THE London Irish Centre (LIC) has announced a raft of leadership changes which will be implemented within the organisation in 2020 – including the arrival of a new Chair of the board of trustees and the search for a new CEO.
The charity, which is based in Camden, north London will welcome Rosaleen Blair CBE as the new Chair of its Trustee Board.
Ms Blair founded Alexander Mann Solutions, the leading global provider of talent acquisition and management services, in the mid-90s.
Of her new LIC role, she said: “The London Irish Centre is a wonderful Centre and charity, the heartbeat of the Irish in London and open to all communities.
“I feel extraordinarily privileged to be part of the next stage of the London Irish Centre’s journey”.
Ms Blair takes over from Mike O’Connor CBE, who has been the interim Chair and will remain on the Board of Trustees.
Also joining the board this year is Dame Maura McGowan, a High Court Judge and Chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales in 2013 – making her only the second woman Chair of the Bar.
Ms McGowan explained: “I first visited the LIC in the 1980’s when my aunt was made Leitrim Personality of the Year.
“It’s taken a long time but I’m delighted to be back and involved in the wonderful ambitious plans for the new Centre. We have so much to look back on but now we are looking forward to a marvellous future working with and helping the whole community.”
In 2019 the LIC Board was strengthened by three new Trustees: Patrick Doherty, a Partner at Deloitte UK; Anne McLoughlin, who has helped build the largest rural housing provider in the UK, and Michael Roddy, Managing Director of the AIM-listed building materials company SigmaRoc Plc.
With ambitious redevelopment plans on the agenda at the LIC, the organisation is also recruiting for a new Chief Executive this year.
Current Chief Executive, Sean Kennedy, will remain “closely involved in the Charity in a voluntary capacity, leading on the redevelopment of the Centre”, the LIC confirms.
Mr Kennedy added: “This is a hugely exciting project to create a London Irish Centre which will continue to look after the most vulnerable, promote Irish culture and heritage, serve the local communities and celebrate the enormous contribution and story of the Irish in London. I am looking forward to being actively involved throughout”.
