JLL has named Deirdre Costello as chief executive of its Irish business, effective January 2027, in a long-planned internal succession at the property services firm. The appointment, announced on 22 September 2026, will see Costello succeed John Moran, who has led JLL in Ireland for 17 years and will move into the newly reintroduced role of chairman for Ireland.
Costello has spent three decades at JLL and currently leads its leasing advisory business in Ireland, where she has advised on many of the landmark office developments in Dublin. She will continue to head leasing advisory alongside her new responsibilities as chief executive, keeping a hand in the market she knows best while taking on overall leadership of the Irish operation.
The transition is framed as the culmination of a structured succession plan rather than an abrupt change. The move by Moran into the chairman role is designed to retain his experience and client relationships at board level while handing day to day leadership to Costello, an arrangement that gives the business continuity through the handover.
As part of the same set of changes, JLL appointed Daniel O'Connor as head of capital markets and hotels for Ireland. O'Connor succeeds Moran in the capital markets leadership role while continuing to lead the hotels business, consolidating two closely related areas under a single leader as the firm reshapes its senior team.
JLL, one of the largest commercial real estate services companies in the world, has built a substantial presence in the Irish market across leasing, capital markets, valuations and advisory work. The leadership changes come at a time when the Dublin commercial property market continues to draw international investment interest, making the continuity of senior relationships a competitive asset.
The reshuffle also reflects the depth of leadership JLL has developed in Ireland over nearly two decades under Moran, whose long tenure coincided with a period of significant change in the Dublin market. By promoting from within and phasing the handover across more than a year, the firm has signalled a preference for stability and institutional knowledge over an external hire, a common pattern among professional services firms managing the departure of a long serving leader.
For Costello, the priorities from January 2027 will include steering the Irish business through shifting market conditions, developing the next layer of leadership, and maintaining the client relationships that underpin the position of the firm. Her long tenure and market expertise were central to the decision to elevate her, and the phased handover gives her time to prepare for the role before formally taking the helm.
