Version 1, a leader in digital transformation which employs around 500 at its Belfast office, has announced the appointment of Louise Lahiff as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Patrick Cooney as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
This forms part of the company’s ongoing strategy to drive ambitious growth and expansion throughout the business, and in turn deliver an even stronger and more compelling offer to customers.
Louise has been with Version 1 for a decade and in this new role she will oversee the outcomes for delivery and technology implementations for all customers, leading the delivery functions across the UK, Ireland, India and the US. She has held previous positions including Director of Strategy, People and Planning where she was instrumental in facilitating the necessary structures and support systems for rapid expansion and scale on a global level. Louise was the first woman to join the board of Version 1’s software entity in July 2022.
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Louise explains: “This is a very exciting time for Version 1 and I’m extremely pleased and grateful to continue my journey as the new COO. We have ambitious plans in the pipeline for our growth and development and I am looking forward to working with my teams to continuously evolve our value proposition to our customers, setting the bar high in transformation that in turn benefits their own customers and users.”
Patrick Cooney joins Version 1 as CFO following a highly successful tenure at Kerry Group plc, where he served as Europe CFO for nine years, helping the organisation to navigate several geopolitical challenges including Brexit, cost inflation and the impact of COVID-19. Patrick will spearhead Version 1’s financial growth strategy, driving the business safely during a time of rapid expansion through acquisition and progression into new markets.
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His charter will include building a high performing finance team that can support business performance and growth, while remaining grounded in the three sides of the company’s strategic operating model – customer first, empowered people and a strong organisation. Patrick takes over from Andrew Langford who is retiring after almost seven years as Version 1 CFO, having successfully steered the organisation through several acquisitions as well as securing a new partner and majority shareholder deal with Partners Group in 2022.
“It was very important for me to join an organisation that had values which match my own,” said Patrick. “Each of the Version 1 core values resonates with me and I’m confident that I can thrive and be happy in this environment while delivering what’s needed for the business. It has an impressive track record of growth to date and ambitious plans for the future, I am truly excited to have the opportunity to contribute to this.”
The appointments of Louse Lahiff and Patrick Cooney mark key milestones in Version 1’s plan to drive significant growth and expansion this year.
