McMahon takes over as MD of Ford Ireland

After 14 years at the helm of Ford in Ireland, Eddie Murphy (58) is retiring as chairman and managing director, ending a career that last 35 years with the car giant.

Ciarán McMahon, currently Ford’s national sales director, will replace Mr Murphy as managing director from January 1st.

Originally from Salthill, Co Galway, Mr McMahon is a commerce graduate of NUIG, joining Ford Credit as a trainee in 1987. He moved to the company's Cork headquarters in 1999, working in aftersales, fleet and rental, before taking up a position with Ford of Europe's pricing team in the UK.

In 2004, Mr McMahon moved to Ford of Europe headquarters in Cologne where he was responsible for European sales planning and volume analysis, before returning to Ireland as fleet and dealer operations manager.

In 2012, he took up the position of commercial vehicles sales manager. He then became marketing manager and subsequently marketing director for both cars and commercial vehicles. In June 2014, he was appointed sales director.

“These are hugely exciting times for Ford as we head into the new year with an all new Mondeo and new Focus in our ranks,” Mr McMahon said. “These two new additions complete what I feel is our strongest ever line-up of cars, while our range of commercial vehicles continues to dominate the market.

“The resurgence in the car market is another reason for optimism and we hope that sales next year will continue to grow back to their normal volume. The motor industry was one of the sectors worst affected by the recession, so long may the recovery continue.”

During Mr Murphy’s tenure at the top of Ford Ireland, it was the best-selling car brand in the country for several years. He has been an influential voice in the industry and has also played a leading role in changing national policy, both in terms of taxation and general motoring issues.

In recent years, Mr Murphy was a leading campaigner to change the registration system to its current six-month format. He was president of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry in 2010.

He has also been involved in the voluntary sector, as chairman of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and sitting on the board of the Opera House in Cork. He told The Irish Times he plans to continue this work in his retirement, while also finding more time for travel and family.