Wikipedia

Gavin O'Reilly

Gavin Karl O'Reilly[1] (born 17 December 1966) is a Dublin-born businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship. He is the son of Sir Tony O'Reilly and Susan Cameron.[2]

Gavin Karl O'Reilly
Born (1966-12-17) 17 December 1966 (age 57)
Dublin, Ireland
OccupationBusiness executive
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1994; div. 2006)​
Christina Grimm
​
​
(m. 2012)​
Children4

O'Reilly is executive chairman of the London-based publication The New European, chairman of the consulting group Red Flag Consulting, and chairman of digital payment company Axate. He was formerly CEO of The Agency Group Limited and of the media group Independent News and Media PLC. From 2005-2011, he was the president of the World Association of Newspapers (2005–2011).[3]

Early life edit

O'Reilly is the eldest of triplets, and the fourth of his parents' six children. He was born in Dublin and raised in Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, and in Dublin.[4] He was educated first at Harrow School[4] and later at Clongowes Wood.[5] He sat his Leaving Certificate exams in 1985, and then spent two years working at London advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach.[5] O'Reilly went on to attend Georgetown University School of Business.[5]

Career edit

INM edit

In 1993, O'Reilly joined the multinational media company Independent News and Media plc (INM), then the largest media group in Ireland, and led its "yellow page" division, the Independent Directory. In 1999, after working in several divisions, he was appointed CEO of the Irish operations of INM and oversaw the move of the company's production and logistic operations to Citywest Business Park in 2000.[6] He became Group COO of INM in December 2001[3] and was appointed to its board of directors in 2004. He served as Chairman of APN News & Media from 2008 to 2012, a company in which INM held a controlling stake. In 2005, he led INM's investment into Jagran Prakashan Limited (JPL), one of India's media conglomerates which controlled by the Gupta family. O'Reilly served on the board of JPL from 2006-2014.[7]

Following his father's retirement in 2009, O'Reilly was promoted to Group CEO of INM. In April 2012, he stepped down as chief executive of Independent News & Media, ending 39 years of direct control by his family of Ireland's largest media group.[8]

Other roles edit

In 2005, O'Reilly was elected president of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).[9] The merger of WAN with IFRA in 2009 to form the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, a representation body for the global newspaper and news industry, occurred during his tenure. He was elected as the first president of the merged association and held the office until 30 June 2011.[10] O'Reilly is an Honorary Member of the Executive Committee.[11]

In 2013, O’Reilly was appointed Group CEO of The Agency Group Limited (now UTA Music), an independent music agency with a global roster of over 2,500 artists.

O'Reilly later took up a role as director of Bayard Capital LLC, a privately-owned technology investment firm. He has also served executive chairman of Red Flag Consulting, which specialises in strategic communications, government and public affairs, and crisis communications for Fortune 500 companies and other large corporations and associations in the US and across Europe. He has also been chairman of Wemersive, a VR software company. He became an investor in, and chair of, networked payment system Agate Systems Ltd, in 2018.[12]

He is a founding member of United Europe, a non-profit association set up in 2013 by prominent European business people, politicians and analysis. It was initiated by Wolfgang Schüssel, the former Austrian chancellor who as president now heads the organisation, and Jürgen Grossman, a German entrepreneur, who serves as treasurer.

On 1 February 2021 he became chairman of The New European Limited, publisher of the eponymous weekly publication.[13]

Former Roles edit

He is also the former chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland, BM Polyco (one of Europe's largest technical hand protection/ glove companies), and Dromoland Castle Holdings Limited, and a former director of Norkom Technologies PLC, a financial crime and compliance software integrator, investment holding company TVC PLC, PT Mahaka Media TBK (Indonesia) one of Indonesia's leading media companies, Ashford Castle Hotel and resort in Ireland, Cashcade Ltd., a bingo / online casino operator, iTouch PLC, and the Irish Heart Foundation, and a founding-director of Barretstown Gang Camp in Ireland.

Personal life edit

O'Reilly married model and actress Alison Doody on 25 June 1994, at the then family residence, Castlemartin. They lived at Bartra House, Dalkey,[14] and had two daughters. They separated in 2004, and divorced in 2006.[5][15]

In 2012, O'Reilly remarried to Danish national Christina Grimm.[16] They have two children and live in Los Angeles.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ "Gavin O'Reilly". Red Flag. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Death of Susan O'Reilly, former wife of Sir Anthony O'Reilly". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b Profile, listing as Chairman of APN
  4. ^ a b London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1994; Fallon, Ivan "The Player: The Life of Tony O'Reilly"; the authorised biography
  5. ^ a b c d The Observer, London: Sun 27 Jan 2008, James Robinson
  6. ^ Cork, Ireland, 19 December 2001: Irish Examiner, "Gavin O'Reilly likely heir apparent to take over father's mantle" – Conor Keane
  7. ^ "Jagran Prakashan Limited - Notice" (PDF). 31 March 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  8. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (19 April 2012). "Gavin O'Reilly steps down from INM". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. ^ "O'Reilly gets top WAN job - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  10. ^ "WAN-IFRA elects Gavin O'Reilly as president". www.bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  11. ^ "WAN-IFRA Executive Committee: Gavin O'Reilly (Honorary Member) - WAN-IFRA". www.wan-ifra.org. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  12. ^ "Axate". www.axate.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Former FT editor and BBC chief among investors to buy The New European". Financial Times. February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  14. ^ Hughes, Emer (2 March 2003). "Rich chase streets of dreams". ThePost.ie. Archived from the original on 7 April 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  15. ^ Murtagh, Peter (10 August 2019). "Data relating to sensitive divorce matters among hacked INM emails". Irish Times. Retrieved 23 August 2020. ...Mr O'Reilly's separation in 2004, and subsequent divorce two years later, from his then wife, Alison Doody. ...
  16. ^ Burke, Roisin (6 March 2014). "Love and cash make the world go round". Irish Independent. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Los Angeles - The Beach Party 2017". The Ireland Funds. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020. Gavin and Christina O'Reilly, Alanna O'Reilly, and children
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