Bord na Mona has announced the appointment of Tom Donnellan as the new managing director and CEO of the company.

Donnellan will take the reins as of April 18, 2018.

Announcing the appointment, chairman of Bord na Mona Geoff Meagher said: “The board is delighted to welcome someone of Tom’s ability to the company as he brings with him extensive leadership experience along with a strong commercial acumen gained in the rapidly evolving industries of telecoms and IT.

Bord na Mona continues to operate in a challenging business environment and I am confident that Tom will successfully lead the company and ensure the business’s long-term sustainability.

Donnellan joins Bord na Mona from Alcatel Lucent, a top 100 global telecoms infrastructure company owned by Nokia, where he has worked since 2009 – most recently as the senior vice president of global operations in France.

A native of Co. Clare, Donellan has also held senior management positions – both in Ireland and internationally – in Packard Bell, Apple and Samsung.

Targets for 2030

Speaking to AgriLand back in December, acting managing director of Bord na Mona Michael Barry said that the company expects to see a 50% reduction in its peat-related workforce by 2030 – as the company aims to ensure that 96% of the power it generates will be from renewables by that stage.

Currently, the average age of BNM peat workers is 56-57 years. As such, the company hopes natural retirements will play a significant role in the labour reduction.