Animation Ireland Appoints New Chief Executive

Animation Ireland, the trade body representing Ireland’s animation studios, has named Ronan McCabe its new chief executive.

McCabe has been a leading producer of Irish content for decades. He spent over 20 years as managing director at Double Z Enterprises, producing shows for RTÉ, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and MTV. He is also a former chairperson of Screen Producers Ireland and has been the treasurer of Animation Ireland since its foundation in 2015.

Throughout his career, McCabe has built strong relationships with many companies in Ireland and around the world, working on projects covering negotiation of financing, rights, licensing and merchandising. He has also worked with Enterprise Ireland and Animation Skillnet to provide advice, education and solutions to animation startups and new production studios.

McCabe said: “It is a privilege to be appointed chief executive of Animation Ireland. The Irish animation sector is performing very strongly, and my focus is on leading the sector through this period of enormous growth. I plan to address major challenges such as education and recruitment of talent, the effective operation of the S481 tax credit system and the implementation of the EU Audio Visual Media Services Directive. My mission is to ensure that Ireland continues to be a leading global destination for animation production, and bring new energy, purpose and ambition to the role.’’