New director of people, culture and communications at Savills 

Deirdre Donovan joins estate agents Savills Ireland from her former HR role with Meta Ireland 

Mark Reynolds, managing director of Savills Ireland, with Deirdre Donovan, director of people, culture and internal communications.

Estate agency Savills Ireland has appointed Deirdre Donovan as director of people, culture and internal communications.

She brings more than 20 years of experience in senior people and organisational leadership roles, most recently at Meta, where she was HR director for EMEA Sales and Meta Ireland. She also previously held senior roles with Diageo.

Deirdre will work with the senior leadership team on the company’s people strategy, organisational development, culture and leadership. She will also help Savills prepare for AI-led and new tech skills and organisational requirements.

“Savills has a strong business, a well-established culture and ambitious plans for the years ahead, so there is a great opportunity to build on those foundations,” Deirdre said.

Deirdre takes on a newly created senior role for Savills, which has recently added new teams and capabilities. The business now employs almost 500 people across the island of Ireland. In her new role.

Mark Reynolds, managing director of Savills Ireland, said: “Savills has grown considerably in recent years and the business is continuing to evolve. With that comes a need to make sure we are investing just as seriously in our people, our leaders and how we operate as an organisation.

“Deirdre brings a great combination of experience and judgement, having worked with major international businesses through periods of growth and significant change. This is an important appointment for us and reflects the investment we intend to make in our people strategy over the coming years.”

 Deirdre has extensive experience across organisational design, leadership development, talent strategy, employee engagement, culture and workforce transformation. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with senior leadership teams to translate business priorities into practical people and organisational strategies.

Deirdre holds a Master’s in HR Management from UL and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD). She is also a board member of BUMBLEance and contributes to professional and academic initiatives focused on people, leadership and organisational effectiveness.