Saint-Gobain in Ireland Strengthens Commercial Team to Accelerate Integrated Solutions Strategy
Following the appointment of Barry Hennessy to the newly established role of Commercial Sector Director, Saint-Gobain in Ireland is pleased to announce further organisational developments to reinforce its Lead & Grow strategy and accelerate the delivery of a fully integrated Saint-Gobain solutions offering for the commercial sector of the Irish construction market.
As part of this evolution, two new leadership appointments have been made, with George McGreal appointed as Head of Specification Sales – Interior Solutions and Ben De Freitas appointed as Head of Specification Sales – Exterior Solutions.
Discover our New Commercial Sector Team
Barry Hennessy
Commercial Sector Director
Barry brings more than 20 years of experience within
Saint-Gobain, during which he has developed extensive
technical, specification and commercial expertise. Most
recently, he served as National Specification Manager, where he played a key role in strengthening strategic
partnerships and supporting customers across the Irish
construction sector.
In his new position, Barry will lead the Commercial Sector Division, with responsibility for strengthening customer
engagement and championing the value of Saint-Gobain’s
integrated solutions across the full portfolio of Saint-Gobain brands in Ireland. This role is designed to enhance how the
organisation supports customers throughout the project
lifecycle, while continuing to collaborate closely with the wider sales teams, which remain central to the success of
Saint-Gobain’s service offering.
George McGreal
Head of Specification Sales - Interior Solutions
George brings over 15 years of experience within
Saint-Gobain. Prior to this appointment, George held the role of Specification Sales Manager across Saint-Gobain’s Gyproc and Isover businesses in Ireland for five years.
Over the course of his career with Saint-Gobain in Ireland, George has taken on a mix of technical and leadership roles. With a strong background in construction
technologies, he has developed deep construction expertise and a sharp understanding of customer needs, helping
deliver high-impact solutions and trusted project support.
Reporting to Barry Hennessy, George will lead the Interior Solutions Specification team, supporting customers and
developing partnerships with key stakeholders across the
project lifecycle. Alongside his wider team, George will
focus on early engagement across the Gyproc, Isover, Vetrotech and Ecophon brands, helping customers identify the right Saint-Gobain solutions to support their design and
procurement goals.
George shared, “ I am excited to lead the new interiors specification team within Saint-Gobain, looking forward to building on the strength of our current brands and products, along with introducing our customers to further Saint-Gobain brands and innovation in Ireland.”
Ben De Freitas
Head of Specification Sales - Exterior Solutions
Ben holds a National Diploma in Building from South Africa,
majoring in Quantity Surveying, and has been with
Saint-Gobain since March 2005. Over the past 21 years, he has held a range of technical, sales and leadership roles across the Group.
In 2020, Ben was appointed Business Development Manager – Technical Insulation, later expanding his remit to include Product Management. He relocated to Ireland in 2023, initially taking on a technical role before moving into a Product and Systems Manager position, further
strengthening his strategic and market expertise.
In his new role, reporting to Barry Hennessy, Ben will lead the Exterior Solutions Specification team, focused on
supporting customers and developing strong partnerships across the building envelope sector. Together with his team, Ben will initially support specification activity across the Gyproc, Isover, Kilwaughter, Weber and Saint-Gobain Glass brands, helping deliver integrated solutions for customers across Ireland.
Commenting on his appointment Ben said, “I am excited to take on this role as Head of Exterior Solutions Specifications and to work closely with our teams and stakeholders to develop this division. Our focus will be on delivering integrated
building envelope solutions, while growing our multi-brand offering for our customers.”