Darragh Rea has been appointed as CEO and general manager of Edelman Ireland, replacing Joe Carmody who was recently appointed as chief operating officer of Edelman UK.
Rea was previously managing director of Edelman’s brand, digital & creative business in Ireland and he oversaw its rapid growth in recent years. Clients include Xylem, SSE, Coca-Cola, Promise Gluten Free, Deep RiverRock, Jacobs, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, Unilever and Mars. Last month, Edelman picked up a bronze Effie for its work with the Coca Cola-owned Deep River Rock.
Rea has been a long-standing judge of the All-Ireland Marketing Awards, the Effie Awards and IAPI Female Futures Fund and is a former director of Triathlon Ireland and a former council member of the Marketing Society of Ireland.
“It’s an honour to lead Edelman Ireland into its next chapter. We’ve built something exceptional here, strengthening our expertise in the market while expanding our global reach through the wider Edelman network. The opportunities ahead are boundless, and I’m incredibly excited to lead such a talented and genuinely wonderful team,” says Rea.
“Darragh has been an integral part of our Ireland business for over a decade, a time where we have seen the firm go from strength to strength,” says Jon Hughes, chief operating officer, Edelman EMEA. “He is a trusted advisor whose invaluable insight and counsel has helped clients both in Ireland and around the world achieve transformative results, whilst building high performing teams who’ve created impactful, meaningful and award-winning campaigns. I am truly excited to partner with Darragh on the next phase of Ireland’s very promising future.”