Former Irish PM Leo Varadkar Takes Advisory Role At American PR Firm

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – Former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has taken a step into the corporate world, joining U.S.-based public relations firm Penta as an advisory board member. The firm, which counts Microsoft, Google, and JP Morgan among its clients, announced that Varadkar will bring “a wealth of global leadership experience” to the company.

Washington-headquartered Penta, which has offices across Europe, North America, and Asia, advises some of the world’s largest corporations, including OpenAI, Johnson & Johnson, and Bank of America. The company said Varadkar will provide senior strategic advisory services, working with teams and clients across all markets. However, he will not be engaging in lobbying, according to Penta.

Varadkar, who stepped down as Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) in April 2024, has also taken up a part-time teaching and mentoring position at the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership in the US.

The former taoiseach, who made history as Ireland’s first openly gay and youngest prime minister, was born in Dublin to an Indian-born physician father and an Irish nurse mother. His rise in Irish politics began in his early twenties when he was elected as a councillor, eventually securing a seat in Parliament in 2007. Over the years, he held key ministerial roles, including in the health and transport departments, before becoming prime minister in 2017.

Varadkar’s appointment at Penta has been approved by Ireland’s Standards in Public Office Commission, which reviewed the ethics of his new role, The Irish Times reported.

Penta’s expansion into Ireland has been notable, particularly with its 2023 acquisition of the Irish public relations firm Hume Brophy. That deal was backed by U.S. equity firm Falfurrias Capital, led by former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl. Penta employs 350 staff globally, including 20 in its Dublin office.