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.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Board Members
- Chairman of CI
Aidan Murphy was appointed as Chair of CIÉ for a period of five years with effect from 26th June 2024. He had already served on the CIÉ Board between 2014 and 2021. He served as a director on the Bus Éireann board from 2013 to 2021 and was its Chair from 2014 to 2021. In addition, Aidan also served as one of the CIÉ Board nominated members of the 1951 Superannuation Scheme Committee from July 2022 to November 2023.
Aidan has extensive experience as a supply chain professional having held positions as Chief Operating Officer of Carlow Precast, Chief Executive Officer of Pulse Logistics, Managing Director Supply at C&C Group, General Manager Wincanton Ireland, Group Head of Logistics at Fyffes plc and Logistics Director at Allegro Group. He has held a number of directorships in such companies as Urban Green Private, Roadbridge Holdings, Lucey Transport Logistics, FLI Global, M&M Walshe Group and Allegro. He has been a keynote speaker to several European supply chain events, including Logicon and the European Supply Chain Summit and is a Fellow and past President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Ireland.
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. 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 the 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.
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.
Fiona was appointed to the Board of CIÉ in April 2019 and reappointed in April 2022.
She is the Chairperson of the CIÉ Board Finance and Investment Committee. Fiona is an investment professional with over 30 years' experience in the asset management industry. She has held executive and board roles in leading Irish investment firms over the past 20 years. She is currently the CEO of Evelyn Partners Investment Management (Europe). 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 completed a Diploma in Legal Studies in 1996 and the Barrister-at-Law degree in 1998. She was called to the Bar in 1998. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is also a Council Member and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
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
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the CIÉ Board
Liam O'Rourke was re-appointed to the Board of CIÉ in September 2024. Liam is the Chair of the CIÉ Board Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the CIÉ Sustainability Committee and past member of the CIÉ Pensions committee. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland since 1988. He has held senior executive positions with US multinational manufacturing companies for over 30 years and was the Finance Director of the Irish subsidiary of Champion Spark Plug Company. He has extensive experience in Finance, Treasury, Pensions, HR and ICT. He has held senior Finance and Governance roles within the Property Development sector. Currently providing senior level private consultancy in Finance and Governance requirements.
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 of the Bus Éireann Board
Miriam was appointed to the Board of CIÉ on 26th April 2022. She is a Chartered Director from the Institute of Directors (IOD), an Independent Strategic Business Consultant, Chair and a Non-Executive Director.
Miriam was appointed as Chair of the Bus Éireann board 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 Chair of the Advertising Standards of Ireland, the Board Chair of Eir, Chair of CareChoice nursing homes, Chair and centrally bank approved for Cornmarket insurance and Chair and an independent Non-Executive Director of Pluto.
Miriam is a former Chief Executive Officer of DDFH&B, one of Ireland's largest communications groups, 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 Chair of Barnardo's Charity in Ireland, Past President of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, Past Chair 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 re-appointed to the Board of CIÉ in April 2022. Niamh is a member of the CIÉ Board Finance and Investment Committee and of the CIÉ Board Remuneration Committee.
Niamh is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of Chartered Accountants Ireland, having trained with PWC in Dublin, London and Brussels.
Niamh's professional experience includes Head of Business Performance in Barclays Bank PLC, London and Head of Business Management in Barclays Bank Ireland PLC.
Niamh has 11 years of experience as INED. She is a full-time INED and her other current directorships include Riverstone Insurance Ireland where she is Chair of the Board as well as CACI (Credit Agricole Group) BBPM Life (Banco BBPM Group), Darnell (BNP Paribas Group), XL Re Europe SE (AXA Group) and Drivalia (Credit Agricole Group).
Niamh has also been appointed by the Irish Government to the Advisory Committee against Economic Crime and Corruption.
Niamh holds recent credentials in Risk Management, Compliance, Insurance Law and as Certified Bank Director.
Paul was appointed as Head of Legal, CIÉ Group in September 2024. Prior to this, Paul was CIÉ Deputy Group Solicitor and Head of Commercial and Regulatory Affairs.
Paul's role is to provide strategic leadership for the development and delivery of legal services and support across the CIÉ Group of companies as well as to foster alignment in support of the Group strategy and innovation in the provision of legal services in supporting business operations and commercial activities. Paul works closely with the CIÉ Board, the CIÉ Group CEO, the Executive Management Team and senior management across the Group's subsidiaries.
Paul qualified as a Solicitor in 1995 and holds a BA in European Studies (Law and French), an LLM in European Law, a Diploma in Translation, a Diploma in Employment Law, a Certificate in Pension Law and Practice, a Diploma in Advanced Management Performance and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
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.
From the start of his career over 30 years ago as a British Rail Graduate trainee and following leadership roles with Chiltern Railways, Irish Rail, Deutsche Bahn and London Overground, Steves approach has been the catalyst for dynamic growth in the Industry through constant innovation and an unwavering focus on safety, reliability and customer service.
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).