Richie Oakley has stepped down as editor of the Business Post to take up a role with public relations company Murray Group.
Mr Oakley was appointed editor of the Business Post in 2019 and also held the role of chief content officer. Murray Group announced his appointment as a director of its corporate and financial practice on Saturday.
In an email to staff before the announcement, Business Post chief executive Sarah Murphy said deputy editor Gillian Nelis has been appointed acting editor, and that a recruitment process for the permanent position will begin in the coming weeks.
Mr Oakley has more than 25 years’ experience in the media. He is a former editor of The Times Ireland edition (2015-2019) and a former news editor and section editor of the Ireland edition of The Sunday Times, where he worked for 15 years.
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He served as a political reporter for The Sunday Times in Ireland and was also the newspaper’s motoring correspondent.
Before joining The Sunday Times, Mr Oakley worked for The Sunday Tribune from 1998 to 2003 covering public affairs, industrial relations and transport. He was also motoring correspondent for the newspaper.
Murray Group chief executive Pat Walsh said: “Our corporate advisory practice has always been senior led and we are delighted to welcome Richie to the team.
“Given his experience across news, business, politics and motoring at four national publications, over three decades, I believe Richie will add further weight and insight to our senior corporate and public affairs offering.”
Mr Oakley said the move was a logical step at this point in his career. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as editor of the Business Post and I’m very proud of the team we have grown and hired whom I will miss enormously,” he said. “I am also very proud of the journalism we produced.
“Joining the team at Murray feels like a logical progression at this point in my career and one I’m very excited about.”
