The Football Association of Ireland is delighted to announce Louise Cassidy as its Director of Marketing and Communications, where she will lead the newly established MarComms team within the FAI.

Louise joins the FAI from her role as Head of Marketing (Grocery) in Dunnes Stores, having previously worked as Brand & Communications Manager with Tesco Ireland.

With experience working with some of Ireland's most iconic brands, Louise is ideally positioned to spearhead the evolution of the Irish football brand, firmly establishing it as a contender on the international stage and shining a light on the development of the sport from grassroots up to the national teams throughout Ireland.

Having initially worked with Dunnes Stores from 2011 in various Marketing roles, Louise returned to the Irish brand in 2017, following a stint as Marketing and Communications Manager in Tesco Ireland, to lead a comprehensive restructure of the food marketing department across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

As an industry leading marketeer with over 10 years experience in the rapid-pace landscape of retail, Louise understands the commercial value in building meaningful brands in an ever-changing environment, with a strong emphasis on customer insights and creating a quality consumer experience. Her most recent experience with Dunnes Stores involved the launch of a successful grocery online service and loyalty app, firmly placing digital at the forefront of the business.

An honours graduate with a Business & Management Degree from The Dublin Institute of Technology, Louise also holds a First Class Honours Degree in Marketing from the Michael Smurfit Business School.

"I am delighted to be joining the FAI at such a pivotal and exciting time for Irish Football. As the organisation continues to grow and improve both on-and-off the pitch, I look forward to being a part of the journey in reshaping the brand of Irish football for the long term alongside my new colleagues and the wider football community".

She continued, “My father John has enjoyed a life-long passion and association with this amazing sport, having played for two seasons with St Patrick’s Athletic and for the rest of his career at Bluebell United. As a result, I grew up on the side of the pitch and inherited his love for football and the Irish game - I'm proud to continue this connection by joining this dedicated team in the FAI.

Commenting on the appointment, CEO of the FAI Jonathan Hill, stated: “We are thrilled to welcome Louise into our expanded and highly experienced Senior Leadership Team. With her strong background in the wider marketing and digital areas within one of the most competitive business sectors in Ireland, we believe Louise’s skillsets will perfectly complement our existing communications teams and their experience within the football world and set us up for a co-ordinated marketing and communications function that will continue our business and cultural transformation.”