Sylvie McDermott

Chief Operating Officer Phorest

Last Reviewed: September 27, 2026

Executive Summary

Sylvie McDermott is Chief Operating Officer of Phorest, the Irish company whose software runs bookings, marketing and payments for hair and beauty salons and spas. Phorest says she manages approximately half of its team. She came into the business in marketing leadership and was listed as its UK and Ireland CMO in March 2020. According to the company she was promoted to COO within about six months of joining, and she was appearing as COO alongside founder and CEO Ronan Perceval by the end of 2021. Before Phorest she spent more than 16 years in product marketing and commercial roles, at companies including the betting operators Paddy Power and Betfair.

Career Highlights

• Chief Operating Officer of Phorest, listed in the company’s C-suite on its careers site and responsible for approximately 50% of the team.
• UK/IE Chief Marketing Officer at Phorest in March 2020.
• Promoted to COO about six months after joining, which the company attributes to her ability to lead people.
• Co-presented Phorest FM’s 2021 year-in-review episode as COO with CEO Ronan Perceval.
• More than 16 years in product marketing and commercial roles before Phorest, including at Paddy Power and Betfair.

Professional Journey

McDermott built her career in consumer-facing marketing and commercial work. Phorest’s biography of her gives more than 16 years across product marketing and commercial departments at companies “the likes of Paddy Power & Betfair”, two of the best-known names in Irish and British online betting. It does not give her titles or dates at either.

She moved to Phorest, founded in Dublin by Ronan Perceval to sell salon software that began with automated SMS appointment reminders and has grown into a full management platform for salons and spas. She started in marketing leadership. In March 2020 the company’s blog listed her as UK/IE CMO, one of the UK team at the Hair & Beauty Charity’s fundraising ball, which Phorest supports. Phorest’s own biography describes her starting role as “Chief Marketing Manager” and says that within six months she “showed an exceptional skill set and ability to lead people”, which led to her promotion to Chief Operating Officer.

By December 2021 she was COO and appeared with Perceval on Phorest FM, the company’s podcast, to review the year’s highlights and product releases. Phorest describes her as a leader “committed to business performance, customer satisfaction and operational success with a real passion for technology”. Her remit covers roughly half of the company’s staff. The company’s careers site still lists her as Chief Operating Officer in the Operations function, alongside the chief technology, financial and product officers.

Education

No education record was found in Phorest’s materials.