Brian Healy has been described as a “veteran” of the Irish Stock Exchange. The Cork native spent 20 years at the heart of the organisation. Having initially passed on the opportunity while working at Arthur Andersen, a persistent recruiter convinced him to meet the management. Thus began a journey that led to the transformation of one of Ireland’s critical market infrastructures.

When Brian joined the Irish Stock Exchange it had 30 staff, there was no electronic trading, no central clearing capability and it generated a small profit on its almost entirely domestic business. Although many predicted publicly the demise of the Exchange after its demerger from the London Stock Exchange, Brian had a contrary view. In his opinion, if managed correctly, the Exchange was potentially on the cusp of something big. “It was an opportunity to direct and guide the evolution of a business with a national impact, and that doesn’t happen very often,” he said. “But in 1998, I thought it would be a three-year project to launch the Irish equity market into the relatively new world of electronic trading.”

To read Brian’s full interview and all of the interviews in the second issue of ‘Vision’, click here: https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/docs/default- source/Publishing/vision/vision-no-2-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=4 

Brian Healy FCA, Founder of Atlantic Vantage Advisory. Brian held various roles during his 20-year career at the Irish Stock Exchange, including COO and CFO. During that time, he also played a lead role in the technological evolution of the Exchange and its sale to Euronext NV in 2018.