Balance for Better Business is an independent business-led Review Group established by the government to improve gender balance in senior leadership in Ireland.
The Review Group is examining the gender mix within the governance and senior management of companies in Ireland and the issues which arise in connection with the appointment of company directors and senior management.
The Review Group is calling for a reform of the current system to ensure more women play a role at board level and in senior leadership teams. The Review Group has set progressive targets to 2023 for the achievement of improved gender balance on the boards and senior management of these companies. The focus of the First Report was on public companies listed on the Euronext Dublin Markets. The Second Report extends to large private companies. Multinationals will be addressed in future reports. The Review Group will monitor and publish progress against the targets.
Review Group
Bernard Byrne - Co-Chair
Bernard is a Chartered Accountant with significant leadership, financial and commercial experience as well as a deep understanding of the Irish market and economy. Bernard most recently served for as CEO of J+E Davy, Ireland’s largest independent stockbroking and wealth management business.
Bernard joined Davy in 2019 as Head of Capital Markets and Deputy CEO. In early 2021 he became CEO. During his time at Davy he played a key role in the growth of the business, the launch of its ESG advisory arm, the sale of the company, and its integration into the Bank of Ireland Group. Prior to this, Bernard served as CEO of AIB Group plc leading the successful rationalisation and IPO of the bank.
He joined AIB in 2010 as CFO of the Group and also headed up the Retail, Commercial and Corporate banking activities during his time in there.
Before joining AIB, Bernard was Group Finance and Commercial Director at ESB. Prior to that he was Deputy CEO and Finance Director of IWP International plc and previously he was the Commercial Director of ESB International.
He has been a long serving supporter and a Co-Chair of the Financial services arm of the 30% Club.
Andrea Dermody
Andrea Dermody has over twenty years’ experience working across the Global Financial Services marketplace. With experience in Talent Management, Learning & Development and Diversity & Inclusion, most recently Andrea led inclusion and diversity for State Street in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with responsibility for fourteen European locations, 12,000 employees and 50+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). She is now managing director of her own consulting practice, Dermody, working with clients across healthcare, technology, engineering, financial services, aviation, and semi-state environments.
Deputy chair of the financial services sub-committee of the 30% Club in Ireland, Andrea led their pivotal research project, “Making the Change Count”, working to drive gender diversity and she was also a founding member of the steering committee for OUTstanding in Ireland at its inception in 2017, driving LGBT+ inclusion across the marketplace. She has also contributed as a Senior Consultant with the Centre of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion in Dublin City University where she is a part-time lecturer.
Carol Andrews
Carol Andrews is Managing Director and Global Head of Client Service Delivery, Securities Services. In her current position she is responsible for Client Service, a team with a view across our Securities servicing franchise for all products including Corporate Trust, Custody, Fund Services and Middle Office.
Carol launched her financial services career at Old Mutual Assurance Company in Ireland, where she was first responsible for the establishment of the Dublin office, then led the implementation of operations based in Guernsey, Channel Islands office. Carol joined Allied Irish Banks (AIB) and served in positions of increasing responsibility in settlements, custody, operations and client services. Carol joined The Bank of New York in 2006 with the acquisition associated with the AIB/Bank of New York Mellon (BNYM) joint venture. She was seconded to the Brussels office to manage the integration of AIB to the BNYM platforms. Prior roles include Head of Service Delivery for fund administration services in EMEA, including fund accounting, transfer agency and client services; Head of Global Client service based in New York responsible for our alternative investment service clients. Carol has extensive experience with major integration initiatives, regulatory change and migration projects.
Carol is a graduate of the Women’s Leadership Forum, a Harvard Business School leadership development programme. Carol is a Certified Investment Fund Director (CIFD) and holds a Masters (MSC) in Business Practice from the Irish Management Institute/University College Cork. Carol recently completed MIT Sloan Blockchain Technologies Business Innovation and application certificate.
Carol is a founder, previous Country Lead and a current steering committee member of the 30% Club Ireland, an organization aimed at achieving better gender balance at all levels in leading Irish businesses. Carol serves on the Irish Government Advisory for Balance for Better Business (a government led initiative to increase gender balance in business). Carol is currently a member of the Advisory Council for Irish Management Institute, a board member for Vodafone Foundation Ireland, and a board member of the Bank of Ireland Gold Sovereign Programme Committee.
Danny McCoy
Danny McCoy is CEO at Ibec, Ireland’s largest business representative and lobbying organization. Prior to joining Ibec he was a senior economist at both the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Central Bank of Ireland.
Carol Bolger
Carol is former Chairperson of An Post, a non-Executive Director on the board of BCM Global ASI Ltd and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine.
She is a Patron of Chapter Zero Ireland, a community of non-executive directors who lead Irish boardroom discussions on the impact of climate change.
She previously served on the boards of Utexam Solutions Ltd, The Coombe Hospital, the Health & Safety Authority and the Institute of Banking.
Caroline Sherry
Caroline Sherry is Chief Financial Officer of Hotelworld Group plc, a travel tech company, focussed on the hostelling category. During Caroline’s tenure, Hostelworld has become a 30% Club Ireland member and won UK Plc Tech Business of the year. In addition to leading the finance function, Caroline chairs the Group’s ESG Steering Committee. Under her guidance the Group has achieved climate neutral status and is on a path to Net Zero. Caroline is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland. Caroline is a graduate of University College Cork and holds a B. Sc. and M. Sc.
Leo Clancy
Leo Clancy is the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Ireland, the state agency that helps Irish companies to start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets.
Before being appointed as CEO of Enterprise Ireland, Leo led the Technology, Consumer and Business Services sector as well as IT, Marketing Communications and Corporate Services at IDA Ireland and was a member of the Executive Management team. In that role, Leo worked extensively with global technology and services companies invested in Ireland.
Prior to his public sector career, Leo spent 17 years in the telecommunications industry, including in a number of management, technical and engineering roles. He was part of the senior leadership team at e|net, a high-growth Irish wholesale broadband provider and spent his early career at Ericsson, primarily working on global services for deployment of mobile and fixed networks.
Leo is a frequent contributor to press interviews, conference speaking and blogs. On behalf of Enterprise Ireland, he is a member of a number of cross-departmental and cross-agency groups.
Leo graduated from Dublin Institute of Technology with a First-Class Honours degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering in 1996. He grew up on a farm in County Tipperary and retains a strong fundamental understanding of the agricultural and food sector, in addition to his broader business experience of technology, services and manufacturing industries.
Heather Ann McSharry
Heather Ann McSharry is a non-executive director on the Boards of both International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) plc and Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc.
She previously served on the boards of CRH plc, Greencore plc , Bank of Ireland Plc and Uniphar Plc . She is a former Managing Director of both Reckitt Benckiser Ireland and Boots Healthcare Ireland.
Natasha Adams
Natasha is Chief Executive Officer, Tesco Ireland and Northern Ireland appointed in March 2022 and is a member of the Tesco PLC Executive Committee.
Immediately prior to her current role Natasha was Chief People Officer for Tesco Group. She has experience as a Trustee for the Tesco Pension Scheme and is a Trustee for the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD). Natasha is also a Non-Executive Director for Berkeley Holdings Group Ltd, Remuneration Committee Chair and also a member of the Nominations Committee.
Natasha is a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, member of the 30% Club and has recently joined Balance for Better Business Review Group.
A Tesco colleague since 1998, Natasha has held a number of leadership roles in Retail Operations and People functions, always enjoying the pace of colleagues, customers and suppliers bring to the retail environment.
Harry Goddard
Harry Goddard has been CEO of Deloitte Ireland since June 2019. Prior to that he was Head of Consulting and led Deloitte’s technology practice across the EMEA region.
Harry has worked in the professional services and consulting industries for more than 20 years. He has a vast breadth of experience, working across multiple industries, with a particular focus on the public sector and financial services sector. Harry’s client service experience is largely focused on leading significant, technology-rich transformation programmes.
Harry is a founding member of Chapter Zero Ireland, the Irish Chapter of the Climate Governance Initiative, developed in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. He also co-chairs the Business in the Community Leaders Group on Social Inclusion.
Harry is a native of County Clare and holds a BSc in Applied Mathematics from the University of Limerick.
John Hennessey
Non-executive chairman of the board for Dalata Hotel Group Plc since 2014, John Hennessey is a Chartered Director and a practising barrister. He is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In his past career he was Partner at Arthur Andersen (Ireland). He received an undergraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin.Michael Lohan
Michael Lohan was appointed CEO of IDA Ireland in April 2023. Prior to his appointment, Michael held the role of IDA Global Head of Life Sciences and Talent Transformation and Innovation Departments since 2017. During that period, he was also a member of the Executive Team of IDA Ireland.
Michael has represented IDA Ireland in several fora including as a Board member of Digital Manufacturing Ireland, a governance member on the SSPC research centre for pharmaceuticals and, previously, with the Irish Medical Association, which is the business association within IBEC representing the medical devices and diagnostics sector. In addition, Michael is an Advisory Board member for the Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund.
Michael Lohan joined IDA Ireland in 2003 from the private sector where he held a number of different management positions including responsibility for New Business Solutions with Nortel’s European Operations in Galway and a management role with IEC Electronics European Operations. He holds an MSc in Technology Management from University of Galway, and is a graduate of the Berkley Executive Programme.
Declan Hughes
Declan Hughes, Secretary General, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
As Secretary General, Declan Hughes advises Government and leads the Department and its offices and agencies in promoting the creation of high-quality and sustainable full employment; by championing enterprise, supporting, and incentivising a competitive and innovative research and enterprise base, negotiating international trade agreements, and promoting fair and competitive employment and markets.
Declan has served as a Board member of IDA Ireland, SFI and Enterprise Ireland. He was also a member of National Competitiveness Council, the Interim Public Procurement Reform Board and Food Wise Implementation Committee and Chair of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund Committee. He has served on EU and OECD committees.
Declan joined the Department in 2014 as Assistant Secretary, heading the Strategic Policy Division and subsequently had responsibility for policy development and funding programmes for Inward investment and Enterprise Innovation and for Indigenous Enterprise, SMEs, and Entrepreneurship Divisions. He was formerly on the Executive Committee of the enterprise, trade and science and technology advisory agency, Forfás. He has led a range of national and regional policy and funding initiatives, including on ecommerce, enterprise and trade strategies, skills and research prioritisation, regional enterprise plans, the Action Plan for Jobs and Brexit and COVID business supports.
Declan is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate and holds a Masters and Postgraduate Diploma from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business, UCD. He has completed executive programmes at Wharton School of Business, Roffey Park Institute and Singapore Civil Service College. He is a member of Institute of Directors.
Rachel Hussey
Rachel is Clients and Markets Partner at Arthur Cox.
She has more than 20 years’ experience of business development in the legal profession, specialising in client engagement and development strategies to secure sustainable relationships and competitive advantage, domestically and internationally. Her focus is on strategic client account programmes and teams; client satisfaction, experience and value initiatives; strategic lead generation; marketing and business development programmes and creating, implementing and leading industry and client events.
Rachel is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and sits on the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Sustainable Business Committee and the Conflicts Management Committee.
Outside the firm, Rachel is a member of the Steering Committee of the 30% Club and is President of the Irish Chapter of the International Women’s Forum. She sits on the Governing Authority of DCU and chairs its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Rachel is a solicitor and has an LL B from Trinity College where she was a Foundation Scholar, a BL from the Honourable Society of King’s Inns and an LL M.
Advisory Group
Anne Heraty, Non-Executive Director
Anne O’Leary, VP, Global Business Group Meta
Caroline Keeling, CEO, Keelings
Colin Hunt, CEO, AIB
Daryl Byrne, CEO, Euronext
Gillian Harford, Country Executive of 30% Club
Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland
John McGrane, Director General, British Irish Chamber of Commerce
Kara McGann, Senior Labour Market Policy Executive, Ibec
Leisha Daly, IDA Board Member. Non Executive Director
Paul Sweetman, Chief Executive, American Chamber of Commerce
Caroline Spillane, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors
Michael D’Arcy, CEO, Irish Association of Investment Managers
Orla O’Connor, Director, National Women’s Council of Ireland
Owen Reidy, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Prof Niamh Brennan, Quinn School of Business, UCD
Margaret McCabe, CEO, Public Appointments Service
Shane O’Sullivan, CEO, Irish Management Institute
Hubert Fitzpatrick, Director General, Construction Industry Federation