About

James Murray qualified as a solicitor in 1994 with A&L Goodbody Solicitors and enjoyed a lengthy career in private practice focused on commercial litigation, including six years with Arthur Cox. He then moved in-house in 2007, joining Cemex Ireland as general counsel in 2007, and subsequently moved to RSA Insurance Ireland in 2011 and has been in his current role, head of legal and company secretary, since 2015. Murray gained valuable experience in in-house legal management and tough decision making during his time at Cemex. He highlights that, he ‘joined Cemex Ireland, a concrete and quarrying company, in 2007, just as the Irish construction industry collapsed. It was a massive culture shock moving from a top five law firm to join the senior management team of a company facing a series of incredibly tough decisions which would ultimately lead to its demise. It was very difficult at the time but is the type of experience that money can’t buy’. This experience set him in good stead for his responsibilities at RSA Insurance which had a particularly difficult time between 2013 and 2015, following a series of well publicised accounting issues which came to light in late 2013. About this he says that, ‘it has been fascinating to be part of the process of intensive remediation in RSA Ireland, both in terms of financial controls and risk culture, over that period’. Over recent years RSA Ireland has returned to profitability and Murray has greatly enjoyed working with a leadership team focused on making the right decisions to generate sustainable growth and profitability, and played a major role in this turn around. He has managed the legal aspects of a number of key affinity deals, both renewals and entirely new deals, for RSA which have assisted its return to profitability.