Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience retailer Topaz has announced the appointment of a new chief executive.

Emmet O’Neill, who joined the company’s board in March, will take over from the current chief executive Sean Corkery on the 1st February next year.

Topaz described O’Neill (35) as one of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs. In 2005 he founded Smiles Dental, which grew in a decade to become one of the largest providers of general and specialist dental services in Ireland and the UK with 78 branches between the two countries.

O’Neill sold the Smiles Dental business earlier this year. Prior to setting up that business, he worked in aircraft finance. In March of this year he was appointed to the board of Topaz and has led a number of projects at the company in recent months.

The chairman of Topaz, John Callaghan, described O’Neill as “visionary and passionate.” He said: “Emmet is one of the outstanding young entrepreneurs in Ireland and we are very much looking forward to his leadership and his exciting plans for the business.”

O’Neill said: “I am absolutely delighted to be taking up this role at Topaz and to working with a great team of employees and business partners across the country. We aim to build a world-class retail and fuel business and to expand our operations significantly over the coming years. Everybody connected with the Topaz business has been incredibly welcoming and I know they all share our ambition for the business.”