EirGrid Group today announced that Aidan Skelly, the current director of finance and legal, will take up the role of interim chief executive. This will be effective from 01 January 2018.

Aidan Skelly was appointed director of finance and legal in July 2015 and previously held the position of chief financial officer since June 2005. He was formerly finance director with Waterford Stanley Limited. He worked with Waterford Crystal from 1987 to 2002, during which time he held a number of finance and commercial positions in Ireland and in the UK.

The outgoing chief executive, Fintan Slye, is leaving EirGrid to take up a new role with National Grid UK in the new year, to run its UK gas and electricity system operator business.

The EirGrid board has initiated a recruitment process to find a successor to Mr Slye and Mr Skelly will continue in the interim position until such time as a new chief executive is appointed and takes up the role.