Colm Keena

The managing director of the public relations firm Weber Shandwick FCC, Ms Eileen Gleeson, has resigned from the position to take on the role of chairman.

Ms Gleeson, who is also public relations adviser to the President, Mrs McAleese, is to spend less time working directly on clients of Weber Shandwick FCC.

Ms Mary McCarthy and Ms Siobhán Molloy have been appointed joint managing directors of Weber Shandwick FCC.

Ms Gleeson and Ms McCarthy established FCC in 1989. The firm became part of the Weber Shandwick group in 2000 in a deal reported at the time to be worth around €3.8 million. Ms Gleeson held 74 per cent of the firm and Ms McCarthy 26 per cent. As part of the deal Ms Gleeson is understood to have had a 3.5 year earn-out arrangement.

Ms Gleeson's role as special adviser to the President, Ms McAleese, is not connected to her work for Weber Shandwick FCC. She is also a director of First Active. She has been a long-time press adviser to Mr Denis O'Brien and is expected to be called to give evidence to the Moriarty Tribunal about her work for Mr O'Brien around the time Esat Digifone was successfully bidding for the State's second mobile phone licence.