Dalata Hotel Group plc (“Dalata” or the “Group” or the “Company”), the largest hotel operator in Ireland with a growing presence in the United Kingdom, is pleased to announce the appointment of Des McCann as Chief Operating Officer effective 1 January 2022. He will work closely with Stephen McNally until he retires from his executive role on 28 February 2022.
Mr McCann joined the Group in 2011. He has extensive senior hotel operations experience, previously being General Manager of The Clyde Court Hotel, The Ballsbridge Hotel and Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport. He was appointed Group General Manager of Clayton Hotels in Ireland in November 2018. He is the current Chairman of the Failte Ireland Steering Committee on Sustainability & Innovation and a member of the National Council of the Irish Hotels Federation.
Due to a change in personal circumstances, Conal O Neill has decided not to take up the role of Chief Operating Officer on 1 January 2022, as previously announced. Conal will continue in his current position as Group General Manager.
Dermot Crowley, Dalata Hotel Group CEO, commented: “I am delighted to have someone of the calibre of Des to step into the COO role. Des has been instrumental in growing the reputation of Clayton Hotels on the island of Ireland over the last three years and has skilfully led the Clayton team through very challenging times since the start of the Pandemic in early 2020. I look forward to continuing to work alongside both Des and Conal in the years ahead.”
Board Committee Changes
Following the recent appointment of Cathríona Hallahan and Gervaise Slowey to the Board, the Company also announces a number of changes to its committee structures and individual non-executive directors’ responsibilities which will also take effect from 1 January 2022.
Cathríona Hallahan will join the Audit & Risk Committee and the ESG Committee. Gervaise Slowey will join the Remuneration Committee and the ESG Committee and take over as non-executive director with responsibility for workforce engagement.
Shane Casserly will replace Stephen McNally on the ESG Committee
Board Committees with effect from 1 January 2022:
| Audit and Risk | Remuneration | Nomination | ESG | |
| Chair | Robert Dix | Margaret Sweeney | John Hennessy | Elizabeth McMeikan |
| Members | Margaret Sweeney Elizabeth McMeikan Cathríona Hallahan | John Hennessy Elizabeth McMeikan Gervaise Slowe | Margaret Sweeney Elizabeth McMeikan Robert Dix | Robert Dix Cathríona Hallahan Gervaise Slowey Shane Casserly |
John Hennessy, Group Chair, commented: “I am delighted to announce these changes to our Board committees. Our newly appointed non-executive directors will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the roles they will take up on 1 January 2022, and I am looking forward to working with them in the years ahead. I am also looking forward to the contribution Shane Casserly will make as a member of the ESG committee. Shane will bring to this committee significant knowledge of ESG matters and a keen interest in embedding sustainability in the business. Shane will replace Stephen McNally on the ESG committee. Stephen, whose retirement from his executive role in early 2022 has already been announced, will retire from the Board on 31 December 2021. I would again like to acknowledge Stephen’s immense contribution, as a director and as an executive, to the success of Dalata over many years, and to wish him well in his retirement.”
