Cork businessman Leslie Buckley has been appointed chairman of the board of Independent News & Media at an extraordinary general meeting today.
Jerome Kennedy has been appointed senior independent director.
Shareholders also agreed to the appointment of Triona Mullane and Len O’Hagan, which will bring the number of board members to 10.
Mr Buckley, who is the vice-chairman of international mobile phone operator Digicel, helped manage the start-up of the Esat Telecom Group and Esat Digifone with Denis O’Brien. Mr Buckley was a former representative of Denis O’Brien on the INM board. At an agm in June 2011, Mr Buckley’s nomination for re-election to the INM board was defeated by shareholders.
Since Mr Buckley’s removal, Mr O’Brien has increased his shareholding at INM from 22 per cent to 29.9 per cent.
Mr Kennedy was a managing partner at KPMG Ireland from 1995 to 2004. He is also a non-executive director on the board of Total Produce.
Ms Mullane is the former chief technology officer of NewBay Software and a former director of engineering and vice-president of technology at Logica.
Mr O'Hagan has been chairman of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2006. He has also held senior positions at Fitzwilton, Jefferson Smurfit Group and Safeway Ireland.
