Gavin O'Reilly

Gavin Karl O'Reilly (born 17 December 1966) is a Dublin-born businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, who lives in Los Angeles. A triplet, he is the second son and fourth child of former Irish media magnate and famed industrialist Sir Anthony O'Reilly (Sir Tony O'Reilly) and Australian Susan (nee Cameron) O'Reilly A.M. (deceased Nov. 2014).^[1]

He is currently Executive Director of Bayard Capital LLC - a privately-owned technology investment firm, with interests in Software as a Service (Saas), Biotech with other venture capital interests.

He is the Chairman of Los Angeles-based 360 VR tech solutions company, Wemersive, Inc. and also serves as Chairman of Red Flag Consulting which offers strategic and crisis communications advice from its offices in Dublin, London, Paris and Brussels.

He is the former CEO of The Agency Group Limited, the world's largest independent music agency, which was sold to United Talent Agency LLC in August 2015.^[2] He was listed in Billboard Magazine's "The 2015 Billboard Power 100"^[3] in January 2015.

Prior to that, he was group CEO of London Stock Exchange-listed Independent News and Media PLC, the then largest press group in Ireland and South Africa and one of the largest media groups (in press, radio and outdoor advertising) in Australia and New Zealand (through its then investment in APN News & Media) and leading media investments in India and Indonesia, with almost 200 titles and a readership of over 100 million.

He is also the former President of the World Association of Newspapers (2005–2011),^[4] and a director of the Ireland Funds.

Early life

O'Reilly was born, the eldest of triplets, and fourth of six children, in 1966, in Dublin, Ireland and brought up in London, then in Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, USA (1971 - 1980), when his father (Sir) Tony O'Reilly was Chairman and CEO of H.J. Heinz Inc, and then in Dublin Ireland.^[5] He attended Harrow School in London in 1981^[5] and completed his high school studies at Clongowes Wood,^[6] a Jesuit private school in a historic house near one of the then main family homes, Castlemartin in Kildare, Ireland (which was bought by billionaire John Malone of Liberty Media in December 2014).

After taking his Irish Leaving Certificate exam in 1985, he worked at London advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach^[6] (now part of DDB Worldwide), for two years. He then attended Georgetown University School of Business in Washington DC, but interrupted his studies to work as a stockbroker in First Pacific Securities in Hong Kong and London, before finishing his degree at Georgetown with honours.^[6]

Career

Bayard Capital LLC

He is Executive Director of Bayard Capital LLC, a privately-owned technology investment firm, with interests in Software as a Service (SaaS), Biotechnology and other venture capital interests. Bayard Capital is the largest investor in Bayard Capital Technologies LP, which in turn is the majority shareholder in Service Channel, Inc. ServiceChannel provides facilities managers with a single platform to source, procure, manage and pay for repair and maintenance services from commercial contractors across their enterprise. By providing a real time, mobile and web-based view of service data across all trades, locations and contractors, facilities managers drive significant brand equity and ROI for their organizations without outsourcing or investing in new infrastructure. The world’s leading global brands use ServiceChannel, Inc and Big Sky solutions daily to help optimize millions of transactions and billions of dollars of spend annually.

Wemersive, Inc.

He is Chairman of Wemersive which specialises in "mobile-first" 360º VR software solutions and services, as well as the broader development of end-to-end immersive technologies.

Red Flag Consulting

Since February 2013, O'Reilly has served as Chairman of Red Flag Consulting Ltd which specialises in Strategic Communications, Government and Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Regulatory Engagement in the US and across Europe.

The Agency Group

In 2013, O’Reilly was appointed Group CEO of the-then-London headquartered The Agency Group Limited (now renamed UTA Music) – the world’s largest music agency with over 100 agents. Representing a global roster of over 2,500 artists, the roster includes some of the most recognizable names in the music industry, including, Deep Purple, Guns N' Roses, Dolly Parton, Ringo Starr, Motörhead, Paramore, Jungle, Nickelback, Stromae, The Kills, Natalia Jiminez, Alice Cooper, Moby, Rush and many more. In August 2015, O’Reilly spearheaded the sale of The Agency Group to United Talent Agency, LLC - one of the premier global talent and literary agencies originating in Beverly Hills in a move seen as significantly bolstering UTA's music business, according to the LA Times.

INM

In 1993, O'Reilly joined the London-listed media company, Independent News and Media plc (INM), by then already the largest media group in Ireland and led its "yellow page" division, the Independent Directory. In 1999, after working in several divisions, he was appointed CEO of the Irish operations of INM and oversaw the move of the company's production and logistic operations to Citywest Business Park in 2000.^[7] He became Group COO of INM in December 2001^[4] and was appointed to its board of directors in 2004. He served as Chairman of ASX-listed APN News & Media, a leading media entertainment company with diverse assets in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, from 2008 - 2012, a company in which INM held a controlling stake. In 2005, he led INM's strategic foray into the buoyant media market of India with the investment into Jagran Prakashan Limited (JPL), one of India's leading media conglomerates controlled by the Gupta family. O'Reilly served on the board of JPL from 2006-2014.^[8] Following his father's retirement in 2009, O'Reilly was promoted to Group CEO of INM. In April 2012, he stepped down as chief executive of Independent News & Media, ending 39 years of direct control by his family of Ireland's largest media group.

Other roles

He is non-executive Director (and former Chairman) of Dromoland Castle, the leading 5-Star luxury Castle resort in County Clare, Ireland. He is a Trustee of the O'Reilly Foundation^[9] and Vice-President of United Europe.^[10]

In 2005, he was elected President of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).^[11] O’Reilly orchestrated the merger of WAN with IFRA in 2009 to form the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers - the global representation body for the newspaper industry. He was elected as the first President of the merged association and held the office until 30 June 2011.^[12] As the longest-serving President he now serves as an Honorary Member of the Executive Committee.^[13]

He is also the former Chairman of the National Newspapers of Ireland, the former Chairman of APN News & Media (Australia), the former Chairman of BM Polyco (one of Europe's largest technical hand protection/ glove companies), the former Chairman of Dromoland Castle Holdings Limited, a former director of Norkom Technologies PLC - financial crime and compliance software integrator, a former director of investment holding company TVC PLC, a former director of Jagran Prakashan (India) one of India’s largest media companies, a former director of PT Mahaka Media TBK (Indonesia) one of Indonesia's leading media companies, a former director of Ashford Castle Hotel and resort in Ireland, a former director of Cashcade LTD - bingo/ online casino operator, a former director of mobile content provider iTouch PLC, a former director of the Irish Heart Foundation, and a founding-director of Barretstown Gang Camp in Ireland - a Serious Fun Camp- founded by Hollywood actor Paul Newman.

Personal life

O'Reilly married Danish-national Christina Grimm in December 2012 in London, with whom he has two children (Carl Lucas born 2007; Carolina born 2011). They live in Los Angeles. His first marriage to former model and James Bond actress Alison Doody produced two daughters (Alanna born 1996; Lauren born 1998). He lives in Los Angeles.

References

• Cork, Ireland, 19 December 2001: Irish Examiner, "Gavin O'Reilly likely heir apparent to take over father's mantle" – Conor Keane.
• Dublin, Ireland, February 2002: The Dubliner, "Independent Man" – Trevor White.
• London, The Observer, 27 January 2008: "O'Reilly junior proves passion for print is in the genes / But Gavin insists Independent News & Media is not a family heirloom", James Robinson The Observer, retrieved online 27 March 2008 ()