Our People

Hugh Ward, a qualified solicitor, established CMOS in 2009 in response to customer demand for credit management services to complement the legal debt recovery services which Hugh J Ward and Co Solicitors has provided since 1996. Since 2009, Hugh has grown CMOS into a significant player in the Irish credit management market as the only true provider of an end to end credit management service.
Hugh’s name is synonymous with the development of the credit management industry in Ireland. Hugh qualified as a solicitor in Ireland in 1986 and completed a Juris Doctor Law Degree in the USA in 1991. He is admitted to practice law in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales and the USA. Hugh was elected a Fellow of the Irish Institute of Credit Management (IICM) in 2010 in recognition of his significant contributions over many years to the area of credit management and debt collection in Ireland.

Hugh’s contribution to the public policy-making process on management and collection of receivables has been publicly acknowledged. Some specific examples of this include:

• He was consulted on the debt management implementation project which was led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the suggestion of the IMF-led Troika during the financial crisis.
• The Law Reform Commission acknowledged his contributions to its reports into “Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement” in 2010.
• At the request of the European Commission, Hugh lectured across a number EU Member States on cross-border contract construction, enforcement of contracts and debt recovery litigation.
• In June 2018 Hugh was consulted by the Government on the Late Payments Code and attended in Brussels by invitation of the EU Commission as the Irish representative on round-table discussions with representatives from all other EU member states which resulted in its updated report on business-to-business transactions: a comparative analysis of legal measures vs. soft-law instruments for improving payment behaviour June 2018.

Sinead joined CMOS from a multinational logistics and supply chain company in 2019. Sinead is a successful Credit Management professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in Credit Management. Sinead has over 20 years’ experience in the consumer and corporate markets, specialising in Operations Management. In her position, Sinead has gained experience in managing, recruiting, developing and reporting on a team of 125+. She is a results and target-driven individual with ability to exceed targets and meet company objectives. Sinead has a proven record of reducing company debts by increasing cash flow, improving processes, and applying correct strategies for “right time to collect”.

Elaine joined the business in 2016 as Chief Operations Officer for both after working in a similar role in a multinational business for 18 years. Elaine was instrumental in winning and retaining some of CMOS’ largest customers during her time as COO. Elaine was awarded credit manager of the year in 2011 by the Institute of Credit Managers (IICM) and she also holds AICDP certification in Credit Management. CMOS’ workforce increased significantly in recent times after successfully winning new contracts and expanding the services provided to existing clients. This necessitated the creation of Chief Human Resources and Compliance Officer role, to which Elaine has been appointed. Elaine and her team are supporting our employees on all HR related matters and introducing new initiatives to help the business grow through innovative people management. Elaine’s role extends beyond CMOS, as she also serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Hugh J Ward & Co Solicitors (part of The Ward Group).

Joe is an experienced B2B Sales and Relationship Manager. He was Head of Sales to Government for one of the largest multimedia businesses in Ireland where he later had senior level experience in Credit and Debt Management. A former career civil servant with the Dept. of Finance, Joe acts as a senior sales consultant to CMOS. Joe’s academic background is in economics and public policy-making.

Erica is a senior operations manager with 18 years’ experience in contact centre management in both an onshore and offshore capacity. This includes delivery to customer-specific KPIs, solution design, customer experience, budgeting, WFM, and stakeholder relationship management in a regulated industry across a number of industries. She also managed a National Helpline in the not for profit sector. Erica has a natural passion for achieving targets, customer excellence & client engagement, and strives to create and maintain productive relationships with customers and clients alike.

Philip has been a part of The Ward Group (CMOS and Hugh J Ward & Co Solicitors) as Group CFO since 2021 moving from a leading law firm in the UK. Philip has over 20 years of experience in finance management and has a proven record of profit growth through effective accounts management. He is dedicated to enhancing the company’s decision-making processes by translating financial data into actionable insights. Some of Philip’s responsibilities include monthly management accounts, quarterly management reporting, and leadership and management of the accounts team.