Gavin O'Reilly

Gavin Karl O'Reilly (born 17 December 1966) is a Dublin-born businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, the second son and fourth child of Irish media magnate Tony O'Reilly and Australian Susan Cameron.^[1] He is Worldwide CEO of The Agency Group Limited, one of the largest music agencies in the world, and lives in London.^[2] He was, until 2012, Group chief executive officer^[3] of Independent News and Media, the largest press group in Ireland and South Africa, and one of the largest in Australia and New Zealand, with almost 200 titles and a readership of over 100 million. He is also the former President of the World Association of Newspapers (2005–2010),^[4] and a director of the Ireland Funds.^[4]

Life

Education and early career

O'Reilly was born, the eldest of triplets, and fourth of six children, in 1966, in Dublin, and brought up in Dublin and Kilcullen, Ireland and Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, USA.^[1] After a year at Harrow School,^[1] he completed school at Clongowes Wood,^[5] a private school in a historic house near one of the then main family homes, Castlemartin in Kildare

After taking his Irish Leaving Certificate exam in 1985, he went to London, taking a summer job in advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach^[5] (now part of DDB Needham), and staying there for around two years.^[4] He then attended Georgetown University School of Business but interrupted his studies to work as a stockbroker in Hong Kong and London, before finishing his degree with honours.^[5]

The Agency Group

In May 2012, O’Reilly was appointed CEO of The Agency Group Limited – the world’s leading independent talent booking agency and a career-building, taste-making, Artist development powerhouse. Covering a wide variety of musical genres – from rock, metal, reggae, folk, adult contemporary, R&B, hip hop, classical, indie, jazz, punk, pop, theatrical etc. – The Agency Group’s continuing success is built on identifying nascent Talent, breaking new acts, nurturing them and developing those acts into global and sustainable successes. Representing a deep and impressive roster of over 2,000 musicians, speakers and authors, The Agency Group is responsible for driving the successful careers of many of the most recognizable and trailblazing names in the entertainment industry, including, The Black Keys, Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses, Muse (band), Paramore, Nickelback, Wiz Khalifa, The Kills, Gotye, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, A$AP Rocky, Tegan and Sara, Rush (band) and many, many more. The Agency Group was founded over 30 years ago in London (in 1981) by Neil Warnock, an industry veteran who has represented and/ or consulted for some of the most influential musicians of our time – including: The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Michael Jackson. A multi-award winning agent himself (Pollstar’s “UK Booking Agent of the Year” – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, & 2012), as Founder & Worldwide President, Neil continues to be the sole agent for a stellar roster of acclaimed international artists from Dolly Parton to Alice Cooper to Motörhead to Liza Minnelli.

INM career

In 1993, O'Reilly was hired by the public company led by his father, Independent News and Media plc (INM), by then already the largest press group in Ireland, and worked on the Independent Directory and then in other areas. He was appointed CEO of the Irish operations of INM in 1999 and oversaw the move of the company's printing operations to Citywest Business Park in 2000.^[6] He was additionally made Group chief operating officer in December 2001^[4] and appointed to the board in 2004. He was Chairman of APN News & Media in Australia from 2008 - 2012, in which INM held a controlling stake.

In late March 2008, at a company Annual Meeting not attended by his father, he launched an attack on the second-largest shareholder in Independent News and Media, telecoms entrepreneur Denis O'Brien, who has been building a stake in the company which nearly rivals that of the O'Reilly family.^[7]

On Friday 13 March 2009, INM announced the departure as CEO and board member of Tony O'Reilly, and the promotion of Gavin O'Reilly to CEO. along with a reduction in the board from 17 to 10 and the appointment of 3 Denis O'Brien nominees immediately.^[3] On 19 April 2012, he stepped down as chief executive of Independent News & Media, ending 39 years of direct control by his family of Ireland's largest media group.

Despite being the CEO of an Irish domiciled plc and owning a home in Dublin 70% of O'Reilly's remuneration was paid into an off-shore Jersey entity.^[8]

Other roles

He is chairman of Dromoland Castle, the leading 5-Star luxury Castle resort in Ireland in which his family has interests, which made a pre-tax operating profit of €1.6 million in 2012, up 18% on figures from 2011.^[9] O’Reilly is non-executive Chairman of BM Polyco,^[10] one of Europe’s largest technical glove companies with market leading positions in the Industrial, Medical and Consumer hand protection sectors, Chairman of Red Flag Consulting^[11] which specialises in Strategic Communications, Government & Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Regulatory Engagement, is a director of TVC PLC,^[12] a publicly quoted investment holding company with its shares trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and the ESM market of the Irish Stock Exchange, and a director of Jagran Prakashan,^[13] one of India’s largest media companies. He is a Trustee of the O'Reilly Foundation and Vice-President of United Europe.^[14]

In 2004, he was elected First Vice-President^[15] of the World Association of Newspapers.,^[16] and then re-elected in June 2006, and June 2008. When it merged with IFRA in 2009 to form the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, he was elected as the first President of the merged association, to hold office until 30 June 2011.^[17]

He is also the former Chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland, a former director of Norkom Technologies, Ashford Castle and numerous charitable foundations, including the Ireland Funds.^[18] He is a Trustee of the O'Reilly Foundation().

Personal life

O'Reilly married model and former James Bond-girl actress Alison Doody on 25 June 1994, at family residence Castlemartin, with 560 guests present. Making their home at Bartra House,^[19] a 10,000 sq ft (930 m²) home overlooking the sea in Dalkey, purchased in 1996, with neighbours including singer Enya and U2 guitarist The Edge, the marriage produced two daughters (Alanna in 1996; Lauren in 1999). They divorced in 2006.^[5] He married Danish-national, Christina Grimm in December 2012, with whom he has 2 children (Carl Lucas in 2007; Carolina in 2011).

Sources

• Cork, Ireland, 19 December 2001: Irish Examiner, "Gavin O'Reilly likely heir apparent to take over father's mantle" – Conor Keane.
• Dublin, Ireland, February 2002: The Dubliner, "Independent Man" – Trevor White.
• London, The Observer, 27 January 2008: "O'Reilly junior proves passion for print is in the genes / But Gavin insists Independent News & Media is not a family heirloom", James Robinson The Observer, retrieved online 27 March 2008 ()

Notes and references