Appointments complete RTÉ Executive Board
RTÉ has announced the two remaining positions on its Executive Board. Frances Abeton, Director of Operations and Production Services and Adrian Lynch, Director of Audience, Channels and Marketing will take up their roles in the coming weeks.
Commenting today, Director-General Dee Forbes said: “These two key appointments to the Executive Board at RTÉ complete the senior level of the revised organisational structure, announced in March. RTÉ’s new integrated structure will see cross-divisional content and audience, channels and marketing functions join the already cross-divisional areas for news, sport, Irish-language and young peoples, supported by integrated functions for operations, finance, transformation and technology, HR, corporate affairs and commercial. As RTÉ responds to changing audience consumption habits and production models, this new structure will drive collaboration, and enhance creativity while creating efficiencies to equip RTÉ for the challenges and opportunities to come.”
Frances Abeton is a proven operational leader with a background in pharmaceuticals, technology, telecoms and finance. Formerly Vice President of Firecrest, now an Icon company, Frances developed innovative clinical trial technologies to enable global companies to improve compliance, consistency and quality of all study-related activities. Under her direction, Firecrest drove innovation in the industry. Frances holds a Master of Business Administration from Smurfit Business School in Dublin.
Frances says: “I’m delighted to join Ireland’s national public service media at this important moment of evolution for the organisation. Driving and achieving change through innovative solutions while implementing successful business strategies has always been my focus. I look forward to working with the operational teams across RTÉ, regarded industry-wide as the best in their field, as we work together to build the RTÉ of the future.”
Adrian Lynch is currently Channel Controller for RTÉ One and RTÉ2 and last week launched ambitious new schedules for the services. Adrian has been with RTÉ since the end of 2014 and is formerly Managing Director of one of Ireland’s most successful independent television production companies, Animo Television. As Channel Controller of RTÉ One and RTÉ2, Adrian has delivered a range of landmark public service programming across all genres, with marked successes around Dancing with the Stars, RTÉ 1916, and award-winning documentaries such as My Homeless Family.
Adrian says: “Over the last few years my goal has been to consolidate and build on RTÉ One and RTÉ2’s market-leading positions, and to deliver compelling and distinctive content to the Irish public. The audience has always been at the centre of my vision, and I look forward now to working alongside Director of Content Jim Jennings as we continue to work with Irish programme makers and talent, both inside and outside of RTÉ, to bring the very best of home-grown content to Irish audiences. Last week’s ambitious launch of over 60 new series for the autumn and winter is a statement of intent, and a foundation we are ambitious to build on”
Adrian and Frances join the RTÉ Executive Board in the coming weeks, which comprises Dee Forbes (Director-General), Jon Williams (Director of News and Current Affairs), Jim Jennings (Director of Content), Breda O’Keeffe (Chief Financial Officer), Willie O’Reilly (Director of Commercial), Brian Dalton (Director of Corporate Affairs), Eimear Cusack (Director of HR), and Richard Waghorn (Director of Transformation and Technology).
