Irish Life’s Unio Wealth Management has lured two executives from stockbroker Goodbody’s regional offices and a former senior Davy private clients adviser as competition for staff in the sector gathers pace.
Unio has hired Andrew Mathers, formerly regional director with Goodbody, with responsibility for Cork and Galway, to lead the company’s regional growth strategy. Mathers, described by Unio as “one of Ireland’s most experienced regional wealth managers”, previously worked for Bank of Ireland Private Banking.
Unio has also appointed Daniel O’Sullivan, who previously worked as a senior wealth manager in Goodbody Cork and, before that, with Credit Suisse in London, as a director, based in Cork.
In addition, the company has recruited Ross Kavanagh, who had served for seven years as an associate director with Davy’s private clients unit before working as investment director for a family office for the past two years. He is joining Unio as a director on its independent wealth team, based in its Dublin headquarters.
“Together, these appointments mark another key milestone in our growth commitment, and a clear signal that we intend to build on this momentum in the years ahead,” Unio managing director Derek Buckley said.
Competition for senior talented staff has intensified in the wealth management sector. It comes at a time of rising household wealth, a growing but ageing population and, more recently, plans by the Government to set up a savings and investment scheme for small investors.
Overseas firms have also been expanding into Ireland in recent times, including US ultra-high-net-worth wealth adviser Silvercrest Asset Management, which has set up its first EU base in Dublin, and UK-based Rathbones, which is planning to establish a hub in the city.
Long-term players have faced increased competition from private equity-backed Kestrel Capital and local new entrants such as Fordel.
Total Irish net household wealth has grown 124 per cent over the past decade to €1.4 trillion, with average net wealth standing at €729,000 at the end of 2025, driven by property assets, according to a report published during summer by Fordel. The firm was founded in 2020 by former Davy executives Stephen Felle and Adam Cleland.
The Irish Times reported this month that Unio’s head of institutional business, Richard White, was leaving to establish his own firm, while Fordel had hired one of its investment directors, Paddy Swan.
Irish Life set up Unio as a stand-alone wealth management business in 2023 to house a number of companies it had acquired over the previous five years, including Invesco, Acumen & Trust, APT and Harvest Financial Services. Unio oversees about €15 billion of assets and employs more than 300 staff across offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.
Separately, Irish Life informed staff on Tuesday that Kieran Dempsey, chief investment officer for the group and Canada Life Europe, will be retiring next March.