The Insight Centre for Data Analytics is delighted to announce the appointment of Oliver Daniels as CEO. Oliver Daniels will lead the €75 million SFI Research Centre as it firmly positions Ireland at the heart of global data analytics research. He joins Insight from Avaya, where he has served as R&D Leader of Research & Development for Contact Center Applications at Avaya for the last five years.

Oliver Daniels was responsible for leading the software engineering teams as they developed innovative applications for both cloud and on premise solutions. At Avaya, he has leveraged his 27 years of enterprise software experience with Avaya, and Nortel, to create industry-leading contact centre solutions and drive innovation in customer experience technology.

Prior to Avaya, Oliver Daniels served as R&D Leader for Nortel, and has also served as CEO of Accendo Technologies, an Irish start-up. Oliver has held a wide variety of senior roles in technology and management, serving Nortel, ADC, and Saville Systems, based in Ireland, the UK, and France. Oliver Daniels is credited as a co-inventor in several contact centre patent applications, he holds a B. Comm from NUI Galway.

Insight is a joint initiative between researchers at DCU, NUI Galway, UCC and UCD, and other partner institutions. Established in July 2013, it has brought together a critical mass of more than 200 researchers to develop a new generation of data analytics technologies in a number of key application areas.

Data analytics – the study of ‘Big Data’ - is a global challenge that involves turning vast quantities of ubiquitous raw data into knowledge that will inform people and improve society, business, and health. The sector is growing by an estimated 30% annually and Insight is playing a key role in developing the research strengths and specialised skills needed for Ireland to remain globally competitive.

Through dynamic partnerships with some 30 industry partners, the multi-location research centre aims to leverage further investment from Europe, help create high value jobs in Ireland, and deliver economic and societal impact.

Speaking about the appointment, John Tracey, Chairman of the Insight Governance Board, said: “We are delighted with the appointment of Oliver Daniels as Insight’s new CEO. As the largest publicly funded research project in Ireland, Insight’s success critically depends on further deepening the close co-operation between industry and the universities. Oliver’s extensive industry and R&D experience, at the highest level, will allow Insight to achieve further success.”  

John Tracey also thanked Professor Barry Smyth who has held the role of CEO since Insight’s inception: “Barry led the university groups that successfully established Insight and has led the centre since it commenced in mid-2013. I want to thank him sincerely for the major contribution he has made to Insight to date and will continue to make in the future.”

Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Irish Government said: “SFI-funded research centres, like Insight, were established to further Ireland’s competitive advantage in specific research areas. As big data continues to grow exponentially, there is a real opportunity for Ireland to compete and win. Under the stewardship of a leader of Oliver’s calibre, I have no doubt that Insight will be positioned to capitalise on this growth, deliver cutting-edge research and develop opportunities for industry collaboration and commercialisation. I also want to thank Professor Barry Smyth who led the Insight bid, established the Insight Centre and contributed significantly to its scientific and commercial success to date. I am confident that Barry and his colleagues in Insight will continue to research, innovate and keep Ireland to the fore in the rapidly growing field of big data analytics.”

Oliver Daniels takes up the role from 21 October, 2014, and will be based at Insight NUI Galway.

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Oliver Daniels Ceaptha ina Phríomhfheidhmeannach ar Ionad Anailísíochta Sonraí Insight

Tá an-áthas ar Ionad Anailísíochta Sonraí Insight a fhógairt go bhfuil Oliver Daniels ceaptha ina Phríomhfheidhmeannach ar an ionad. Beidh Oliver Daniels i gceannas ar an Ionad Taighde de chuid Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta na hÉireann ar fiú €75 milliún é agus é mar aidhm aige Éire a dhaingniú mar chroílár domhanda an taighde anailísíochta sonraí. Sular ceapadh sa phost seo in Insight é bhí sé ag obair in Avaya le cúig bliana anuas mar Cheannaire Taighde agus Forbartha d'Fheidhmchláir Ionaid Teagmhála.

Bhí Oliver Daniels freagrach as na foirne innealtóireachta bogearraí a stiúradh agus iad i mbun feidhmchláir nuálacha a fhorbairt do réitigh néil agus ar an láthair araon. In Avaya, d'úsáid sé an taithí i mbogearraí fiontraíochta a fuair sé thar 27 bliain le Avaya, agus le Nortel, chun réitigh ionaid teagmhála ar thús cadhnaíochta a chruthú agus chun nuálaíocht a chur chun cinn i dteicneolaíocht eispéiris an chustaiméara.

Sula ndeachaigh sé ag obair in Avaya, d'oibrigh Oliver Daniels mar Cheannaire Taighde agus Forbartha le Nortel, agus bhí sé freisin ina Phríomhfheidhmeannach ar Accendo Technologies, gnólacht nuathionscanta Éireannach. Is iomaí ról sinsearach sa teicneolaíocht agus sa bhainistíocht a bhí ag Oliver, agus é ag obair in Nortel, ADC, agus Saville Systems, bunaithe in Éirinn, sa Ríocht Aontaithe agus sa Fhrainc. Is comhchumadóir é Oliver Daniels i roinnt feidhmchlár paitinne ionaid teagmhála, agus tá B. Comm aige ó OÉ Gaillimh.

Is comhthionscnamh é Insight idir taighdeoirí in DCU, OÉ Gaillimh, UCC agus UCD, agus institiúidí comhpháirtíochta eile. Bunaíodh é i mí Iúil 2013, agus tá tairseach chriticiúil de bhreis is 200 taighdeoir tugtha le chéile aige chun glúin nua teicneolaíochtaí anailísíochta sonraí a fhorbairt i roinnt príomhréimsí feidhmchláir.

Is dúshlán domhanda é anailísíocht sonraí - staidéar ar ‘Olltiomsú Sonraí’- a bhaineann le méideanna ollmhóra sonraí loma uileláithreach a athrú go heolas a rachaidh i bhfeidhm ar dhaoine agus a fheabhsóidh cúrsaí sochaí, gnó agus sláinte.  Tá fás 30% ag teacht go bliantúil ar an earnáil agus tá ról lárnach ag Insight i bhforbairt na láidreachtaí taighde agus na sainscileanna a theastaíonn chun go bhfanfaidh Éire iomaíoch ar bhonn domhanda.

Trí chomhpháirtíochtaí dinimiciúla le 30 comhpháirtí tionscail, tá sé d'aidhm leis an ionad taighde ilsuímh tuilleadh infheistíochta a fháil ón Eoraip, poist ardluacha a chruthú in ‏Éirinn, agus tionchar geilleagrach agus sochaí a chur i bhfeidhm.

Ag labhairt dó faoin gceapachán, dúirt John Tracey, Cathaoirleach Bhord Rialachais Insight: “Táimid thar a bheith sásta le ceapachán Oliver Daniels mar Phríomhfheidhmeannach nua Insight. Tá Insight ar an tionscadal taighde is mó a fhaigheann maoiniú poiblí in Éirinn, agus tá a rath ag brath go géar ar níos mó forbairt a dhéanamh ar an dlúth-chomhoibriú idir an tionscal agus na hollscoileanna.  Tabharfaidh taithí fhairsing Oliver ar an tionscal agus ar thaighde agus ar fhorbairt deis do Insight níos mó rath a bhaint amach.”  

Ghlac John Tracey buíochas chomh maith leis an Ollamh Barry Smyth a bhí ina Phríomhfheidhmeannach ar Insight ó bunaíodh é: “Threoraigh Barry na grúpaí ollscoile a bhunaigh Insight agus bhí sé i mbun an t-ionad a stiúradh ó lár 2013.  Ba mhaith liom buíochas ó chroí a ghlacadh leis as an obair mhór atá déanta aige le Insight go dtí seo agus as an obair a dhéanfaidh sé leis amach anseo.”

Dúirt an tOllamh Mark Ferguson, Ard-Stiúrthóir Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann agus Príomhchomhairleoir Eolaíochta don Rialtas: “Bunaíodh ionaid taighde maoinithe ag SFI, cosúil le Insight, chun cur le buntáiste iomaíoch na hÉireann i réimsí taighde ar leith. De réir mar atá fás as cuimse ag teacht ar olltiomsú sonraí, tá an-deis ag Éirinn a bheith san iomaíocht agus an ceann is fearr a fháil. Faoi cheannas duine de mhianach Oliver, níl aon amhras orm ach go mbeidh deis ag Insight teacht i dtír ar an bhfás seo, taighde ceannródaíoch a chur ar fáil agus deiseanna a fhorbairt do chomhoibriú agus do thráchtálú tionscail. Ba mhaith liom chomh maith buíochas a ghlacadh leis an Ollamh Barry Smyth a bhí ina cheann feadhna ar thairiscint Insight, a bhunaigh Ionad Insight agus a chuir go mór lena rath eolaíoch agus tráchtála go dtí seo. Tá mé muiníneach go leanfaidh Barry agus a chomhghleacaithe in Insight ar aghaidh i mbun taighde, nuála agus go gcoinneoidh siad Éire chun tosaigh i réimse na hanailísíochta olltiomsaithe sonraí, réimse atá ag fás go tréan.”

Cuirfidh Oliver Daniels tús lena phost an 21 Deireadh Fómhair 2014, agus beidh sé lonnaithe in Insight OÉ Gaillimh.

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