Leahy appointed Standard Life chief

Michael Leahy has been appointed chief executive at Standard Life in Ireland.

The 32-year-old Corkman has been with the company for 16 years and was most recently marketing director for Standard Life's life and pensions business in the UK.

Michael originally joined the Dublin office of Standard Life as an actuarial student in 1989. He transferred to the company's head office in Edinburgh in 1992 and qualified as an actuary in 1994 at the age of 23.

In 1996, Michael moved to Germany and played an important role in establishing the first Standard Life German office in Frankfurt.

He had the overall responsibility of branch actuary for the first three years of business. In 2000, he secured a first class honours MBA from INSEAD, Europe's leading business school, in France, before returning to Edinburgh.

Michael replaces Rory O'Riordan, who has recently retired. Michael's appointment coincides with the announcement of a €30m investment in the Irish operation over the next two years.

The company employs 250 people in Ireland and has offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Sligo and Dundalk.