Emmet Oliver, the former head of communications for IDA Ireland, is understood to be in advanced discussions to become the next editor of the Sunday Business Post.
The Post, which was recently acquired by Galway businessman Enda O'Coineen's Kilcullen Kapital, is recruiting for an interim editor to replace Tom Lyons, whose departure was announced this month after he decided to leave to pursue fresh opportunities.
Mr Lyons, the paper's former deputy editor, stepped up as executive editor after the previous editor, Ian Kehoe, decided to leave during the summer shortly before Kilcullen concluded a deal to buy the Post from Key Capital.
In recent weeks the paper, led by chief executive Siobhan Lennon, has run a process to recruit an interim editor and also a new deputy editor.
It is understood that Mr Oliver, a former journalist at The Irish Times, is in the frame to take over as interim editor, while a number of strong internal candidates are thought to have emerged for the deputy position. No appointments have yet been made, but an announcement is expected shortly.
Mr Oliver's prospective appointment would mark his return to journalism after almost seven years, when he left the Irish Independent, where he was deputy business editor, to take over the communications function at State investment agency the IDA.
He subsequently ran European communications function for US multinational BioMarin Pharmaceutical, before moving to the Irish League of Credit Unions, which he left in April. In recent months he has been lecturing at Dublin City University.
Mr Oliver and Ms Lennon both declined to comment last night.
