Our Leaders
Through the breadth and depth of their combined professional experience, the leaders of CUNA Mutual strive to execute our strategy and provide consistent, high-quality client service.
Paul Walsh – Chief Executive Officer (Europe)
Prior to joining CUNA Mutual Group, Paul had been Commercial Director for Insurance at Barclays. Paul was one of the principle drivers behind the fundamental repositioning of Barclays as a major insurance business in the UK. In 2006, under Paul’s stewardship, Barclays became Britain’s largest acquirer of Home Insurance and one of the largest insurance brands in the UK. Paul joined Barclays from the Gulf Bank Group where he was General Manager for Retail Banking. Paul has extensive experience in financial services, customer research, marketing and sales.
Since joining CUNA Mutual in 2007, Paul has expanded the Company’s presence in Europe. Under his stewardship, CUNA Mutual has broadened distribution into other mutual sectors, established its General Insurance business for specialising in payment protection, and expanded the Company’s product range. He has focused CUNA Mutual’s resources and commitment in supporting the Credit Union and mutual/co-operative sectors.
Alan Dodds – Chief Executive Officer (UK)
Alan has a vast experience in UK Financial Services, working in a variety of Senior Executive leadership roles, encompassing Marketing, Sales and Operations. Alan started his Banking career with TSB Bank PLC, where he held various posts including Marketing Director Commercial Banking and Head of Marketing for Mortgages and Insurance. Before leaving Lloyds TSB Group, in 2003, he held the position of Contact Centres Director, operationally responsible for leading over 2,500 people and delivering retail banking inbound/outbound sales and service.
In early 2004, Alan started up his own Company specialising in interim leadership roles and leading major change management programmes. During this period, he has operated at Senior Executive level with Barclays Bank Insurance, Skipton Building Society Group – HML, Experian PLC and most recently Norwich Union Insurance (Aviva PLC). The common denominator in these roles was the need to provide specialist support to the leadership team, accountable for delivering major board level sponsored change programmes.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Institute of Direct Marketing, he is a business leader with The Marketing Society and past examiner for the finals in the Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing. Joining CUNA Mutual in January 2009, Alan is responsible for the UK business and also for the CUNA Mutual Group European Marketing.
John Fitzgerald – Product & Finance Director
John graduated from University College Dublin with A B. Comm. and a Diploma in Professional Accounting. He qualified as a chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. After qualification, he joined the asset financing division of Wang where he held a number of Senior financial positions. Following the acquisition of Wang by GE Capital, John managed the accounting service centre for its pan-European vendor equipment financing division.
John joined Irish Life International as a start up business in 1994 and developed unit linked life products, collective funds and discretionary investment services to grow the business to €1 billion funds under management. During this period he held a number of operational and finance roles including Finance Director from 2001, until he joined Barclays in 2004. As head of Product for Barclays Insurance Dublin, John managed the team responsible for the provision of creditor insurance products across the Barclays distribution base. He was the key driver behind the strategic repositioning of the product set to better meet customer needs and maintain value through improved sales processes.
John joined CUNA Mutual in 2008, as Product Director and is responsible for product design, pricing and the management of on-going product performance. In February 2010, he also took over responsibility for the Finance function.
Karen Furlong – Change and Innovation Director
Karen has 20 years experience in the Financial Services, IT, Strategy Consulting and Not for Profit sectors. Karen started her career in Standard Life Assurance Company in Edinburgh, where she worked in Product Development, IT and Strategy and Change.
In November 2005, she returned to Ireland to work for Prospectus Strategy Consultants where she worked on operational improvement projects at Friends First Insurance Group and on Organisation Restructure and Change Management programmes in Enterprise Ireland. On leaving Prospectus she joined Fineos where she was Programme Manager for the implementation of their Customer Relationship Management system in Britannia Building Society and the development of their core Life and Pensions system. She moved to First-e internet bank two years later where she was Head of the IT Delivery Centre and oversaw €100m worth of banking projects.
On leaving First-e, she went to the Educational Building Society as Change Programme Manager for the organisation’s IT strategy, Brand Repositioning, Customer Service and Staff benefits programme. She was involved in developing Corporate Social Responsibility for EBS and subsequently went on to become Chief Operating Officer for Suas Educational Development, a start up Not for Profit where she was responsible for building the organisations capacity and their citizenship programme in Ireland.
Since joining CUNA Mutual Group in January 2007, Karen has been responsible for the Strategic Planning and Implementation function.
David Shaw – Operations & IT Director
David has broad experience gained during his twenty five years working in a variety of roles in both Operations and IT disciplines in both the Computer and Insurance industry.
David started his career with International Computers Limited, which was subsequently known as Fujitsu. He established himself as a systems specialist providing support to all industry sectors within Ireland from Broadcasting to Retail, to Local Government.
In September 1996, David joined DELL Computer as Regional Product Support Manager, responsible for major product launches, performance and customer satisfaction initiatives. During his six years with DELL, he had various roles within Call Centres and Project Management.
In July 2003, David joined Barclays where he was responsible for Operations and IT within creditor insurance. He tackled complex systems; ensuring integration between insurance distribution, underwriting and administration. Key to his success was ensuring all aspects of compliance and financial controls were assured throughout the end-to-end customer journey. David was also responsible for implementing the Operations and IT controls necessary to ensure compliance with Sarbanes Oxley legislation.
Richard Edwards – Affinity Director, UK & Ireland
Richard has over 20 years experience in the UK Financial Services Sector starting his career at Barclays Bank plc in 1986, he moved in 1989 to Chartered Trust, the Asset Finance Division of Standard Chartered Bank plc, specialising in the area of Financial Sales. He achieved success in all of the business divisions, achieving and still holding the title of the youngest ever Branch Manager within the Personal Finance Division at just 21 years old. Richard went on to successfully hold senior positions in all three business channels, Personal Finance, Motor Finance and Retail Finance.
In 1999, Chartered Trust was acquired by Lloyds TSB plc, who rebranded the combined organisation launching ‘Blackhorse Finance’, the creation of the UK’s largest Asset Finance organisation was an incredible opportunity for Richard to position himself with the new senior team. He left Blackhorse Retail Finance in 2007, as National Sales Director having achieved all of his personal ambitions.
In 2007, he joined CUNA Mutual as Affinity Director UK & Ireland to take on a new challenge in both new products, and new markets.