Galway 2020 this week announced the appointment of four new directors to the board following a rigorous board selection process: Maire Geoghegan Quinn, Caroline Loughnane, Christopher Greene, and Enda Newton were selected on the basis of their respective skill sets in order to add value, and augment the existing Board to ensure the successful delivery of the European Capital of Culture for Galway in 2020.
This most recent round of appointments brings the number of Directors to 12, with the four new appointees joining Aideen McGinley (Chairperson ), Cllr Pearce Flannery, Cllr Eileen Mannion, Declan McGonagle, Brendan McGrath, Kevin Kelly, Claire McColgan and Catherine Cullen. Welcoming the new appointments, Chairperson Aideen McGinley said “I’m delighted to welcome Máire, Caroline, Enda and Chris to the Board of Galway 2020. It is critical to the success of the project that we bring not just the right individual skill sets to the table, but more importantly the best overall mix of skills and individuals to complement each other, and our new Board members bring an impressive range of skills and experience that will be invaluable in building a cohesive and effective board.”
Máire Geoghegan Quinn is a Galway native, a former TD, Government Minister holding several different portfolios during her career, including Minister for Justice, and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Communications, and Minster for the Gaeltacht, among others. She was appointed European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science in 2010, and played a major role in the development of the Horizon 2020 research programme. She was also a member of the European Court of Auditors. Her wealth of experience and knowledge gained working within the European Union will bring a vital perspective to the Board, charged with delivering a project with such a strong European dimension.
Enda Newton is a practising solicitor and a Corporate Partner at AMOSS solicitors, one of Ireland’s leading law firms. A Roscommon native and graduate of NUIG, Enda specialises in corporate law and governance, and previously worked as a senior lawyer in the Department of Finance. He is also currently Chairman of the Irish chapter of the British and Irish Trading Alliance. As a non-executive director, and Audit Committee member of the Investor Compensation Company DAC, Enda brings significant experience to the Galway 2020 Board in the areas of audit, legal, governance and risk management.
Caroline Loughnane is a senior university leader with extensive marketing, branding and communications experience. She currently holds the post of Academic Secretary of NUI Galway, and was previously the University’s Director of Marketing and Communications from 2008 to 2014. In addition to her marketing and communications skills, Caroline’s current role involves strategic management, policy formulation, financial management and risk. She also has strong experience of governance and partnership building, having served on a number of Boards, including Abbey Theatre Project Board (overseeing project to digitise the Abbey Archive ).
Christopher Greene is a native of Connemara, a passionate advocate for the Irish language, and works as a broadcaster and entertainer. He currently co-hosts the award winning ‘Chris and Ciara’ show on 2FM, and also co-produces TV and video content with Peter Ganley as one half of Galway based production company Final Boss Media, with strong online focus, including Craic Addicts for Channel 4’s 4oD player, which was cited by industry magazine Broadcast Now as one of the successes of the new online miniseries round of commissioning. He has also produced work for RTE’s Republic of Telly, as well as working on many corporate projects. Chris’s strong background in broadcasting and digital communications will bring a very important perspective to the Board, particularly in achieving Galway 2020’s aim to be the first truly digital European Capital of Culture.
Acknowledging the strength and quality of the Board appointments to date, Ms McGinley said that “a strong presence and perspective from the Cultural Sector is an absolutely essential component of the Board”.
To this end, the company will today launch a second Open Call for expressions of interest in Board positions, with a particular focus on applicants with a strong background in culture and related skill sets. It is expected that two appointments will be made from this process. The call seeks individuals with skills and experience in Culture having regard also to gender, diversity, and age balance.
Full details of the call will be available on www.galway2020.ie and the closing date for applications is 4:00pm on Monday September 4.
