Cairn is strengthening its senior leadership team

Cairn appointees: Elaine O'Brien, Olivia Buckley, Zoe Ennis, Madeleina Loughrey-Grant, chief strategy and sustainability officer, Sean Gavin, and Hazel McGuinness.

Home builder Cairn has strengthened its leadership team with five new senior leadership appointments.

With soaring demand for new accommodation, Cairn’s housing output has risen by 60% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. The firm says the new appointees will support its continued growth and long-term ambitions.

The new appointees are Elaine O'Brien, Olivia Buckley, Zoe Ennis, Sean Gavin and Hazel McGuinness. The appointments span finance, communications, legal, procurement and commercial, and digital transformation.

Madeleina Loughrey Grant, Cairn’s chief strategy and sustainability officer grant, said: "As Cairn continues to grow, attracting exceptional people is one of the most important investments we can make. I’m delighted to welcome Elaine, Olivia, Zoe, Sean and Hazel to the team.

“Each brings outstanding perspectives and leadership experience that will complement the strong talent we already have across the business,” added Madeleina, who also leads people and talent at Cairn.  

“The diversity of experience and perspectives they bring will make us a stronger organisation. I’m excited to see new senior members work alongside colleagues across the business as we continue learning, evolving and building for the future.”  

Elaine O'Brien has been appointed as director of finance and treasury. She has built an international career in commercial finance, with senior finance and commercial leadership roles across listed and multinational businesses, including Grafton Group and L'Oréal.

Olivia Buckley, director of communications, joins Cairn with a strong track record in strategic communications and reputation management, having held senior roles with Aer Lingus, Banking and Payments Federation Ireland and the Irish Tax Institute.

Zoe Ennis has been appointed as head of legal. She has previously advised complex organisations on legal and commercial matters across both private practice and in-house leadership roles. Her experience includes Arthur Cox and Amazon Web Services, where she served as senior investment and acquisition manager.

Sean Gavin, director of commercial and procurement, has spent more than two decades leading commercial and operational teams in residential development. His career includes senior leadership roles with Berkeley Group in the UK and most recently as managing director (South) at London Square.

Hazel McGuinness, director of IT and digital transformation, has led digital and business transformation programmes across multiple industries including roles with Org Group (Abtran), AbbVie and Lakeland Dairies, specialising in digital innovation, data strategy and enterprise change.

As of its recent trading update in July, Cairn was active on 26 sites across the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway. Cairn is committed to developing high-quality, competitively priced, sustainable new homes and communities in locations across Ireland.