'I am a big believer that women can have it both, in terms of their career and family'

Cork firm Talivest appoints new CEO as founder steps back to focus on starting a family

Cork-based employee analytics firm Talivest has appointed Jeff Matthews as its new CEO as the company’s co-founder, Jayne Ronayne, steps back for a career break to focus on starting a family.

Launched in 2018 by Ronayne and Laura Belyea, the company uses analytics and employee data to help companies boost staff retention, employee experience, and workforce strategic planning.

In November, Cork entrepreneurs Dan and Linda Kiely led fresh funding round for the company, raising $1m (€860,000) to accelerate the launch of a product that addresses the causes of discontentment and burnout among employees.

“We have come a long way since starting the company while I was at university, and now is the right time to bring in a CEO who has the experience and knowledge to scale Talivest and guide the company through our next phase of growth,” said Ronayne. “I am delighted that Jeff will be stepping in as our new CEO and will bring immediate value to both our company and, most importantly, to our customers.

“I’m embarking on a new personal journey which is to become a first-time mum. I am a big believer that women can have it both, in terms of their career and family. It’s been a privilege leading Talivest over the last number of years, but I am also hugely excited to start my next adventure. I’ll be returning to Talivest in a different role working alongside Jeff, supporting the growth and implementing our strategy.”

Jeff Matthews originally came to Ireland with Salesforce in 2009, before going on to be employee number seven at LinkedIn’s EMEA HQ in Dublin, pre-IPO. He has over 20 years of experience working in some of the biggest technology companies, including LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Oracle. Most recently, he led global teams for LinkedIn Learning and Glint and previously worked for Salesforce in San Francisco.