Cathal Magee has been named as the new chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Mr Magee (56) is a former acting-cheif executive of Eircom. He left the company this February after 15 years.
Mr Magee will take over the running of the HSE when the current chief executive, Prof Brendan Drumm, steps down this autumn.
Liam Downey, chairman of the HSE board said: "The Board is very pleased to have attracted a highly experienced professional for the position of CEO for the HSE. Cathal Magee has an extensive record of implementing change and performance improvement in a number of organisations and different environments. He has worked in both the public and private sectors and demonstrated a high level of achievement and successful engagement with a wide range of interests and stakeholders.”
Minister for Health Mary Harney said she was delighted Mr Magee had agreed to take up the post.
"Mr Magee brings a track record of top class management and organisational leadership to our health service," she said.
"He has shown total commitment to people and team building in his management roles throughout his career, and I have no doubt that this will be of great benefit to the combined clinical and management leadership of the HSE."
"I look forward to working with him in continuing to deliver better services for patients at all levels of our health system."
During his time as Eircom chief executive, Mr Magee (56) put the wheels in motion for a major restructuring of the company's cost base and helped to scuttle Australian financier Rob Topfer’s attempt to capture the business.
Prior to joining Eircom, Mr Magee worked for the National Australia Bank Group in the UK and Ireland. He has also worked in a Business Transformation and HR Director capacity with Bord na Mona from 1988 to1992 involving business and operational restructuring. His early career was in the Health Service.
Mr Magee holds a first class honours degree in Management from the IMI and a MSc in Organizational Behaviour from Trinity College, Dublin. He is currently a Non Executive Director of VHI Healthcare and the EBS Building Society.
The long-time favourite to land the job, former head of the State’s cancer control programme Prof Tom Keane, pulled out of the race in March. It was reported this was because he failed to receive assurances from the HSE board on budget guarantees and the recruitment moritorium.
Ms Harney dismissed this, saying Prof Keane pulled out of the race for personal and family reasons.
Prof Drumm became chief executive of the HSE in August of 2005. He was formerly employed as a consultant paediatrician at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, and professor of paediatrics at UCD.