Management Team

Cian Kinsella – CEO

After beginning his career in the 1970s as a software developer and designer, Cian was a co-founder of Kindle Banking Systems. By the time of its acquisition in 1991, Kindle had become the supplier of core banking systems to over 300 banks around the world, and was the biggest Irish software company.

In 1997 Cian co-founded CR2. He served as co-CEO and then as CEO until 2005, having brought from start-up to consistent profit. CR2 is now one of the larger private Irish software companies, supplying innovative channel software to over 120 banks around the world, and with offices in a number of overseas locations.

He is a shareholder in a number of companies including Digiprove, web service provider Timewarden, and CR2. In his spare time, he is a musician and songwriter.

Declan Kavanagh– Executive Chairman

Declan is a very experienced leader in the technology sector, with over 32 years of experience in multinational, SME sector, and successful entrepreneurial start up organisations.

He is CEO of Holignment and CollaborationIP (On-line scientific diagnosis of Organisation maturity & Frameworks for change management), and has various other business interests primarily in the ICT space.

In 2011, Declan left his role as CEO of Capgemini (Sogeti) on successful completion of the return to grow and restructuring of the business in Ireland, this came about following the acquisition and integration in 2008 of Insight Test Services which he co-founded in 2003 and built up as a market leader in software QA & Testing in Ireland and the UK. Previously Declan was CEO of Accuris and Telco Software Company. He spent 14 years in what is now Fujitsu services (and was originally Amdahl) in senior engineering, Quality, Operations and Practice management positions at director level, where he was instrumental in setting up software and IT services business units as part of the transition to a full IT consulting and services company. Prior to that he held management and engineering positions in both the semi-conductor business and the mini-computer business. Declan studied engineering in DIT and holds an MBA from DCU, He is also a CDipAF.

Mark Elliott – Sales & Marketing

Mark has a business degree from Dublin City University and has a track record in building businesses. He has a particular interest and expertise in I.T. (and has served as a lecturer in I.T. for Dublin Institute of Technology). In the 1990s Mark took over a Macau based trading company. In 1999, Mark was headhunted into DDFH&B Advertising as IT Manager for it and associated companies MindShare and J. Walter Thompson in Ireland.

In 2002, Mark founded 1network, an IT solutions and services provider. The company’s client list now includes many well-known corporates such as Nissan, Glen Dimplex, Irish Broadband and many Government bodies such as the Health & Safety Authority, and the National Treasury Management Agency.

Mark is a co-founder of C-Ads, a world first multimedia forecourt advertising system, which in 2005 launched its service at locations across Ireland with oil companies Statoil and Texaco. C-ads went on to win the B2B innovation award at the 2006 Digital Media Awards and has continued to grow its business. C-ads is listed on London’s plus market.

Mark is also involved in Timewarden as a shareholder and advisor.

Gavin Killen – Operations

Gavin is a specialist in I.T. Services and Operations. He joined Gateway’s European headquarters in Ireland and progressed to Head of Online Services – EMEA Support. Gavin then became Global Head of IT at CR2, the channel banking software provider. There he was responsible for the design, provision, and support of all IT and business support services at CR2 globally.

In 2002 Gavin founded GKITS, a successful IT solutions provider of bespoke software, web and enterprise solutions to the SME sector. There he designed and delivered software for the CIF (Construction Industry Federation), SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry), and Bank of Ireland, among others.

Gavin has also provided board-level consulting services to Lombard Ireland, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) group, and several government agencies in Ireland.