Initiative Ireland Appoints New Director of Finance and Treasury

Pictured at NovaUCD are Aisling Healy and Padraig W. Rushe, Initiative Ireland.

Initiative Ireland Appoints New Director of Finance and Treasury

Initiative Ireland has announced the appointment of Aisling Healy, as the company’s new Director of Finance and Treasury. She brings over 30 years of experience in financial management to the role. Prior to this appointment she held senior financial roles in a variety of organisations including; accountancy practice, software development, energy, not-for-profit and education. 

In her new role she will be responsible for all aspects of financial and treasury management within the Initiative Financial Group, which specialises in social impact investments, funding the construction of social, affordable and mid-market housing across Ireland.

The company trading as Initiative Ireland, operates Ireland’s largest peer-to-peer property lending platform, which enables the company’s online investor community to co-fund the delivery of new houses, for a fixed rate of return of 6% - 8% per annum.  All loans are secured against the underlying property deeds and financed by Initiative Ireland’s secured lending community, via secured lending accounts.

Initiative Ireland, founded in 2015, is headquartered at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at University College Dublin.

Padraig W. Rushe, co-founder and CEO said, “I am proud to announce the appointment of Aisling to the senior management team of Initiative Ireland. She shares our commitment to ethical finance and brings a wealth of experience to the team. Her appointment comes as we prepare for significant expansion over the next year.” 

Aisling Healy, Director of Finance and Treasury said, “I am delighted to join the team at Initiative Ireland. As a company Initiative Ireland is at the fore of financial and social innovation and I look forward to supporting the expansion of the company in the coming years.”

Initiative Ireland recently announced the launch of Ireland’s largest peer-to-peer loan, financed by its secured lending community. The €3 million loan is funding the construction of 33 new family homes in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. The units have already been pre-contracted to approved housing body Tuath Housing.

Initiative Ireland has to date financed over €10 million in social and low-cost housing, with loan proceeds shared amongst their growing community of businesses and everyday people, co-funding the projects through the company’s website.   

Padraig W. Rushe added, “At Initiative Ireland our clients are passionate about doing something good with their money and earning a real return. We’re passionate about solving social challenges, making a difference while also protecting our clients responsibly, the way they deserve.”

ENDS

17 July 2019

For more information contact Micéal Whelan, Communications and Media Relations Manager, UCD Research and Innovation, t: + 353 1 716 3712, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie or Padraig W. Rushe, CEO, Initiative Ireland, e: team@initiativeireland.ie or t: +353 1 685 9259.

Editors Notes

Initiative Financial Services trading as Initiative Ireland is a financial services company. As a Private Lender with the company, members will be able to lend as part of a Private Lending Syndicate, in return for a share of the issued loan and interest income. Each loan is secured and is underwitted by the company’s credit committee, which has over 100 years of combined lending experience. Loans are also approved and underwritten by one of the company’s corporate clients prior to syndication, which lends alongside smaller lenders on an equal basis. This provides borrowers with surety of funds and means clients can lend with confidence knowing that loans are institutional grade loans and secured with 133% collateral cover. www.initiativeireland.ie

At NovaUCD, the hub for new ventures and entrepreneurs at University College Dublin, we nurture and support new high-tech companies as part of UCD's mission. At NovaUCD we provide purpose-built, state-of-the-art incubation facilities alongside a comprehensive business support programme for client companies such as Initiative Ireland. NovaUCD has supported over 360 companies and early-stage ventures. Supported companies have attracted over €760 million of investment and currently employ over 1,040 people directly. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx. www.novaucd.ie