Meta’s Irish chief Rick Kelley to step down

Executive has worked with Facebook/Meta for 14 years, but only took over as head of the Irish operation last year

Meta Ireland chief Rick Kelley is to step down from his role with the company less than a year after taking over the Irish operation.

Mr Kelley, who is also Meta’s global vice-president of the gaming and app monetisation solutions organisation within the company, replaced Gareth Lambe on April 4th, 2022.

Mr Kelley, originally from Boston, joined Facebook in 2009 as director of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Before joining the company he spent seven years with Yahoo.

In a Facebook post, Mr Kelley said he would be leaving the company in the next couple of months.

READ MORE

“This was not an easy decision, but over the holidays, when contemplating what’s next for my career, I was most excited by the prospect of taking a break. In every step of my career, I’ve given my full energy and it’s time to recharge my batteries,” he said.

Nicola Mendelsohn, vice-president of Meta’s global business group, said Mr Kelley had made a “profound impact” in building and leading teams at Meta. “As one of Meta’s first employees in Dublin, he is leaving behind a long-lasting legacy.”

Meta has instigated a round of job cuts in recent weeks after the company last year said it would cut 11,000 staff globally. That included 350 from its Irish workforce, where it employed 3,000 before the lay-offs began. There have been reports that a second round of job cuts is imminent.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist