Littlefish appoints Flannery to strategic partnerships role

Littlefish Group has appointed Karl Flannery as Director of Strategic Partnerships and named Mick McKay as Managing Director for Ireland at Storm Technology, following its acquisition of the business.

Flannery moves from his role as Chief Executive Officer of Storm, a position he had held since 2003 after co-founding the company in 1995. In his new role at the parent group, he will lead Microsoft strategy and executive engagement, based in Ireland and reporting to Group Chief Executive Officer Ursula Morgenstern.

McKay takes charge of Storm's Irish operation after more than seven years as Chief Operations Officer. His appointment gives Storm a new country lead as Littlefish continues to operate its Irish business under the Storm name.

Jillian Moore will remain Head of Digital Services at Littlefish, with responsibility for digital consulting and delivery across Ireland and the UK.

The reshuffle creates a clearer division of responsibilities across the group's Irish and UK operations. Flannery will focus on strategic partnerships and Microsoft engagement at group level, McKay will lead Storm in Ireland, and Moore will continue to oversee consulting and delivery.

Littlefish acquired Storm in 2024, bringing together a UK managed IT and cyber services provider with an Irish Microsoft-focused consulting business. The latest appointments suggest the group is seeking to strengthen its position in Ireland while tying Storm more closely to its wider Microsoft relationship.

Irish focus

Storm has offices in Dublin, Galway and Belfast and works across sectors including hospitality, construction, utilities, sustainable energy and the public sector. The company has built its business around Microsoft cloud and AI consulting, now central to Flannery's group-level role.

Customers will continue to work with established leadership and delivery teams in Ireland despite the change at the top of Storm. Keeping Moore in place across consulting and delivery also provides continuity across the UK and Irish markets.

Morgenstern said Flannery's move forms part of the group's wider strategy following the acquisition. "Just as he steered Storm Technology to become the success story it is today, Karl will now be central to the growth of our overall group - both in Ireland and the UK. Microsoft's cloud and AI technology is integral to how we deliver value for our customers. Karl has extensive expertise in this space with invaluable insights and knowledge. His appointment reaffirms our commitment to strengthening that partnership, ensuring we continue to innovate and deliver meaningful business outcomes for all our clients. I would also like to congratulate Mick as he steps into his new role as Managing Director, Ireland at Storm Technology. Having spent the past 7+ years as Chief Operations Officer at Storm, Mick will bring a wealth of operational and strategic knowledge to his new role and play a key part in reinforcing the company's position in the Irish market."

Microsoft role

Flannery's new remit places him at the centre of the group's engagement with Microsoft across Ireland and the UK, giving him a broader brief than his previous role at Storm and extending beyond the Irish consulting business he helped build.

The move also reflects the importance of Microsoft-related work to the combined group after the acquisition. Storm has long specialised in Microsoft services, and Littlefish is now applying that expertise across its wider customer base.

Flannery described the role as an extension of the work he has carried out at Storm over three decades. "As I transition from my role as CEO at Storm Technology, to take on the role of Director of Strategic Partnerships, I look forward to driving the next phase of growth for Littlefish Group, using my 30 plus years of experience with Storm Technology. We have built a strong Microsoft consulting business in Ireland, and I'm now focused on strengthening that relationship and expanding our engagement with Microsoft across Ireland and the UK. There is great opportunity to take advantage of the latest Cloud and AI technologies and incentives to better support our customers as we continue to grow, and I look forward to confidently directing this element of the business in my new role."

For Storm, McKay's promotion hands operational control in Ireland to an executive with deep knowledge of the business. For Littlefish, moving Flannery into a group strategic role allows it to use one of Storm's founders beyond the acquired company while maintaining distinct leadership in the Irish market.

The result is a three-part leadership model in which Storm retains local management in Ireland, Littlefish keeps group oversight of consulting and delivery, and Flannery takes responsibility for Microsoft partnerships across Ireland and the UK.