The Big Interview

‘It felt like a very sympathetic succession’ – How Lorna Conn led CPL into new era after €321m sale

Since taking over, Conn has steered CPL into a new era under OSI, and is eyeing international acquisitions, with a focus on Britain, the US and Germany

Lorna Conn, chief executive of CPL: took over from Anne Heraty while the company was in a period of transition. Picture: Fergal Phillips

When Anne Heraty stepped down as the chief executive of leading recruitment and services firm CPL, she departed as one of the most powerful figures in Irish business.

She was widely viewed as a figurehead who had led the Dublin-headquartered firm for 32 years and had built it into Ireland’s largest private employer with 14,000 staff.

Lorna Conn, a 43-year-old Dubliner, took on Heraty’s role in December 2021 at a period of change in the ...