David Harney was appointed Chief Operating Officer, Europe for Great-West Lifeco in February 2020, overseeing the Irish Life and Canada Life organisations in the UK, Ireland and Germany serving over 5m customers and employing 5,000 people.  

Prior to that, David spent 4 years as Chief Executive Officer of Irish Life Group, in which he led the Group’s Financial Services, Financial Advisory, Health Insurance and Investment businesses in Ireland. Before that he worked in Irish Life for over 30 years and has held a number of senior roles over that time including Director of Finance, Director of Marketing, Director of Sales and Managing Director of Irish Life Corporate Business. 

David’s is energised and inspired by the opportunities that new technology and the digital agenda offer businesses to function more effectively and connect more meaningfully with their customers. He is a keen advocate and early adopter of DEI practices, and is currently championing the development of strong CSR and Sustainability credentials across the organisations that he manages. 

David holds an MSc. in Financial Mathematics from Dublin City University and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. He is currently serving as President of Insurance Ireland. 

David is married to Brid, has three sons and enjoys playing golf in his spare time. 

His leadership tip would be ‘Stay Curious’. Being open to new ideas and having the bravery to explore them means your business and your offering to customers remains relevant, responsive and successful. 

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