The CEO of Kainos Group plc is to step down after 22 years in the role.
Brendan Mooney has served the listed Belfast tech provider for 34 years after joining as a trainee software engineer in 1989.
Undertaking several technical and consulting roles before being appointed to the role of CEO in June 2001, he went on to lead Kainos through a successful IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
The digital transformation firm, which works across industries, said the transition – which will be completed by the end of September 2023 – will see digital services director Russell Sloan take the top job and join the company’s board.
Sloan joined Kainos in 1999, also as a trainee software engineer, before embarking on a series of leadership roles. Since 2013, he has been the director of Kainos’ digital services division, over that period growing the division from 35 people to the global team of 1,600 people it is today.
It delivers digital transformation for government, healthcare and commercial sector organisations. In the most recent financial year, digital services generated over 60% of Kainos’s total revenue.
“My decision to step down as CEO of Kainos was not an easy one, but made easier knowing the talent and motivation of the team leading the business today,” said Mooney. “I have complete confidence in Russell to lead us successfully into the future and I look forward to supporting him and the wider team over the next 12 months.
“It has been a wonderful experience to be part of the Kainos journey: to have worked alongside so many exceptional friends and colleagues; to have witnessed the positive difference our work has made for our customers and in society; and to have watched Kainos grow from a local start-up to a dynamic global firm.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in Kainos for creating the special business that we are today; and for the support they have provided to me personally throughout my career.”
Sloan added: “Kainos is a thriving, growing and global business. I am excited to be taking over the role of CEO in September and look forward to building on the success that has been created over the past decades. We have much to be proud of as a team and look forward to many more achievements in the future.
“I would like to thank Brendan for his leadership and support, and to thank the Board for the confidence placed in me to lead this exceptional business. I am fortunate to be surrounded by a remarkable, talented team who will help me execute against the clear, proven and effective strategy already in place.”