Rita Kirwan has joined Flogas as marketing and communications director. A highly respected marketer, she has held senior roles with some of Ireland’s best known retail, telco, FMCG and drinks brand owners. Most recently, she spent over nine years at German-owned discounter Aldi Ireland where she created the Kevin the Carrot advertising character and developed a series of campaigns with rugby stars Paul O’Connell and James Ryan.
At O2 mobile phone operator, she was head of brand communications and sponsorship. She was marketing director at Largo Foods where she spearheaded campaigns for Tayto and Hunky Dorys snacks and Tayto Park. She spent over five years in the drinks industry with French multinational Pernod Ricard. Her work took her to New York and Chicago and she developed campaigns for the North American and Mexican markets.
Remit
Elsewhere on the movers front, Waterways Ireland, the cross-border authority for inland waterways, has appointed John Tolan as marketing and development controller. He will help deliver the organisation’s new 10-year plan. His remit includes development of the waterways in terms of their social, economic and environmental potential; growing participation in recreation, tourism and volunteering, and promoting the body’s profile.
Tolan joins Waterways Ireland after a period as an independent marketing consultant, providing advice to clients across various sectors. Previous roles include 12 years in the drinks industry with Irish Distillers, Pernod Ricard, Diageo and Richmond Marketing, including postings in Sydney, Melbourne, London and Dublin. He was marketing director at Boyne Valley for five years and also had marketing roles at EBS and QSat Broadband.
