Desmond, Dermot (1950– )

Irish financier and investor, a key figure in the Republic of Ireland's finance and business. Born in Dublin, Desmond worked in banking both in Dublin and for a time at the World Bank in Afghanistan. He promoted the International Financial Services Centre in Dublin, established in a derelict city area in 1979, which is now a significant international venue employing 10,000 people in banking, insurance, and associated businesses. He also set up NCB Stockbrokers, a firm which shook up the stockbroking sector in the mid to late 1980s and grew to be one of the Republic's biggest broking firms.