Pat Kinsley has stepped back from his role as managing director of Neworld, after 39 years at the helm of the graphic design and branding agency. He is replaced as MD by business partner Gary Gleeson, while David Jordan will continue to lead the agency’s digital division. Kinsley has had a major impact on the creative industry, helping to pioneer brand strategy in Ireland and applying his talent in helping build iconic Irish brands.
A native New Yorker, he moved to Ireland in 1985. As people were emigrating in their droves to seek a better life, he set up his first design agency with Richard O’Connell, above Joy’s Nightclub on Dublin’s Baggot Street. He used his expertise to make branding an intrinsic part of the design process. He helped launch Design Ireland, and was involved with the Graphic Design Business Association (GDBA) and the Institute of Creative Advertising & Design (ICAD).
He became a member of Design Management Institute (DMI), working with the advisory panel and speaking at events across the US, London, Helsinki, Madrid and Amsterdam. He sat on the judging panel for the Marketing Institute’s All Ireland Marketing Awards (AIMS) and MC’d the 2015 CMO summit. Over the past four years, he lent his experience to the role of external examiner for TU Dublin’s visual communications department.
Radio
A lifelong love of radio saw him working on both sides of the mic. From the heyday of pirate radio in the 1980s, he became part of the new era of independent local radio in Ireland, developing brands such as Capital Radio (now FM104), Sunshine FM, Lite FM (now Dublin’s Q102) and WLR FM. He hosted a branding slot on Newstalk, and he contributed to radio shows presented by Marian Finucane, Ivan Yates, Bobby Kerr and Ryan Tubridy.
Outside of his business interests, he was a director of the People in Need Trust, raising €40 million for charities across Ireland through its telethons. He worked alongside former President Mary McAleese and Dr Martin McAleese to develop the campaign ‘Your Country, Your Call’ and helped champion the LauraLynn Foundation. His love of theatre inspired him to help develop the dlr Mill Theatre, where he currently chairs the board.
In a letter to clients, Kinsley said that for the last 40 years, he has had the privilege of working with some of Ireland’s most iconic and best loved brands. “I’ve met all types of people and worked on all types of projects. Some more straightforward than others, and some just totally out there. But hey, I guess that’s all part of it. It’s certainly never been a job for me, but a way of life. It’s hard to believe how fast the time has flown by,” he added.
Pat Kinsley is pictured with Gary Gleeson, the new managing director of Neworld
