The Irish Times Business Person of the Month: Derville Rowland, Amla
Derville Rowland
, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, has been chosen as The Irish Times Businessperson of the Month for May, an award run in association with
Bank of Ireland
.
The Irish woman was appointed during the month to the plum role of executive board member of the European Union's (EU) newly-established Anti-Money Laundering Authority (Amla), based in Frankfurt.
Amla will co-ordinate national authorities to supervise the application of legislation on anti-money laundering and the countering of financing of terrorism.
First conceived in 2021, the new agency effectively starts its work this summer, by consulting on implementing rules and appointing an executive director.
READ MORE
It expects to have a staff of 80 by the end of this year before gradually ramping up its activities in 2026. Its staff numbers are expected to increase to 430 by the end of 2027 and it will be fully operational and begin its direct supervision work in January 2028.
As noted by
Central Bank of Ireland
governor Gabriel Makhlouf, Amla's 'mission is critical to the integrity of the EU's financial system'.
He said Rowland's appointment reflected her 'significant contribution to the Central Bank's public service mission over the last 20 years'.
In reacting to her appointment, Rowland said she was 'acutely conscious of the urgency of Amla's task to make our financial system cleaner, our economy more resilient' by ensuring that 'money laundering and terrorist financing are systematically combatted'.
A barrister by profession, Rowland spent 21 years with the Central Bank before moving to Amla.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
29 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Irish households owe €99.2bn at end of March
The total amount of credit outstanding with Irish households rose to €99.2 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2025 – an increase of 4 per cent annually – amid interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB). Meanwhile, total household deposits grew by nearly €3 billion in the year to March 2025, to a value of €145.8 billion. The adjusted quarterly increase in lending transactions between during the quarter was €594 million, while the quarterly increase in total deposits was €2,813 billion. According to the Central Bank of Ireland figures, total lending for house purchases grew by 3.5 per cent in the year to March 2025, reaching €85.7 million. READ MORE Overall, floating rate mortgages increased in popularity in the past year as the ECB cut interest rates. The value of these home purchase loans increased to €31.15 billion. The value of tracker mortgages continued its trend by reducing significantly in the first three months of the year, dropping 14.6 per cent in the year to March 2025 to €13.15 billion. In contrast, standard variable mortgages increased more than 25 per cent in the same period, to a value of €17.3 billion. [ Irish mortgage approvals hit record €14.1bn over last year Opens in new window ] More predictable fixed rate mortgages remain more popular, however, even recording a slight growth in value. These home purchase loans increased in value by 1.2 per cent in the 12 months ending in March. The value of home loans on fixed rates of more than five years decreased by 8.6 per cent in the period, while the value of loans on fixed rates of between three and five years grew by 5.4 per cent. There was growth too in non-home buying, personal loans, with the value of these outstanding loans increasing by 7.7 per cent annually to €13.45 billion, fuelled mostly by growth in non-investment personal loans. This is made up of consumer credit loans such as overdrafts and credit card borrowings.
Irish Times
29 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Stena Line axes Rosslare to Cherbourg ferry service
Stena Line is to cancel its three-day Rosslare-Cherbourg service, the company announced on Monday. The last sailing will depart Cherbourg on September 29th, arriving in Rosslare on September 30th. The ferry operator said the decision was made following a strategic route review. 'These plans have been developed after an extensive review with the intention of strengthening the company's investment in the Irish Sea, whilst delivering the most efficient use of the company's resources,' it said. Stena Line trade director Johan Edelman said it would work with staff to find 'redeployment opportunities'. READ MORE 'Our priority is, as always, the care of our people and customers,' he said. 'We've already met with our colleagues and over this period of consultation we will be working with any individual affected to consider all options, including redeployment opportunities. 'As we work through this change we will continue to support our colleagues at every stage.' [ Bumper cruise season set to make waves at Belfast Harbour Opens in new window ] Mr Edelman said the company's customer service team will be helping customers who have booked travel after September 'to keep any inconvenience to a minimum'. He added that Stena Line would 'continue to strengthen its Irish Sea network'. The group recently announced investments of almost £40 million (€46.8 million) in its Liverpool and Belfast terminals, as well as the upgrading of the Fishguard port infrastructure. He said the group would increase capacity across the Irish Sea with two new freight vessels planned for the Belfast-Heysham route and an additional freight vessel for the Dublin-Liverpool route. 'Our Rosslare-Cherbourg service is one that we will always be proud of, and we will continue to deliver the same high-quality service over the coming months,' he said.
Irish Times
43 minutes ago
- Irish Times
LinkedIn appoints Cara O'Leary as new country manager for Ireland
LinkedIn has appointed a new country manager to lead its Irish business, with Cara O'Leary stepping into the role. Ms O'Leary has worked with LinkedIn for almost nine years, holding a number of senior roles including heading up sales teams in the UK and Ireland, and as director of UK and Ireland mid-market enterprise. Her most recent role was as senior director for LinkedIn's European software as a service business. Prior to joining LinkedIn, she worked as sales director with Manpower Group, and held senior roles at a number of recruitment companies. 'My focus will be on staying close to what matters; listening to our people, staying clear on our priorities, and continuing to build a culture where people can do great work and truly feel they belong,' she said in a post on LinkedIn, announcing the move. READ MORE 'I'm excited about the role we play in helping professionals grow their careers; and in building AI-powered tools that connect people to opportunity in smarter, faster ways.' Ms O'Leary said the Dublin office was where LinkedIn's 'global vision meets local impact'. [ Profit rises at LinkedIn's Irish business as it declares $400m dividend to parent company Microsoft Opens in new window ] 'It's also where our culture and values guide us every day; helping us make the right decisions for our people and our business. Over the past nine years, I've seen the extraordinary energy and impact of our team and this site. Now, I have the privilege of building on strong foundations and helping shape what comes next, whilst continuing to lead our Mid-Market Talent Solutions business for Europe.' Ms O'Leary's appointment follows the promotion of Sue Duke to another role within the company, leading its Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America divisions. It also marks another female leader for LinkedIn in Ireland; prior to Ms Duke's appointment, Sharon McCooey led the Irish business for 13 years, growing it from three employees. The company has also faced job cuts in recent weeks, as part of a wider global move by parent company Microsoft to reduce costs and trim the workforce by about 3 per cent. That included a number of roles at bothe Microsoft Ireland and LinkedIn here. There may be more to come, with Microsoft reportedly set to announce further cuts early next month. Although it will affect the tech giant globally, there may be some impact on LinkedIn.
