CÓRAS IOMPAIR ÉIREANN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head of Group HR
- Head of Human Resources and Organisation Development
Aidan Grogan was appointed as Head of Group HR & OD in September 2020. He has over 20 years' experience in the Human Resources and Industrial Relations field, having previously held positions in Virgin Media Television (TV3), Virgin Media Ireland (UPC), The Irish Times and IBEC. He recently completed a certificate in mediation and holds a Batchelor of Commerce Degree (HRM) from UCD, as well as a Professional Diploma in Arbitration, and Graduate Diploma's in Employment Law and Strategy.
Amy Richards was appointed as Head of Group IT&T in 2022, prior to this appointment Amy held various positions in Group IT&T including Infrastructure & Service Delivery Manager and Deputy Head for the Department.
As Head of Group IT&T, Amy manages the IT Shared Service Department making sure the department is performing against agreed SLAs and commitments, the product offering brings value to the clients and costs are optimised.
Amy has led several transformations in the IT shared service function over the last number of years including maturing the department in line with the ITIL framework, moving to world class Data Centres in 2018 and overseeing the onboarding of a Managed Service as the programme executive. A key aspect of Amy's role has been the recruitment drive for GIT&T for succession planning for the department, to add value to the clients and to develop talent in line with future service offerings.
Brian Fitzpatrick is an accountant and experienced financial professional. He was appointed to the Board of CIÉ in April 2019 and was reappointed in April 2021. He currently chairs the CIÉ Board Remuneration Committee and CIÉ Property Advisory Group. He is also a member of the CIÉ Board Finance and Investment Committee and the CIÉ Board Audit and Risk Committee.
Prior to joining the Board of CIÉ, Brian was Finance Director and Company Secretary of BAM Contractors Ltd., the country's largest civil engineering and construction company. He retired from BAM in 2015 but remained as a Non-Executive Director until December 2019 when he retired from the Board. He spent the early part of his career in the financial services sector as Financial Controller of First National Building Society which then became First Active Plc.
Brian was also a Director of the Housing Finance Agency, the State Body charged with the financing of Local Authority and Approved Housing Bodies providing social and affordable housing. He was permanent Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee until he retired from teh Board of the Housing and Finance Agency in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Chief Sustainability Officer
Caoimhe was appointed Chief Sustainability officer in April 2020.
Caoimhe has over 20 years' experience in competition and regulation, strategy, and sustainability development. Prior to joining CIÉ, Caoimhe advised and led the delivery of regulatory strategy in the communications markets and in sustainable development.
Her experience includes senior management roles in ComReg, as Head of Market Intelligence and Market Analysis Manager and in strategy development in AXA Ireland. Caoimhe is the Chair of Global Action Plan, Ireland, a not for profit organisation driving sustainability initiatives across Ireland.
She has a Dip. Company Direction, IoD and holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge; a Dip. Competition Econ, Kings College London; an MA in Economics Université Libre de Bruxelles; and a BA International in Economics from University College Dublin.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Group Solicitor
Colm Costello was appointed as Group Solicitor in 2010. Prior to this, he had been the Deputy Group Solicitor, and before that, was the Senior Litigation Solicitor in the Solicitor's Office.
Colm is a qualified Solicitor, and also holds Diplomas in Employment Law and European Law. He has previously worked in a number of Solicitor's Offices in Dublin, specialising in Litigation.
Dermot was appointed to the Board of CIÉ in December 2021 under the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Acts 1977 to 2001.
He is employed as a bus driver with Bus Éireann based at Roxboro Depot in Limerick. He joined CIÉ in 1983 as a junior dining car attendant before moving to the Road Passenger Section the following year taking up such roles as Office Assistant and Bus Conductor prior to his current position as a driver since 1991.
He has been active in his union, the NBRU, since 1997 when he was first elected to his local branch committee. He served as both Vice-Chair and Chair of the Limerick Branch prior to being elected to the National Executive Council in 1999. As a member of the NBRU National Negotiating Team. He has extensive experience in Industrial Relations issues including several WRC negotiations and Labour Court hearings.
Job Titles:
- Chief Finance Officer
- Group Chief Financial Officer
Fiona O'Shea was appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer in March 2022. Before joining CIÉ, Fiona worked for over 14 years with RTÉ in a number of senior finance roles, most recently as Group Financial Controller. Prior to her work in RTÉ, Fiona was Group Financial Controller for the Ogilvy & Mather Group, a creative media and public relations agency and part of the WPP Group plc.
Fiona graduated with a Bachelor of Business Studies degree (Hons) from the University of Limerick and is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Board Members
- Public and Private Sector Chair and Non - Executive Director
Fiona Ross is an exceptionally experienced public and private sector Chair and Non-Executive Director. Fiona was re-appointed by the Irish Government to Chair Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) in June 2021, Ireland's public transport provider, to the Board of the HSE, Ireland's public health service, and in August 2021 was appointed to Chair the National Pediatric Hospital Development Board. In November 2023 Fiona was appointed by the Irish Minister of Finance to serve on the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) and now Chairs the NTMA Investment Committee. In the UK Fiona was appointed a Non-Executive Director at The Scottish Government in March 2019. She also holds two UK Government appointments, Network Rail and the Northern Ireland Office. In May 2022 she assumed the Chair role at Natural Capital Ireland. She has Central Bank of Ireland authorisation (UCIT and MIFID) and serves as a Non-Executive Director at JK Funds, Evelyn Partners (where she chairs the Audit and Risk Committee) and SphereInvest.
Fiona began her career as a stockbroker in the City of London and spent 25 years working in all areas within capital markets in Dublin, London, Eastern Europe and the United States.
In 2010, Fiona was appointed by the Minister for Arts to run Ireland's National Library, the NLI, where she successfully served two terms as Director/CEO. Subsequently, Fiona continued her interest in the Arts and joined the Heaney family as a Non-Executive Director of the Heaney literary estate.
Fiona is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Queen's University Belfast and the Institute of Art and Design (IADT) where in 2017 she completed a MSc in Cyber Psychology. In 2012 Fiona was awarded a fellowship in Governance at George Washington University in the United States.
Fiona was appointed to the Board of CIÉ in April 2019 and reappointed in April 2022.
Fiona is an investment professional with 30 years' experience in the asset management industry. She has held executive and board roles in leading Irish investment firms including AIB Investment Managers, Prescient Ireland and Davy over the past 20 years. In these roles she has been responsible for the development, communication and implementation of effective business strategies. She has an in depth knowledge of pensions and investment markets and has significant experience in corporate governance and compliance. Fiona holds Undergraduate and Masters Degrees in Economics from University College Dublin and the Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Director
- Chief Information Officer & Director of Enterprise Shared Services
Gary Connolly was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director, Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) in 2022, prior to this appointment Gary held the position of Head of Group IT&T for over 10 years.
As CIO and Director ESS, Gary is responsible for information, technology, digital innovation, co-ordination and strategy for all of the CIÉ Enterprise Shared Services.
Gary has an MSc in IT Management and during his term as Head of IT led CIÉ Group technology investments, information security programmes, onboarded managed service providers along with implementing best practice for service level agreements and shared service governance.
Gary Owens was appointed to the Board of CIÉ and as Chair of Bus Átha Cliath in May 2022.
He has wide experience in financial services at Board and senior Executive level and was Chief Executive Officer of both Hibernian Insurance and IFG Ireland. He also served as an Independent Director for both AIG Ireland and AIG International where he was a member of the Audit Committee and Chair of their Investment Committee. Gary is a Director in Leaseplan Insurances where he has chaired both the Audit and Risk Committees and is currently Chair of Diona DAC and ICare Capital Partners.
He has fulfilled a number of roles in sport serving as Interim Chief Executive Officer for both the Football Association of Ireland and Athletics Ireland and also served as the Chief Executive Officer for Down Syndrome Ireland.
Gary is a Chartered Insurer and a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Geraldine qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987 and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. She was called to the Bar in 1998 having completed a Diploma in Legal Studies in 1996 and having been awarded the degree of Barrister-at-Law by the King's Inns in 1998. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Geraldine was appointed by the Board of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) to the position of Group Secretary in 1997. In addition, she was the Company Secretary of Iarnród Éireann - Irish Rail (a CIÉ subsidiary company) between 2004 and 2020. Prior to these appointments Geraldine was a Financial Accountant in Bus Átha Cliath - Dublin Bus.
Prior to joining the CIÉ Group, Geraldine trained with O'Donovan, Cuddy and MacCarthy in Cork and subsequently worked as an Auditor in Deloitte Haskins & Sells in London and in Caplin Meehan in Dublin.
James (Jimmy) Doran was appointed to the CIÉ Board in December 2021 under the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Acts 1977 to 2001.
Liam O'Rourke was re-appointed to the Board of CIÉ in September 2021. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (FCPA). He has held senior executive positions with US multinational manufacturing companies for over 30 years and has extensive experience in finance, HR and ICT. He was previously the Finance Director/Controller of Champion Spark Plug Company and is currently the Internal Auditor with the Irish Wheelchair Association.
Lorcan O'Connor is Group CEO of CIÉ since March 2019.
His previous experience includes:
Director (CEO) of the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI). Lorcan established the ISI as an independent statutory body responsible for the administration of bankruptcies and newly introduced alternatives to bankruptcy. It also regulates personal insolvency practitioners.
Executive Committee member of the International Association of Insolvency Regulators.
Director in Deloitte Restructuring Services with experience advising companies in financial distress, advising lending institutions in relation to underperforming loans as well as leading many formal insolvency assignments, including Waterford Wedgwood plc (In Receivership) and Hughes & Hughes Limited (In Receivership)
Council Member of the Irish Society of Insolvency Practitioners
Financial Adviser in Department of Transport. While sitting on the Department's Management Board, worked on a wide range of transport assignments including the Aer Lingus IPO, State Airport restructuring and the Transport 21 investment programme. Also contributed to the development of smarter travel and national policies
Lorcan is a fellow of the Chartered Accountants Ireland and holds a Bachelor of Business and Legal Studies Degree from University College Dublin
Job Titles:
- Chairman to the Bus Éireann Board
- Ex - CEO of One of Ireland
Miriam was appointed to the Board of CIÉ on 26 th April 2022. She is a Chartered Director from the IOD, Independent Strategic Business Consultant, Chair and a Non-Executive Director.
Miriam was appointed as Chair to the Bus Éireann board by Minister Ryan in February 2022. She has been a member of that board since 2019 and has served as Chair of its Board Safety and Accessibility Committee, as a member of its Audit and Risk Committee, Sustainability Committee and Board Strategy Committee.
Miriam is also currently the Board Chairperson of the Advertising Standards of Ireland, is an independent Non-Executive Director for Eir, CareChoice nursing homes, Chairperson and an independent Non-Executive Director of Pluto, an independent marketing agency, and is also a mentor on the Enterprise Ireland Panel.
Miriam is the ex-CEO of one of Ireland's largest communications groups - DDFH&B. During her 17-year tenure at DDFH&B she managed numerous acquisitions, new business models and a merger. She worked with many large clients such as Bord Gáis, National Lottery, Littlewoods, Irish Life and SuperValu. She was formerly Marketing Director of Nestlé, Head of Communications for Bank of Ireland and held other marketing roles at Smith & Nephew and AIB.
Miriam is a graduate of UCD and holds a BComm and Master's in marketing. She is a past Chairman of Barnardo's Charity in Ireland, Past President of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, Past Chairperson of the Advertisers Association of Ireland, Past Council Member of Dublin Chamber, Past Board Member of the Irish Hospice Foundation and a Past Council Member of the Irish Management Institute.
Niamh O'Regan was reappointed to the Board of CIÉ in April 2022 and she is Chair of the CIÉ Board Finance and Investment Committee. Niamh is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of Chartered Accountants Ireland, having trained with PWC in Dublin, London and Brussels.
She has professional experience of over 30 years including as Head of Business Performance in Barclays Bank PLC, London and Head of Business Management in Barclays Bank Ireland PLC.
Niamh has been an INED / Company Director for over 10 years and her experience includes Financial Services, Transport and Health. She is currently approved in a number of Irish Financial Services entities as PCF2B (Independent Non-Executive Director), PCF 4 (Chair of the Audit Committee) and PCF 5 (Chair of the Risk Committee). Niamh holds recent credentials in Risk Management, Compliance, ESG and Insurance Law.
Stephen Hannan was re-appointed to the CIÉ Board in December 2021 under the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Acts 1977 to 2001. He works as a bus driver based in Ringsend Garage. He is a member of SIPTU and has held a wide variety of positions within the trade union for over 30 years: President of the Bus Drivers Committee; Vice-Chair of the Transport Sector Committee; the Divisional Committee, Depot Representative to name but a few.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Head of Group Internal Audit
Therese Killian was appointed Head of Group Internal Audit July 2022.
Therese has over 15 years' experience in Internal Audit, Risk Management, Compliance and Program management. Prior to joining CIE, she spent 13 years with CRH plc, in Internal Audit, and was also responsible for ensuring the adequacy of CRH's Internal Control Framework for annual compliance with Sarbanes Oxley 404 Regulations. Therese has also worked with a start-up biopharmaceutical company in advanced clinical trial stages as part of its IPO process and more recently has led the Internal Audit function in Ryanair.
Therese is a Fellow Charted Accountant and holds a Dip. in IFRS and Dip. In Risk Management, Internal Audit and Compliance from Chartered Accountants Ireland. Therese also holds a B. A (Hons) from UCC, HDip. In Education from NUI Galway and a Professional Diploma in Compliance from UCD.
Job Titles:
- Head of Group Claims and Risk
Tom Fahey joined CIÉ's Group Pensions Department in 1988 and moved to their Claims Department in 1990. He occupied a number of roles before becoming CIÉ Claims Manager in 2012.
Tom has over 30 years' of experience in the area of accident / claims investigation and litigation. He currently manages the Employers Liability and Third Party Claims Handling teams, and personally handles all large loss claims involving the CIÉ Group of Companies
Tommy Wynne was reappointed to the Board of CIÉ in December 2021 under the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Acts, 1977 to 2001. He joined Iarnród Éireann as a depot man in 1991 and became a train driver in 1994.
Tommy holds a Higher Diploma in International Railway Management from Glasgow Caledonia University. He recently qualified as a Mediator and is registered with Mediators Institute of Ireland(MII).
He was President of the SIPTU TEAC Division for 12 years and is currently Chair of SIPTU Transport Sector. He has recently been elected to SIPTU National Executive Council (NEC).