Paul O’Malley, Director Global Engineering & Strategy at Hollister and Fergal O'Brien, Executive Director of Lobbying & Influence.
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