ESB Executive Team

Paddy Hayes was appointed Chief Executive in August 2021. Prior to his current role, Paddy had been Managing Director of ESB Networks and Executive Director of ESB’s Generation and Wholesale Markets business. A Chartered Engineer, he holds a master’s degree in engineering from University College Dublin (UCD) and an MBA from the University of Warwick. Paddy is also on the Board of Directors of EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute.

Marguerite Sayers was appointed ESB Deputy Chief Executive in July 2022. Immediately prior to this, she held the role of Executive Director, Customer Solutions since 2018.  She has worked in various technical and managerial positions in ESB for over 30 years, including Generation Manager, Head of Asset Management for ESB Networks and Managing Director of ESB Networks DAC. She has a degree in Electrical Engineering from University College Cork (UCC). She is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow and Past President of Engineers Ireland, a Fellow of the Academy of Engineers, a member of the Board of Energy UK and a Governor of the Irish Times Trust.

Jim Dollard was appointed to the position of Executive Director, Generation & Trading in May 2018. Prior to this he held the position of Executive Director for Business Service Centre (BSC) and Electric Ireland for five years. An accountant, he began his career in ESB in 1992 and has held a number of senior management positions throughout the Group in both financial and managerial roles. Jim holds a B. Comm and a Masters in Business Studies from UCD. 

Pat Fenlon was appointed Executive Director, Customer Solutions in September 2022. Prior to his current role, Pat held the role of Executive Director, Group Finance and Commercial. He previously held a number of senior financial and general management positions across ESB including General Manager of Electric Ireland, Corporate Change Manager and Group Finance and Commercial Manager. He is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and worked with PwC in Dublin before joining ESB in 1993.

Geraldine Heavey was appointed to the position of Executive Director, Enterprise Services in June 2018. Prior to this she held the role of Group Finance and Commercial Manager. She has worked in various finance and managerial positions in ESB since 1993, including Financial Controller, BSC and Electric Ireland, Manager, ESB Trading and Financial Controller, ESB Power Generation. She is an accountant and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Dublin City University (DCU). Geraldine is an external member of the DCU Educational Support Services DAC and chairs its Audit Committee.

Sinéad Kilkelly joined ESB in April 2022 as Executive Director, People and Organisation Development. Prior to this Sinead was Chief People Officer with Bus Éireann, a position she held since 2018. Previously she held a number of senior leadership roles in Ireland and overseas including Vice President People Services at Etihad Aviation Group in Abu Dhabi, where her responsibility included leading major organisational change programmes. She also held senior HR roles in Ulster Bank and Intel Ireland. Sinead has a B.Sc (Management) and an MBA from TCD and is a Chartered Fellow with CIPD.

Marie Sinnott is Group Company Secretary of ESB. Prior to her appointment in 2019, Marie was ESB’s Group Head of Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management and previously held a number of senior management roles across the organisation. A UCD commerce graduate, she holds an MSc in Economic Policy Studies from TCD and a Postgraduate Diploma in Corporate Governance from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. Marie is a member of the DCU Governing Authority and a Director and Company Secretary of the board of the Institute of International and European Affairs.

Paul Smith was appointed to the position of Executive Director, Engineering and Major Projects in January 2022. Prior to this Paul held a number of senior management roles in ESB including Manager of Generation Operations and, more recently, Head of Asset Development where he led the expansion of ESB’s renewables portfolio in Ireland and the UK. He joined ESB in 1992 and holds a B.Eng. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Queen’s University Belfast and an MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. He is a Council Member of the Irish Management Institute.

Paul Stapleton was appointed Executive Director, Group Finance and Commercial in October 2022. Prior to his current role, Paul was Managing Director of Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Networks, an independent subsidiary of ESB. He joined ESB in 1991 and has worked in various roles in finance and managerial positions across the Group including General Manager of Electric Ireland, ESB Group Treasurer and Financial Controller of ESB Networks. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and an IOD Chartered Director.

Nicholas Tarrant was appointed Managing Director of ESB Networks in September 2021. Prior to this he held the positions of Executive Director, Engineering and Major Projects and Managing Director, NIE Networks. He has held a number of senior management positions including Generation Manager with responsibility for ESB’s generation portfolio. He is a chartered engineer at the Institute of Engineers of Ireland, a Chartered Director and holds an MSc (management) from Trinity College Dublin (TCD).