MARK DUFFY takes his leave of Bank of Scotland (Ireland), or BoSI, later this month after 16 years with the bank and I’m told he is weighing up three potential job offers.
It seems Duffy has two offers on the table from groups in Ireland – not thought to include Irish Nationwide – and one from abroad.
Duffy is believed to have knocked back an approach from Bank of Ireland headhunters as they sounded out potential candidates to replace Brian Goggin. The gig eventually went to BoI insider Richie Boucher.
Duffy will be on gardening leave in April and May. At BoSI’s full-year results session last week, he said he planned to do some skiing and spend time in Sweden, where he has a house.
With a reputed large exit payment from BoSI under his kilt, Duffy won’t have to rush a decision on his next move. Given the rate of flux in the financial sector, all sorts of opportunities might yet present themselves.
** RYANAIR’S DEPUTY chief executive, Michael Cawley, used this week’s Independent Broadcasters of Ireland annual conference to accuse RTÉ of “left-wing, Liberty Hall agenda” bias and said the airline often dropped stories with Newstalk rather than Montrose as a result.
It is interesting that Ryanair’s PR policy discriminates in favour of a station owned by someone – Denis O’Brien – who bought shares in Aer Lingus in 2006 to help scupper Michael O’Leary’s first bid for our flag carrier and who was a vocal opponent of the second bid last December.
** THERE’S NOTHING like a recession to boost trade union membership.
The impending closure of Royal Bank of Scotland-owned mortgage lender First Active has, it seems, led to a number of managers and other senior personnel inquiring about union membership with the Irish Bank Officials’ Association and Siptu.
