Cognate Health, a leading nationwide 
occupational health provider, has announced a watershed move for the company with strategic appointments in Irish business and health. 

The new appointments see Paula Cogan, the former Director of Global Sales for the Doyle Collection Hotel Group and current Cork Chamber President taking on the role as Cognate Health’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

She will join newly appointed Chairperson Noel Creedon -— former CEO of  iNua Hospitality — on the Board. Professor Mary Horgan, the renowned expert in infectious disease has been appointed Non-Executive Director, with Founder of Cognate Health, Professor John Gallagher, taking on a new role as the company’s Chief Medical Officer.  

Speaking on today’s announcement, Noel Creedon, Chairperson of Cognate Health said: “John has built his occupational health practice since 1992, seeing significant growth over this period. In the unprecedented times we are in, there is an increasing and urgent demand for occupational health, with companies placing huge importance on employee wellness. To run in tandem with the occupational health expertise already existing in the business, John and I wanted to invest in a team of leaders in their respective fields to move Cognate Health forward. 

“Paula Cogan as CEO will work closely with me on the strategic management of the business. This approach will allow Mary and John to focus on the best possible occupational health services to offer clients, particularly addressing and solving issues faced by companies in the environment we are now in.” 

Professor Mary Horgan is the President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine at Cork University Hospital. She is also the Chair of the Health Research Board’s National Research Ethics Committee for COVID-19-related Research. 

The announcement today also includes the appointment of Chief Financial Officer, Jim O’Shaughnessy to the Board of Directors. Mr O’Shaughnessy previously worked for the Bon Secours Health System for over 22 years. Michael Philpott is joining Cognate Health as Operations Manager, having previously held senior management roles in CareChoice and Ditchley Nursing Home Group. 

Cognate Health’s new CEO, Paula Cogan, stated: “Cognate Health is an outstanding company, unrivalled in its approach to occupational health. The Board is incredibly strong, with over 100 years’ experience between Professor Gallagher, Noel Creedon, Professor Horgan, Jim O’Shaughnessy and myself. This investment is focused on the development and execution of a future and dynamic vision for Cognate Health, building on an already strong reputation and expertise.” 

The appointments are a strategic move for Cognate Health, which has a national network of occupational health physicians that was the first of its kind in the country. Always innovating, in March Cognate Health brought forward the launch of its unique remote case management system for occupational health, Dayone+ to support businesses during the public health emergency. The service reduces the time it takes to get employees back to health by opening the lines of communication remotely from the first day of sickness absence.