Cork businessman acquires leadership advisory firm

Former army captain Jonathan Kelleher has taken over a Limerick-founded leadership consultancy firm for an undisclosed amount

Miriam Magner Flynn of Career Decisions and Jonathan Kelleher of CDL Asset Holdings Ltd

A leadership advisory and consultancy firm has been acquired by CDL Asset Holdings Ltd, led by Cork former Irish Army captain and business executive Jonathan Kelleher.

Mr Kelleher's business, CDL Asset Holdings Ltd, is a private holding company focused on supporting the growth and development of established Irish businesses.

Under the deal, the financial terms of which have not been disclosed, Career Decisions Ireland will continue to trade under its existing brand. 

Founded in Limerick in 1994 by former managing director Miriam Magner Flynn, Career Decisions Ireland provides executive coaching and leadership development services, working with multinational, public sector, and indigenous Irish organisations across Ireland and the UK.

Career Decisions operates nationally with offices in Cork, Limerick, and Dublin, with a team of over 60, including executive coaches, organisational psychologists, HR and business consultants. 

All existing roles will be retained as part of the acquisition, with the company planning to expand its associate consultant network to approximately 70 professionals within the first year, in line with projected growth in client demand. 

It also anticipates growing its full-time team with new hires in operations and business development over the next 12 to 18 months.

“It has been a privilege to work with such an exceptional team and outstanding clients," said Ms Magner Flynn. 

"I wish Jonathan and Career Decisions every success in this exciting next chapter.”

Mr Kelleher began his career in the Irish Defence Forces, serving 14 years as an Army officer and retiring with the rank of Captain following multiple overseas United Nations deployments. He later joined Deloitte, where he worked in the Human Capital practice helping organisations manage workforce transformation.

Speaking about the acquisition, Mr Kelleher said: "Organisations today are no longer looking for project-based support. They want a trusted strategic partner who can guide them through continuous change, whether that's a redundancy programme, a leadership transition, or a wholesale transformation of how they work. That is exactly what Career Decisions delivers.” 

On the company’s future, Mr Kelleher added:

“We are delighted to acquire Career Decisions Ireland and build on the exceptional reputation established over the past three decades. Our focus will be on accelerating growth, expanding our services, and strengthening our international capability through our partnership with Career Partners International.”