Background & History
Finance Ireland Ltd is a privately owned financial services Group. We have businesses that specialise in Motor Finance, Asset Finance & Leasing, Commercial Mortgages, Agri Finance and Residential Mortgages.
What makes us different?
We look at things a little differently here. We’re fast, flexible and red tape free. You’ll talk to an expert who knows what makes your business tick.
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We’re an SME so we understand SMEs – whether dealers, vendors, farmers or other professionals
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All our credit decisions are made locally by ourselves
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We have experts who will understand what makes your business tick
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We’re not a bank!
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We’re more efficient, with no red tape, so we’re fast and flexible.
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We deliver on our service promise – no hot air
Our Management Team
Billy Kane
Chief Executive
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Jim Hickey
Chief Financial Officer
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Frank Donnellan
Managing Director First Auto Finance Ireland Ltd & Finance Ireland Leasing
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Damien Daly
Chief Operating Officer
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Ken Murnaghan
Managing Director Commercial Mortgages
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Donal Doran
Managing Director Residential Mortgages
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Conor Nestor
Director of Operations
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Maud Conroy Kane
General Manager Finance Ireland Leasing
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Martin Huggard
Group Head of Credit & Compliance
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Peter Cronin
Group Legal & Compliance
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Pat McGinty
Group Head of HR
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Conor Boyle
Managing Director Finance Ireland Agri
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Billy Kane
Chief Executive
- Founded the business in 2002
- Formerly CEO Irish Permanent and Director Irish Life & Permanent plc
- Founded Irish Permanent Finance in early 1990s and led the company to market leadership within a decade
- Founding Director of Woodchester Investments plc and later MD Woodchester Bank UK
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Jim Hickey
Chief Financial Officer
- Joined the Group as Chief Operating Officer in August 2016
- Appointed Chief Financial Officer in October 2020
- Former Director of Group Finance at Bank of Ireland
- Previously held senior roles at Ulster Bank Group, HP Financial Services and GE
- Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants; MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School
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Frank Donnellan
Managing Director First Auto Finance Ireland Ltd & Finance Ireland Leasing
- Founded First Auto Finance Ireland Ltd in 2010
- Previously joint MD of the automotive division of Bank of Scotland, a business he established in 2002
- Formerly Director of Woodchester Investments plc
- Origination, credit and collection of large car finance / leasing portfolios in Woodchester, Bank of Scotland and Friends First
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Damien Daly
Chief Operating Officer
- Joined the Group in 2022 as Group Chief Operating Officer
- Over 25 years’ management experience across banking and telecommunications sectors
- Former Director of Strategy and Director of Customer Experience and Products at Ulster Bank
- Previously held senior roles at Bank of Ireland in both UK and Ireland
- MSc Business Administration from Trinity College Dublin, IOB Certified Bank Director
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Ken Murnaghan
Managing Director Commercial Mortgages
- Joined the Group in 2014 and launched the Group’ commercial property business in 2016
- Formerly Head of Business Banking and Head of Property Finance at Ulster Bank; Head of Real Estate Finance Europe at AIB France; Senior Manager PWC Hong Kong
- Appointed to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council in 2016
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Donal Doran
Managing Director Residential Mortgages
- Previously worked with Finance Ireland at executive level from 2003-2008
- Former General Manager Products & Distribution with Irish Life & Permanent Group
- Served on the boards of numerous inter-bank owned companies, an AIM listed company & 2 wholly owned Barclays subsidiaries in Ireland
- Involvement in building a number of start-up ventures
- Holds BSc & MBA, Diploma in Corporate Governance (IoD), Member of Institute of Banking & Institute of Directors
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Conor Nestor
Director of Operations
- Financial services lender with over 18 years’ experience at senior level
- Successful track record in establishing and leading new business units
- Established a Personal Debt Recovery Division for IBRC (previously Anglo Irish Bank)
- Qualified Financial Advisor
- Member of the Institute of Bankers.
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Maud Conroy Kane
General Manager Finance Ireland Leasing
- Joined First Finance and Leasing in November 2013 as General Manager having spent the last 18 years with Permanent TSB Finance where she was responsible for Credit, New business and early arrears
- Prior to joining PTSB Finance Maud was Credit/ New Business manager with Woodchester Investment plc
- QFA and Member of Institute of Banking
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Martin Huggard
Group Head of Credit & Compliance
- Senior banking manager with over 20 years’ management experience in PermanentTSB
- Provided credit support to Business Divisions in Ireland and the UK in senior credit roles including Head of Underwriting, Head of Credit Quality Reviews and Head of Credit Policy Governance
- Experience covers residential & commercial mortgages, term loans, overdrafts, credit cards, motor & car dealer finance and loan re-structures
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Peter Cronin
Group Legal & Compliance
- Trained with Flynn O’Driscoll Business Lawyers
- Was admitted to act as solicitor in Ireland, England and Wales in 2014
- Holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and Politics from University College Dublin and a Post Graduate Diploma in Law and a M.Sc. from the Dublin Institute of Technology
- Currently completing a Diploma in Finance Law with the Law Society of Ireland
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Pat McGinty
Group Head of HR
- Over 25 years’ experience of leading Human Resources across Finance, Sport, Retail, Education and Manufacturing Sectors
- Holds a BBS (Hons) in HR, Post Grad Dip Employment Law and CIPD graduate
- Is a qualified Mediator, Executive Coach and Psychometric test practitioner
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Conor Boyle
Managing Director Finance Ireland Agri
- Over thirty years financial services experience with AIB, ICC Bank and ACC/Rabobank
- Headed business divisions across many sectors including agriculture & food, manufacturing, hotel & leisure, property development & investment
- Member of bank Credit Committees
- Holds a BSc and MBA and is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA)
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Board of Directors
- K. Kraus US (Chairman)
- J.M. Anderson US
- J. Henrion UK
- M. Jones UK
- M. Torpey
- P. Jain UK
- W. Kane
- J. Hickey
Investor Relations
Jim Hickey, CFO, Finance Ireland Group
Tel: +353 (1) 642 5380
Registered Office: 10th Floor, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL.
Registered in England and Wales No. 5144506