The Leadership Team
Keith McDonagh
Managing Director
Keith McDonagh
Managing Director
In 2006, Keith became a part of PE Global shortly after its inception. Drawing from his expertise in recruiting and placing pharmaceutical contractors in Ireland, Keith astutely identified the potential and possibilities offered by this emerging startup. His contribution to PE Global was marked by a wealth of experience encompassing sales strategies, financial management, the cultivation of client and stakeholder relationships, contract negotiation, quality assurance, and resource management.
With the acquisition of PE Global in 2020, Keith assumed the role of Managing Director for the organisation. His formidable leadership abilities are poised to guide the PE Global team towards the realisation of its goal: becoming a prominent international recruitment agency. Under his stewardship, the company is positioned for successful growth and industry leadership.
David Van Der Vegt
Director
David Van Der Vegt
Director
David became a part of PE Global shortly after its inception in 2006. He has played a pivotal role in the leadership of PE Global Healthcare, a division specializing in the provision of various medical personnel, such as doctors, nurses, Allied Health Professionals (AHP), and other related professionals, to markets spanning the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. His extensive experience includes working closely with major international hospitals.
David’s influence was particularly notable in the establishment of our UK Healthcare Division. This division focuses on recruiting locum doctors, general practitioners (GPs), nurses, and healthcare assistants (HCAs) for the NHS and private healthcare services, which encompass hospitals, residential facilities, and community-based services.
Grainne Killilea
Director
Grainne Killilea
Director
Grainne, with her extensive recruitment background, has been actively involved in all facets of recruitment since 2005. She currently serves as Director of PE Global’s healthcare divisions, overseeing PE Global Healthcare Ireland and Locum Express, specialising in the provision of short and long-term healthcare professionals to both the public and private health sectors.
In her capacity, Grainne assumes responsibility for managing, motivating, and leading the healthcare teams to uphold the high standards expected by our clients and candidates alike. Furthermore, she plays a vital role in driving business development within these healthcare divisions. Grainne consistently formulates strategies aimed at enhancing overall healthcare revenue, ensuring the continuous advancement of these crucial segments of the organization.
Maura Smyth
Director
Maura Smyth
Director
Maura holds the position of Director at PE Global and has been an integral part of the Finance Department since 2011. She heads up PE Global’s finance team and brings a wealth of financial expertise acquired through extensive experience in both Practice and Industry over many years.
Maura is a certified Accountant and proudly holds membership in the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, further solidifying her qualifications and commitment to the field of finance.
Ken Tierney
Director
Ken Tierney
Director
Ken’s journey with PE Global began in 2008 when he joined as a Senior Recruitment Consultant. Throughout his tenure at the company, Ken has played key roles in various aspects of the business, leading teams responsible for recruiting both within Ireland and on an international scale.
With an impressive track record in recruiting across diverse industry sectors such as Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Oil & Gas, Ken has ascended to the position of Director. In this role, he supervises all contract recruitment activities for PE Global, spanning the Irish, UK, and EMEA regions.
With over 15 years of recruitment experience and a decade of immersion in the Pharmaceutical industry, where he worked in Quality and Production functions, Ken is deeply entrenched in the day-to-day operations at PE Global. He has effectively managed teams handling the needs of a vast array of national and international clients for PE Global.
Ken’s responsibilities encompass upholding the high-quality service standards for PE Global clients. He oversees all facets of recruitment service provision and cultivates client relationships through site meetings and participation in client summits. Ken’s qualifications include a Masters Degree in Science with a specialization in Instrumental Analysis from DCU.
Robert Carroll
Associate Director – IT and Operations
Robert Carroll
Associate Director – IT and Operations
Robert serves as PE Global’s Project Manager, overseeing a range of internal projects including GDPR readiness, IT infrastructure upgrades, IR35 compliance, and internal software review. In this pivotal role, Robert plays a vital part in defining and achieving operational objectives by thoroughly analysing business functions, gathering information, and assessing output requirements and formats.
One of his primary responsibilities is to enhance internal systems through the evaluation of existing practices, designing necessary modifications, and collaborating with current suppliers. Robert is instrumental in specifying project requirements, identifying key milestones, phases, and elements, establishing project budgets, and engaging with all essential stakeholders.
In his role, Robert diligently monitors the progress of each project by tracking activities, addressing issues, disseminating progress reports, and recommending strategic actions. Furthermore, he is responsible forformulating project plans, setting clear goals and budgets, developing schedules, and devising methods for measuring progress while ensuring each project reaches successful completion within the defined timelines.
Strategic analysis is a fundamental aspect of Robert’s role, allowing him to provide valuable insights and direction for all projects. He meticulously organizes and manages each project’s various phases, guaranteeing that they proceed according to schedule and culminate in timely completion.
Aaron Coughlan
Associate Director - Finance
Aaron Coughlan
Associate Director - Finance
Aaron assumes the crucial role of overseeing the finance department for the UK Division of PE Global. In this capacity, he manages the day-to-day operations and related activities of the department.
Aaron’s journey with PE Global began in 2014 when he joined as an Accounts Administrator. Through his dedication and expertise in finance, he steadily progressed within the organization, ultimately ascending to the position of managing the UK Division’s Account Department. His career trajectory underscores his commitment and proficiency in financial matters within the company.
Linda O'Mahoney
Associate Director - Marketing
Linda O'Mahoney
Associate Director - Marketing
Linda brings a wealth of experience in the field of Marketing, boasting over 25 years of expertise. Her invaluable background has been cultivated through work across diverse industries, including construction, finance, and business process outsourcing. Linda’s journey with PE Global commenced in 2014, and since then, she has contributed her extensive knowledge to the organisation.
Her proficiency encompasses a wide range of marketing tools and strategies, such as digital marketing, brand management, SEO, social media marketing, direct marketing, marketing strategy development, market research, tender writing, and content creation. Linda plays a pivotal role in instilling a marketing-centric ethos throughout the entire business, leveraging her extensive experience to enhance PE Global’s marketing endeavors.
Brian Crimmins
Associate Director - Technology
Brian Crimmins
Associate Director - Technology
Prior to joining PE Global, Brian acquired international experience managing and delivering tailored recruitment solutions to key clients across a blend of industry verticals providing technical and commercial talent in a contingent, executive search and project recruitment capacity.
As clients increasingly embraced new technologies to navigate their Digital Transformation journeys and adapt to evolving business and market conditions, our recruitment support expanded to encompass technology-oriented talent solutions. This evolution has continued as the demand for specialist digital transformation expertise continues to grow.
Presently, Brian focuses on sectors marked by fierce competition for specialised, in-demand skills. He lends his support to companies involved in providing and adopting emerging technology solutions within their chosen industry verticals.
Brian is proactive in establishing partnerships with vendors, consultancies, start-ups, and large enterprise international clients. His goal is to offer innovative resourcing solutions and ensure consistent access to top-tier talent aligned with the unique needs of each client. Notable recent client engagements have revolved around identifying and providing talent with expertise in areas such as Intelligent Automation, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Stephen Beggy
Group Business Development Manager
Stephen Beggy
Group Business Development Manager
Stephen brings a wealth of experience in cultivating robust relationships with clients from both the public and private sectors across a diverse spectrum of industries, encompassing pharmaceuticals, medical devices, commercial enterprises, construction, engineering, legal services, and finance.
A motivated and ambitious professional, Stephen demonstrates a proven track record in sales, making him a valuable asset in driving the growth of our business development division. With joint responsibility for both fostering new business opportunities and nurturing our existing client base, Stephen prioritises the establishment of enduring relationships with clients and candidates alike.
Stephen’s adept interpersonal skills empower him to positively influence decision-making processes and forge effective partnerships with clients, suppliers, and stakeholders. In addition to his extensive industry experience, his core competencies encompass business development, account management, project and program management, comprehensive recruitment strategies, and leadership development initiatives.
Audrey McCarthy
Recruitment Manager – Contracts
Audrey McCarthy
Recruitment Manager – Contracts
Audrey joined PE Global in 2015, bringing her valuable business acumen to the team. Over the years, she has emerged as a pivotal member of the organization, overseeing all aspects of the recruitment process.
Audrey’s specialisation lies in recruiting for multinational companies across diverse sectors in Ireland. Her keen insights and expertise have made her an invaluable asset to the team and clients alike.
Audrey’s academic journey includes earning a Bachelor of Business Degree in Business Administration from Cork Institute of Technology in 2011. Following her studies, she spent several years traveling before returning to Ireland and gaining professional experience with an engineering company. Her experiences and education have undoubtedly contributed to her success in recruitment at PE Global.
James Wright
Nursing Recruitment Manager
James Wright
Nursing Recruitment Manager
James joined PE Global Healthcare’s London office as a Senior Recruitment Manager responsible for supplying registered nurses to private and public healthcare facilities throughout the UK, including the NHS.
He quickly proved himself to be a valuable asset and his ability to take initiative in a busy and demanding work environment has been of huge benefit to the PE Global Healthcare team resulting in James being promoted to Nursing Recruitment Manager. James works to stringent guidelines and possesses the ability to maintain a consistently high standard of quality work as expected from our clients.
Prior to joining the healthcare recruitment team at PE Global Healthcare, James’ healthcare recruitment experience spanned over 6 years, during which time he has specialised in agency nurse sourcing, recruitment and placements. James is a vital component in the day to day operations of the nursing team within the UK healthcare division of PE Global.
Emma O'Keeffe
Talent Acquisition & Training Manager
Emma O'Keeffe
Talent Acquisition & Training Manager
Emma began her journey with PE Global as a member of a team of Recruitment Consultants, specialising in recruiting for contract positions for the company’s Irish pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical devices clients. She brought with her a wealth of experience, which equipped her with the necessary skills to excel in her role, ultimately leading to her promotion as a Senior Recruitment Consultant/Internal Training.
Upon completing her Higher Diploma in Human Resources Management and Services from UCC, Emma continued to progress within PE Global, assuming her current role as Talent Acquisition & Training Manager.
In her day-to-day responsibilities, Emma is deeply involved in training new recruits across all divisions of PE Global, including PE Global Healthcare and Locum Express, across all locations in Ireland, the UK and India. She also conducts ongoing refresher training sessions for existing team members. Furthermore, Emma plays a key role in recruiting new internal hires for PE Global, overseeing the entire recruitment process, which encompasses initial sourcing, pre-screening calls to assess a candidate’s suitability, candidate evaluation, interview coordination across multiple divisions, candidate preparation, reference checks, security checks, offer management, and contract administration. Her multifaceted role underscores her critical contributions to the organisation.
Frances Kelly
Recruitment Manager - Temporary Division
Frances Kelly
Recruitment Manager - Temporary Division
Frances initially joined PE Global as a Recruitment Consultant in the Temporary Division, focusing on sourcing temporary candidates for the company’s industrial clients. Her responsibilities included candidate sourcing, skill assessment, understanding job preferences, and assessing their suitability for specific client needs.
Frances quickly demonstrated her value to the team and transitioned into the role of an Account Manager, where she dedicated herself to thoroughly comprehending her clients’ requirements. She ensures the best possible matches between candidates and clients within a fast-paced and highly responsive environment. Frances has developed expertise in managing both immediate and ongoing staffing needs for numerous clients.
Today, Frances holds the position of Recruitment Manager, where she leads and manages a dedicated team of recruiters and administrators. Her leadership has played a pivotal role in the continued success of PE Global’s Temporary Division.
Michael Jennings
Recruitment Manager
Michael Jennings
Recruitment Manager
In 2011, Michael embarked on his journey with Locum Express, part of the PE Global Group, where he initially managed the accounting aspects related to Locum Doctors. Over time, he transitioned into a recruitment role, specialising in sourcing Locum Consultants and NCHD’s (Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors) for both private and public hospitals across Ireland. His recruitment efforts encompassed a wide range of medical specialties, including psychiatry, medical, surgical, radiology, and emergency medicine.
Throughout his tenure, Mike consistently demonstrated his value as a dedicated team member. His significant contributions included expanding the Consultant division and maintaining a strong client focus across various HSE (Health Service Executive) hospitals. These accomplishments led to his well-deserved promotion to the role of Recruitment Manager.
In his new capacity, Mike will continue to lead the growth and development of Locum Express.
Jamie Fenton
Healthcare Recruitment Manager
Jamie Fenton
Healthcare Recruitment Manager
Jamie has invaluable experience in leadership, team coordination, and customer service. Following her studies in healthcare, Jamie reached a pivotal point in her career, allowing her to balance the high-pressure demands of management with academic commitments. The experience not only deepened her organisational and problem-solving skills but also reinforced her passion for making a meaningful impact.
In 2021, Jamie transitioned into healthcare recruitment, specialising in connecting clients and professionals within the healthcare sector. Her role has involved coordinating placements for staff across various specialties, ensuring a seamless match between the needs of healthcare organisations and the expertise of their workforce.
Building strong relationships with clients and maintaining an unwavering focus on delivering excellent service have been central to her approach. She started working with PE Global Healthcare in 2023 as a Senior Recruitment Consultant, moving into a team lead position within 4 months. Jamie moved into a managerial role just over a year later. Her journey has been a rewarding one of growth, where she has been making a significant difference in PE Global’s Healthcare division and the healthcare sector.
Rahul Shukla
Head of Operations
Rahul Shukla
Head of Operations
Rahul has played a pivotal role in establishing and managing PE Global’s office in Ahmedabad, India. Rahul manages PE Global’s Indian operations, and oversees the recruitment, training, and onboarding of all new employees within the office. Rahul consistently upholds the high standards of quality work expected by both clients and candidates. He actively collaborates with the accounts teams, vendor management, and project teams, while also driving sales, ensuring compliance, supervising the out-of-hours team, and spearheading the expansion of the office.
Rahul’s journey with PE Global began as a Team Lead, where he handled offshore recruitment operations, supplying nurses and healthcare support staff to clients throughout the UK. His exceptional managerial skills and deep process knowledge led to his well-deserved promotion to the role of Head of Operations, where his responsibilities expanded to include comprehensive team management.
Before joining PE Global, Rahul accumulated over seven years of valuable experience working with various outsourcing agencies. His roles spanned across Recruitment Outsourcing and Business Development for third-party clients and agencies in diverse industries, including UK Healthcare, US IT, UK Lifesciences, Supply Chain, and Executive Search, supplying permanent, locum, and contract recruitment on a global scale, showcasing his versatility and expertise.
Liam O'Donovan
Recruitment Manager – Permanent Division
Liam O'Donovan
Recruitment Manager – Permanent Division
Liam, a professional plumber by trade with over 17 years of experience in the construction industry, has worked in construction recruitment in both Australia and Ireland for the past 9 years.
He has successfully established and oversees the day-to-day operations of our Construction Division at PE Global. Liam’s dynamic team specialises in recruiting white-collar positions, along with trades and labor to cater to the needs of the local construction sector.
Liam recently took on the role of leading the permanent recruitment team within PE Global and his knowledge, experience and intense fervor and enthusiasm for the construction industry drives his commitment to the growth and development of this division within PE Global.
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