Pictured (from l-r): Feargal O’Rourke, Chair, IDA Ireland, Minister Simon Coveney and Michael Lohan, CEO IDA Ireland.

There were new and notable appointments this week at IDA Ireland and Social Finance Foundation. 

Feargal O’Rourke, Chair,
IDA Ireland

IDA Ireland has confirmed the appointment of Feargal O’Rourke as Chair. O’Rourke was managing partner of PwC and stepped down in October last year after 37 years with the company. He said; ‘Delighted and honoured to be appointed as the new Chair of IDA Ireland by Minister Simon Coveney. It is a world class organisation, the success of which is systematically important for the Irish economy. Really looking forward to working with Michael Lohan and the great team around the world. Filling big shoes of Frank Ryan who has been an excellent chair for the last decade.’

Marian Corcoran, an existing IDA board member, has been appointed deputy chair.  She is also the chair of DCU Educational Support Services and a member of the governing authority at DCU.

Garrett O’Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer,
Social Finance Foundation

The board of the Irish social finance organisation, Social Finance Foundation, has appointed Garrett O’Donohoe to the role Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Social Finance Foundation’s founding CEO, Brendan Whelan.

Established at the initiative of the Irish Government in 2007, Social Finance Foundation sources finance to fund social lending organisations who, in turn, provide social finance directly to community and voluntary organisations including social enterprises who may have difficultly accessing finance from mainstream financial providers.  Social Finance Foundation has to date facilitated over €200m in loan finance to be provided to over 2,000 community and voluntary groups and social enterprises across Ireland.

Social Finance Foundation’s new CEO Garrett O’Donohoe has extensive leadership in the banking sector.  He worked with KBC Bank Ireland for 22 years during which time he led a number of departments as Head of Credit, Head of Direct Retail Sales & Customer Services and Head of Business Banking. Garrett also has considerable experience in the not-for-profit sector both through volunteering and at Board level.  Garrett holds an international degree in Economics and French from UCD, a Law Society qualification in Charity Law, Trusteeship and Governance and is a qualified Personal, Leadership and Executive Coach.

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