Drury names internal veteran as chief executive

Employees of Drury, an Irish strategic communications and public affairs consultancy, will see a change in top leadership next year. Cathal Barry has been appointed as the firm’s new chief executive officer. He is set to assume the role in January 2027.

Barry has been with the company for more than a decade. He joined Drury in 2016 as a client manager. By 2022, he had been promoted to managing director of the agency’s financial communications unit. Earlier this year, the board added him to its ranks. His transition to the CEO role marks the next step in his tenure.

The outgoing leader, Anne-Marie Curran, has guided the agency for more than 16 years. She will step down as chief executive but remain in the organization. Curran will move to the position of executive chair. In that capacity, she plans to work closely with clients and support Barry and the team during the transition.

Curran noted that Drury has the depth to appoint from within again. She described Barry as an outstanding advisor and a respected leader who played a central role in the company’s growth. She called her time leading Drury the privilege of her career. Under her direction, the firm completed a management buy-out from Omnicom Group in 2020. That move returned the agency to independent ownership.

Barry has specialized in capital markets and transaction communications since joining the firm. He has advised public companies listed on stock exchanges in Dublin, London, and New York. He has also provided crisis management services to private and family-owned businesses in Ireland. Drury’s client list includes CRH, Cairn Homes, ESB Group, Flutter Entertainment, Ires Reit, Irish Life, Musgrave Group, and Ryanair.

The firm is controlled by several executive directors and co-owners. These include Curran, Paddy Hughes, and Sinead Birt. Co-founder Billy Murphy continues to act as a lead advisor to many key clients. Financial records for the end of 2024 show Drury held accumulated profits of €1.2 million. In that year, the firm paid its five directors a combined package of approximately €1.5 million. If distributed evenly, that amount averages €298,576 per director.

Barry said the communications sector is changing faster than at any time in Drury’s history. He stated that clients need counsel that is sharp, independent, and grounded in real experience. The firm provides strategic advice to a number of well-known Irish businesses. Barry expressed pride in his long association with the company.