Primark has recently appointed Fintan Costello as the new head of Penneys Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Costello succeeds Damien O’Neill in his new role.
Costello has been with Primark for over 30 years and has vast retail experience; most recently he led projects for Primark’s global commercial team, based in Arthur Ryan House, Dublin.
He previously worked for 11 years in Primark’s German and Austrian operations as an area manager and then as the company's commercial manager.
Variety Of Roles
He has also served in a variety of roles at Primark in Spain and the UK, as well as previously holding the general manager role at Penneys flagship store on Mary Street in Dublin.
Costello will take the reins from Damien, leading Penneys’ Irish retail business and delivering on Primark’s €250 million investment programme in Ireland which includes the development, relocation and refurbishment of its stores across the country, and the opening of a new distribution centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, next year.
Penneys recently opened its new €16 million relocated store at Dundrum Town Centre, signifying the fashion retailer’s third largest store in Ireland, after its flagship store in Mary Street and its store in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.
Read More: Penneys Opens New Store In Dundrum Town Centre
Promotion
Former head of Penneys Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland Damien O’Neill has been promoted to the newly created role of Vice President of US Retail at Primark, where the retailer currently has 20 stores.
He will relocate to the United States, where he will be based in Primark’s US regional office in Boston.
A Primark veteran with over two decades of retail experience, O’Neill served as head of the Irish and Northern Irish business for two years and prior to that held a series of roles which included managing a number of stores in the UK, leading Primark’s in-store experience transformation across a number of markets and establishing Primark’s French business.
O'Neills New Role
O’Neill will join the Primark US leadership team and will play a pivotal role supporting Primark’s ambitious US store expansion programme, as it plans to open 60 new stores in the US by 2026.
Primark has opened three new US stores this summer alone in Green Acres Mall in Long Island, New York; The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, New Jersey; and at Crossgates Mall in Albany, New York. Primark will open its next US store tomorrow in Arundel Mills Mall, Baltimore, Maryland.
Commenting on the promotions, Lorraine Culligan, group director of people and culture at Primark, said, “I want to congratulate Fintan and Damien on their new positions – both have played a pivotal role in driving Primark’s continued success in Ireland and abroad.
"The love that the Irish public has for Penneys is now being replicated across the Atlantic where US customers are really responding to our unique offering, and Damien is the ideal person to bring that Irish passion and oversee our growing US business.
"Fintan has a wealth of retail experience during his tenure at Primark and is a great fit to lead our Irish business and home market. I wish them both the best of luck in their new roles.”
