One of the most colourful players on the Irish economic scene in recent years, Professor Patrick Honohan announced his plans in May to retire as Governor of the Central Bank by the end of the year.
His retirement came a year before his seven-year term as Governor was due to end in September 2016.
In October, his replacement Trinity Professor Philip Lane was named and he took up the position formally in December.
The Central Bank was also hit by another big name departure in September - that of its deputy governor Stefan Gerlach. Mr Gerlach has taken up a new position as chief economist with Swiss private bank BSI.
The Irish banking sector also saw the departure of two chief executives this year. AIB's David Duffy announced in January that he was leaving the bank to take up a new position with National Australia Bank's Clydesdale Bank in the UK. He was replaced by Bernard Byrne in May.
Meanwhile, Ulster Bank's CEO Jim Brown was named by its parent Royal Bank of Scotland as the new chief executive of the bank's Williams & Glyn business in May. Gerry Mallon was named as his successor in November and he will take up the new role next year.
There were also some management changes in some of the big UK banks this year with Barclays Bank CEO Antony Jenkins stepping down in a shock move. He was replaced by US banker Jes Staley in October. Asia-focused Standard Chartered also replaced its CEO Peter Sands in June with US banker William Thomas Williams.
Troubled insurance company FBD Holdings said during the summer that its CEO Andrew Langford was stepping down.
He was replaced by the group's finance director and former Central Bank director Fiona Muldoon.
There was also some changes in the top jobs in the media industry both at home and abroad this year. In October, RTÉ's Director General Noel Curran announced his decision to stand down from the role in May 2016.
TV3's CEO David McRedmond left his position at the end of the year as Virgin Media Ireland completed the acquisition of the television station, while Virgin Media Ireland's CEO Magnus Ternsjö was appointed as CEO of UPC Hungary in October.
Meanwhile, Twitter's chief executive Dick Costolo abruptly announced he was stepping down from the social media group in June. He was replaced by co-founder Jack Dorsey.
And in August Tinder's Christopher Payne announced he was leaving the company only five months after being named as the social dating apps CEO. He was replaced by Tinder founder Sean Rad.
Back home, Aer Lingus announced the appointment of Stephen Kavanagh as its new chief executive officer after Christoph Mueller left the airline for the top job at Malaysia Airlines.
Smurfit Kappa's CEO Gary McGann retired and was replaced by Tony Smurfit at the packaging giant in September.
Shannon Group's CEO Neil Pakey announced just before Christmas that he will leave the company at the conclusion of his three-year contract next year.
Elsewhere, iconic designer Ralph Lauren stepped down from the top job at his fashion empire in September with Stefan Larsson taking over the role.
And Volkswagen's chief executive Martin Winterkorn resigned in September, just days after an emissions cheating scandal rocked the German carmaker. He also resigned as chairman of Audi in November.
