OpenSky, the Irish data, AI and governance specialist, has announced the appointment of Eimear Dunne as Head of People & Transformation. The newly scoped role marks a significant milestone in OpenSky's growth strategy as the company continues to expand its operations across Ireland, the UK and Europe.

OpenSky, founded in Naas in 2004 by Michael Cronin and William Flanagan, employs 87 people and helps enterprise organisations in government, healthcare and pharmaceuticals deploy, govern and operate AI and data systems safely at scale. As the business continues to scale, it is actively embedding AI and automation into both its internal operating model and client delivery pathways.

In her new role, Dunne will lead OpenSky's AI-enabled workforce strategy and oversee the rollout of its new operating model over the coming 12 months, with her focus centred on proactive skills forecasting, building internal career progression pathways, and aligning team structures with emerging AI capabilities. Embedding workforce planning centrally into operational planning and quarterly business reviews is intended to ensure talent capability directly supports client commitments and long-term financial objectives.

Dunne joined OpenSky in 2022 as People & Culture Manager and a member of the Senior Management Team, leading the People & Culture function enterprise-wide and spearheading groundwork for the company's Transformation Unit. She previously held senior HR positions across corporate, legal and real estate sectors, including HR Business Partner at BNP Paribas Real Estate and HR Generalist at Dillon Eustace Solicitors.

Michael Cronin, Managing Director at OpenSky, said: "We are at a pivotal point in OpenSky's expansion. Having someone of Eimear's vision and capability leading our workforce strategy gives us confidence as we continue to scale efficiently." Eimear Dunne added: "As AI reshapes the industry, our response at OpenSky is to give our people the skills, support, and room to grow into what that work becomes."

The structural driver is the need to align internal staffing and skills development with AI-driven changes to client delivery models, prompting specialist firms to formalise workforce transformation as a dedicated leadership function rather than an HR side responsibility.

For the sector, this reflects growing recognition among data and AI consultancies that scaling delivery capacity depends as much on structured internal career pathways as on client-facing technical expertise.

Source: irishtechnews.ie / itbrief.co.uk