The death has occurred of the deputy managing director of The Irish Times, Michael Austen. He died suddenly after taking ill yesterday morning.
Mr Austen, who was 51, played a major role in the reorganisation of the newspaper over the past five years. A former director of employee relations services at Ibec, he was a committed advocate of the partnership model of industrial relations.
Managing director of The Irish Times, Maeve Donovan last night led the tributes to Mr Austen from his newspaper colleagues. "Michael was an exceptional person, whose wise counsel, calm demeanour and immense professional skill are a great loss.
"As human resources director he was the primary architect of the organisational development that took place within the company in recent years. As deputy managing director, he played a central role in leading the newspaper back to growth and good financial health following the difficulties of 2001."
Ms Donovan said her first thoughts were with Mr Austen's wife, Anne and their children Kevin and Maeve-Ann.
"On a personal level I will miss a dear friend, a close confidant and a very wise counsellor. We will all miss Michael's friendship, his insightful guidance and his tremendous good humour in the days and months ahead."
Editor of The Irish Times Geraldine Kennedy described him as "an extremely capable and competent member of the management team of the company. He had very special people skills in the human resources area. He will be greatly missed at a professional and personal level."
General secretary of the National Union of Journalists Séamus Dooley said Mr Austen had worked closely with the union at both chapel and official level. "He was an able negotiator, always willing to fight his corner but also open to persuasion. Unfailingly courteous, he left differences of opinion at the negotiating table."
Mr Dooley said Mr Austen's use of the advisory service of the Labour Relations Commission during the restructuring of The Irish Times was an innovation that was later copied by other companies.
Director general of Ibec Turlough O'Sullivan said he was deeply saddened by news of the death of Mr Austen, who had served the employers' organisation twice "with distinction".
Having joined The Irish Times as head of human resources in July 1995, Mr Austen was appointed to the board as director-human resources four years later. He was promoted to deputy managing director in 2002.
Born in India and reared in Dublin, he attended Blackrock College before studying economics and politics at Trinity College. He joined The Irish Times from Ibec, having previously worked for the Rover Group, Ryanair, Initial Services and National Irish Bank.
A keen sailor, Mr Austen was a member of the Royal Irish Yacht Club. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.