Latest news with #HelenNolan
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Over 30 jobs to go as Swiss insurance firm pulls out of Dublin
The company said it had decided to put a stronger focus on its core insurance and pensions business in Switzerland. La Mobilière founded the Dublin-based insurtech Companjon five years ago, with the stated aim of opening a new line of business and to get insights into the behaviour of customers in the digital insurance business. Operating on a largely business-to-business model, its insurance policies were embedded in the operations of other companies. When consumers bought goods such as tickets for sporting events, and the seller asked if they wanted to insure the purchase, that type of insurance product was provided by Companjon. Company sources say that as a result of the complex nature of the operations, it will take a couple of years to wind down its offices at Harbourmaster Place in the International Financial Services Centre in Dublin's docklands. 'Not everyone will lose their job straight away. The workforce will be slowly reduced,' one source said. The Department of Enterprise has been informed about the planned redundancies, and consultations began between management and staff yesterday. In a statement, La Mobilière CEO Michèle Rodoni said: 'After gaining several years of experience with embedded insurance abroad and recently developing a new corporate strategy, we came to the conclusion that the further development and scaling of this business area is not in line with our strategic focus on the core business in Switzerland.' The existing embedded insurance policies, the vast majority of which have short-term liabilities, are to be be run off, subject to appropriate approvals being received from the Irish authorities. Companjon has a total workforce of 60 employees with 34 in Dublin and the remaining 26 based around Europe. Helen Nolan, who is chair of Aviva Life and Pensions Ireland, has been a non-executive director at Companjon Insurance DAC, and chaired its audit committee. Other Irish directors included Patrick Manley and Mary Kerrigan. In its most recent financial returns, Companjon recorded a loss before tax of €2.879m for the financial year ended December 31, 2022, with a loss before tax of €10.25m. It said that during 2023, the company had commenced business operations with three new business partners and has successfully concluded contractual negotiations with a new business partner which was due to go live in 2024. "The directors expect the general level of activity of the company to increase further as the existing Companjon Group insurance solutions are made available on an increased number of online transactions and are rolled out to further markets, and as new business partners are onboarded, and new insurance solutions are launched,' the accounts said. "The directors regard investment in this area as a prerequisite for success in the medium to long-term future.' La Mobilière, which was founded as a co-op in 1826, boasts that it is Switzerland's oldest private insurance company. It has 6,600 employees in its home markets of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and a further 350 trainees.
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Aviva chair appointed president of the Institute of Directors
Aviva Life and Pensions chairwoman Helen Nolan has been appointed president of the Institute of Directors (IoD). IoD, which is the membership body for directors and business leaders, made the announcement at its annual general meeting on Tuesday. Ms Nolan replaces John Reynolds who has held the position for the last two years. Ms Nolan is also a non-executive director of US-listed fresh produce company Dole and of Companjon Insurance, where she chairs the audit committee. READ MORE A KPMG-trained chartered accountant, she has held several senior roles with Bank of Ireland, including group secretary, group chief internal auditor, and divisional finance officer for the capital markets division. 'As the commitment of being a director and business leader evolves and expands, with technological advances driving transformational changes in businesses, IoD will be there to support the needs and concerns of its members,' said Ms Nolan. 'Our ambition is for Ireland to be considered an exemplar of corporate governance. We will continue to instil stakeholder trust and confidence in organisations by educating, informing, and supporting directors and business leaders. 'I would also like to acknowledge former president John Reynolds for his leadership and commitment to IoD Ireland over the last two years. 'I look forward to working with the IoD executive and council in supporting our members while we deliver what directors need to lead in times of ceaseless change. 'By championing innovation, lifelong learning, and good governance we can help shape a dynamic future of Irish business from the inside out.' Mr Reynolds said: 'I would like to express my appreciation of the work and commitment of each of the members of our council and executive during my tenure as president. 'I am delighted to pass on the baton to Helen and watch IoD Ireland continue to go from strength to strength.'
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Irish Times
Man given suspended sentence for putting Valium in partner's sandwich
A man who told gardaí he put Valium in his partner's sandwich because she had been stressed and he thought he was 'doing the right thing' has been handed a suspended sentence. Judge Eugene O'Kelly heard Mark O'Neill's partner of 30 years, Helen Nolan, discovered the Valium tablets in a sandwich he made for her last August after taking one bite. She said it tasted 'metallic' and she immediately went to sleep. Mark O'Neill (62), of Cois na Coille, Pollerton, Carlow , was in court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to an offence under section 12 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, which is defined as 'intentionally or recklessly administering, or causing to be taken, a substance which he/she knows to be capable of interfering substantially with the other's bodily functions'. Judge O'Kelly heard at an earlier sitting of Carlow Circuit Court from defence counsel Ross Pratt-O'Brien that the accused accepted it was a horrific thing to do. He co-operated fully with the Garda investigation and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. READ MORE The investigating garda told the court O'Neill got sick in 2009 when he had cancer and that although he made a good recovery, he rarely left the house and did not drive, work or socialise. When the case came back before court today on Friday for sentencing, Judge O'Kelly said the accused man's partner was not aware of the substance in the sandwich. The accused said he took it upon himself to use it as his partner was going through a difficult time. It was a shocking thing to do, the judge said. 'It was a shocking incident, particularly with a person whom he knew had shocking medical issues which required lots of medication, so he knew perfectly well what he was doing to his partner,' said Judge O'Kelly. The judge said O'Neill has no previous convictions and is at low risk of reoffending. Judge O'Kelly imposed a sentence of one year and six months, which he fully suspended. Speaking directly to the accused, Judge O'Kelly said: 'I can assure you that you have used up every opportunity that is available from this court.' The court heard the couple's relationship deteriorated over the years to the extent that they could go days or weeks without speaking to each other. Mr Pratt O'Brien told the court there was no violence or aggression in the relationship. On the day of the offence, the court heard, Ms Nolan was in her bedroom on the phone when she asked O'Neill to make her a sandwich. O'Neill returned with a tomato and mayonnaise sandwich and left the bedroom. The court heard Ms Nolan took a bite and it tasted metallic, so she put it down and did not have any more. She fell asleep, waking the following morning still feeling 'overwhelmingly tired' throughout the day. She returned home during the day to go back to bed. Judge O'Kelly was told she saw the sandwich still on her bedside locker and noticed the bread had turned blue in places. Upon investigation, she saw blue tablets mixed into it. She went to her doctor, who said she was medically fine but advised her to go to the gardaí about the matter. In a statement to gardaí, Ms Nolan said she had had seven car accidents in recent months but she could not be sure it had anything to do with being medicated. She also told gardaí she had only taken a single bite of the sandwich and 'God knows what would have happened' if she had eaten the whole thing. An investigating garda told the court O'Neill made admissions, saying he'd put 'mayonnaise, tomatoes and two blue Valium tablets' in the sandwich. He told gardaí he wanted Ms Nolan to be able to relax because she'd been stressed recently and he took it upon himself to do it, thinking he was 'doing the right thing'. O'Neill told gardaí they were his tablets and they could 'knock a horse out for hours' they were so strong. Judge O'Kelly was told O'Neill had denied ever doing it before and said he had no intention of harming her because she meant too much to him after she took care of him when he was sick with cancer.
