Greer steps up to fill main Viridian corp comms role

Northern Ireland power firm Viridian has ended its search for its

top PR role, promoting Robin Greer to the post of corporate

communications manager.

The Belfast-based company - which is Ulster's largest quoted company by

market value and runs Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) - handed Greer

the corporate communications remit following the departure of Peter

Gavan to Severn Trent.

Gavan joined Severn Trent in September as its first corporate affairs

director, with a brief covering both internal and external

communications (PRWeek, 7 September).

Greer succeeds Gavan from his former role as media relations manager, a

post he has held since joining the Viridian group three years ago.

Viridian has now tasked Greer with overseeing all external

communications and public affairs activities, alongside managing the

media relations function for NIE, which is the largest subsidiary

company in the group.

Greer previously handled public affairs for the American government in

the province, based at the US Consulate-General in Belfast.

According to reports earlier this year, Viridian is hoping to capitalise

on a five per cent annual growth in demand for electricity across

Ireland and is urging the Irish government to speed up its plans to

liberalise the energy sector by 2005.

Late last year Viridian commissioned Siemens to build a £99m power

station in the Irish Republic, to the north of Dublin.

It is expected to create the Republic's first fully independent

electricity generator when the plant comes on line next year.

Viridian Group's latest financial results showed healthy growth over the

last 12 months. Turnover was up seven per cent at £225m while

profits increased more than 11 per cent to £37m.

The company now employs more than 1,500 staff across the group - an

increase of almost a third on the year before.