PAULA Cunniffe has been appointed Director of Communications and Marketing at Horse Racing Ireland.

Her appointment follows a recent reshuffle of HRI’s directors and the appointment of Richard Pugh as Head of Racing and Insights.

Jonathan Mullin has moved from Communications and Public Affairs to Director of Racing, replacing Jason Morris who has moved to the new position of Director of Strategy.

Cunniffe joins HRI from Strive Management, where she held the role of CEO for seven years. In this role, she was focused on shaping the brand message and delivering on commercial success for two brands, Mark Pollock’s motivational speaking business, and global running event Run in the Dark.

Prior to holding that post, Cunniffe managed national and international communications campaigns in the Department of the Taoiseach and began her career as a radio and TV producer on sports and arts documentaries.

Suzanne Eade, HRI’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Paula on board as we implement our recently launched five-year Strategic Plan with its key focus on nurturing success and increasing participation.

“Paula brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to HRI, having worked in the communications and public affairs field since 2009. She has a proven track record in successfully developing and leading senior teams with strategic campaigns in both the public and private sectors and will have the full backing of a dedicated leadership team in HRI.”

Cunniffe commented: “I am excited to join the leadership team at Horse Racing Ireland. I’ve loved working in sport throughout my career, from growing Run in the Dark over the last seven years to being on the board of Hockey Ireland from 2019-2021.

“I’m passionate about storytelling and look forward to working with the HRI team to tell compelling stories that engage our audience and encourage participation in horse racing.”