Banking group appoints Athlone woman to key post

An Athlone woman has become the first female Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of an Irish retail banking group.

Nicola O’Brien, from Clonbonny, was this week announced as the CFO of Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc.

Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc in a statement said it had appointed O’Brien, with effect from Thursday last, following a competitive selection process. She had been Head of Finance and Investor Relations at Permanent TSB and a member of the bank’s senior leadership team.

She will now also join the company’s board as an executive director and becomes a member of the company’s executive committee.

Daughter of Jim and Mary O’Brien, Clonbonny, Athlone, she resides in the Clonbonny area with her husband Tom Delaney and their two daughters, Emma and Lucy.

A past pupil of Our Lady’s Bower and the then Athlone RTC, Nicola has had a distinguished career in banking including holding various senior roles in Bank of Ireland including as Head of Finance Group Customer Operations; Head of Group Finance Strategy; and, Divisional Financial Controller for the Retail Ireland Division prior to joining Permanent TSB over five years ago.

Nicola O’Brien said: "I am delighted to be taking up the role of CFO at Permanent TSB and to be joining the Permanent TSB Executive Committee and Board. The Bank is undergoing an exciting transformation and is well positioned for significant growth and I look forward to working with Eamonn and the wider team to bring Permanent TSB to its next stage."

Welcoming her in the role, Permanent TSB CEO, Eamonn Crowley said: "Nicola’s strong business acumen and in-depth knowledge of Permanent TSB will be of huge value to the Bank, particularly as we complete the acquisition of certain elements of the Ulster Bank business in the months ahead. I look forward to working with Nicola as we evolve our business to achieve our ambition of becoming Ireland’s best personal and small business bank."