Building materials group CRH has appointed former Dell executive Nicky Hartery to succeed outgoing chairman Kieran McGowan.

Mr McGowan is set to retire in May, after holding the role since 2007.

Mr Hartery (60), who was vice president of manufacturing and business operations for Dell’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations from 2000 to 2008, joined CRH’s board in 2004.

Prior to that, he was executive vice president at Eastman Kodak, and was also president and chief executive at Verbatim Corporation in the US.

Mr Hartery heads up consulting firm Prodigium, and is non-executive director of both food retailer Musgrave Group and telecoms firm Eircom.

CRH also announced that it had appointed Heather Ann McSharry to the board as a non-executive director.

Ms McSharry (50) is currently chairman of the board of trustees of Bank of Ireland Pension Fund and is a director of Ergonomics Solutions International, IDA Ireland and the Institute of Directors.

Prior to that, she was managing director of Reckitt Benckiser and Boots Healthcare in Ireland.