Guaranteed Irish appoints Jason Crawford as chair of its Appraisals Board
Appraisals Board reviews all applications made for Guaranteed Irish membership
Print8 June 2021
Guaranteed Irish, the business membership network supporting more than 1600 homegrown and multinational businesses in Ireland, has appointed Jason Crawford, a partner at Grant Thornton, as the new chairperson of its Appraisals Board.
The Guaranteed Irish Appraisals Board reviews all applications made by businesses for the Guaranteed Irish licence and the use of the Guaranteed Irish symbol, the national symbol of trust in business. Applications are reviewed monthly and assessed to provide evidence of delivering quality Irish jobs, supporting local communities and a commitment to Irish provenance.
The process is open to all indigenous and international companies based in Ireland, with only members companies being permitted to display the iconic Guaranteed Irish symbol, which is worn as a badge of honour by businesses in Ireland across multiple sectors.
Jason Crawford has over two decades of experience in managing complex multi-jurisdiction audit and assurance, as well as technical accounting advisory services, to both domestic private corporates, international organisations and listed groups. He also advises these corporates on technical Irish/UK GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) matters. His expertise spans a range of sectors including technology, agri-food, retail, construction education and industrial products.
Brid O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish, said: “Our Appraisals Board play a crucial role in ensuring that Guaranteed Irish remains the symbol of trust and provenance for businesses operating in Ireland today. It is a true differentiator to other symbols. The Guaranteed Irish symbol is so ionic and holds such respect with the consumer that it behoves us to ensure we perform due diligence with each new applicant. In a time where trust is so imperative, the Guaranteed Irish mark has never been more important. Jason brings with him a wealth of experience which will be of significant value to Guaranteed Irish and we are delighted to welcome him as the incoming Chairperson. On behalf of the organisation, I would like to wish Jason every success in his new role.”
Commenting on his appointment Jason Crawford said he has “sat on the Appraisals board for two years and I’m looking forward to continuing to drive and maintain the high level of integrity associated with the Guaranteed Irish brand.”
Guaranteed Irish has also welcomed Mark Keller and Karen Deignan to the Appraisals Board. Keller is an accomplished international sales and marketing director with over 20 years of building businesses across complex markets for multiple industries including Dairy Food Ingredients, Luxury Goods, FMCG and Telecommunications. Keller previously served on the board of directors of Guaranteed Irish from April 2017 until December 2020.
Deignan is a co-founder of Sustainability Works, a consultancy focused on accelerating Ireland’s transition to a sustainable future. Over the last 20 years, Deignan has advised multinationals and SMEs in many different industry sectors across the UK and Ireland, the US and Europe. Her strength lies in making the complex world of sustainability simple and engaging, so that people at all levels in an organisation are empowered and motivated to take action.
The fourth member of the Appraisals Board is Rob Lyons, who currently works as a senior manager for the sales and marketing division of Certification Europe. Lyons has built and maintained a wide range of client relationships across a diverse portfolio of over 100 public and private sector organisations. His client base includes An Garda Síochána, South Dublin County Council, United Laboratories, Abbvie, Malinkrodt, Facebook and PWC.
Operating since 1974, Guaranteed Irish is a business membership network that supports 1,600 businesses from indigenous SMEs to locally based multinational firms across a wide range of sectors. These businesses employ over 100,000 people across Ireland and generates an annual combined Irish turnover in excess of €12 billion.
Members of Guaranteed Irish also benefit from the expertise and collective experience of its Board of Directors, comprised of senior Irish industry and business leaders:
- Damian McCann, Director of Sales & Marketing, Viatel
- Michael Jackson, Managing Partner, Matheson
- Camilla Cullinane, Tax Partner, KPMG Ireland
- Paddy Kelly, Managing Director, Tegral Building Ltd.
- Ray Kelly, Interim Managing Director, Musgrave Retail Partners
- Mairead McCaul, Managing Director, MSD Ireland (Human Health)
- Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish
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