Wayflyer beefs up team as it targets further global growth

Company has made a number of key appointments

Wayflyer founders Jack Pierse and Aidan Corbett
Wayflyer founders Jack Pierse and Aidan Corbett

Irish start-up Wayflyer has made a series of appointments to strengthen its global team as it continues its expansion.

The company, which provides revenue-based financing and marketing analytics for online businesses, is currently on a recruitment drive following its pledge to grow it global staff numbers from 250 people to 600 by the end of the year.

Ciara Smyth, formerly chief people officer at mobile entertainment platform King, is joining the company as chief talent officer, while Stripe's former international recruitment leader Roisin Faizullah-Khan has been appointed as vice-president of talent acquisition. The duo will work closely with Wayflyer's head of people Áine Flanagan.

The company has also appointed a new chief business officer, with Will Mahon-Heap stepping in to the role. He joins the company from fintech Revolut, where he spent four years driving international and product growth.

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Wayflyer's new chief legal officer is Deirdre MacCarthy, who has more than a decade of experience working with high-growth technology companies. Ms MacCarthy previously worked with the corporate technology practice at Maples Group, ByrneWallace and Arthur Cox, and has previously worked as Wayflyer's external counsel.

Paddy Power-Betfair’s former head of advertising Emer McCarthy has been appointed Wayflyer’s head of brand, while Dan O’Brien has been promoted to chief revenue officer.

Investors

Wayflyer has seen significant expansion in recent times, growing its headcount from 40 employees to 250 last year. In February the company announced it had become the sixth home-grown Irish tech unicorn after raising $150 million (€134m) from investors at a $1.6 billion valuation.

"Our latest funding round means we can confidently meet our 2022 hiring targets, allowing us to scale quickly and reach even more e-commerce businesses around the world. At the same time we are a business founded on a strong company ethos where diversity of thought, culture and experience is at the core of everything we do," said Aidan Corbett, Wayflyer chief executive and cofounder.

“These hires are a great example of how we are delivering against this ethos. I have no doubt the depth and breadth of talent and skills they collectively bring to the table will be invaluable as we grow. As we continue through the year we have plans to make yet further additions to our wider team, along with several C-suite level appointments.”

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist