The betting is tight in Wilton House on the likely new chief executive for IDA Ireland, to replace Kieran McGowan who retires at the end of the year. Leading the internal runners is executive director Martin Cronin, effectively McGowan's second in command. The "two Ryans" Eamonn, the company secretary and Frank, who heads the highly successful electronics division, are also in the shakeup.

However three outsiders are also challenging. They include Sean Dorgan, director general of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, who has some pedigree as the former secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce, Michael Duffy, the head of An Bord Bia, who worked for much of his life in the IDA, and Bredan Tuohy, the highly rated assistant secretary in the Department of Public Enterprise. Place your bets for a tight race, with the winner expected to be announced in the next couple of weeks.