Savills has appointed its long-serving offices director Roland O'Connell as chairman of its Irish business. He takes over from Larry Brennan who will now focus on his role as head of Savills' commercial division at a time when the business is growing rapidly.

Managing director Angus Potterton described O'Connell as a "true stalwart whose vast experience and expertise make him the ideal candidate to oversee the development and growth of the business". O'Connell is one of the company's longest-serving employees with 33 years' service. He was primarily responsible for Savills office agency department over the years and advised numerous high- profile clients on their office requirements including State Street and Citi – two of the largest office transactions in the city. More recently he secured the letting of offices to Facebook and Yahoo.

Meanwhile, Andrew Cunningham, who worked with developers McGarrell Reilly, has been appointed to the new role of head of office development. He will specialise in the acquisition of sites and vacant office blocks, offering redevelopment and refurbishment opportunities as well as arranging forward funding for new office schemes.

Savills has a staff of 250 in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.