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IoD Faculty

IoD Ireland training is conducted by the IoD Faculty, who are composed of leading corporate governance, finance, leadership and strategy experts.

Eileen Gleeson CDir

Eileen Gleeson CDir

Programme Director, Chartered Director Programme in Ireland

Eileen Gleeson is the Programme Director for the Chartered Director Programme in Ireland and a member of the Professional Development Advisory Committee (PDAC).
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Eileen has been a director of 16 companies over the past thirty years in business, at chair, non-executive and executive levels.

She has advised some of Ireland's leading business and political leaders on communications and public affairs, including a seven-year period as Adviser to President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. Eileen has served as a non-executive director on State boards, plcs, financial services organisations and family businesses.

Dr Margaret Cullen

Dr Margaret Cullen

Governance Advisor, Board Assessor and Trainer, IoD Ireland

Dr Margaret Cullen is a member of the IoD Faculty, where she advises on governance training, research, and advocacy. 

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She is also a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series and an experienced Assessor with the IoD Ireland’s Board Evaluation Service.

Margaret holds a PhD in governance from University College Dublin (UCD). She is a specialist in the areas of corporate and investment fund governance. Margaret has been an Assistant Professor at the UCD Smurfit Business School for 16 years, lecturing on the Professional Diploma in Corporate Governance in the areas of board roles and responsibilities, behavioural aspects of board and executive remuneration and incentives.

She is currently Co-Academic Director of the Institute of Banking’s (IoB) Certified Bank Director Programme on an associate basis and lectures bank governance on the programme. Margaret was the founding CEO and Academic Director of the Certified Investment Fund Director Institute (CIFDI), a specialist institute of the IoB which focuses on raising professional standards in investment fund governance through its CIFD Programme.

Margaret serves as a non-executive director on the boards of several financial services organisations and has extensive board and board committee experience. She is also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Fund Boards Council in the UK

Professor Simon Haslam CDir

Professor Simon Haslam CDir

Course Leader and Trainer, IoD Ireland

Professor Simon Haslam is a Chartered Director (CDir) and the course leader on the strategy aspect of the Chartered Director Programme. 
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Simon is also a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series and leads our ESG course, and is programme lead for strategy for the Institute of Directors UK.

Simon has an MBA from Durham University Business School and a PhD from Strathclyde Business School. He is a Visiting Professor at Durham where he leads the Strategic Management module of its Global MBA programme. Simon's international strategy consulting work covers clients in the private, public and third sectors.   His book, Strategic Decision Making, co-written with Dr Ben Shenoy, was published by Kogan Page in 2018.

Carol Bolger CDir

Carol Bolger CDir

Board Assessor, Course Leader, and Trainer, IoD Ireland

Carol Bolger is a Chartered Director (CDir) and is a course leader on the Governance and Diploma modules of the IoD Chartered Director Programme.
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Carol is a Certified Bank Director. She is also a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series and is an Assessor on the IoD’s Board Evaluation service. She has broad banking experience gained in Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank where she held senior roles including Chief Operating Officer and Director of Strategy & Planning. 

 

Carol is currently Chairperson of An Post, a non-Executive Director on the board of BCM Global ASI Ltd and Chair of Utexam Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas.  She also Chairs the Audit Committee of the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine.  Carol is a Patron of Chapter Zero Ireland, a community of non-executive directors who lead Irish boardroom discussions on the impacts of climate change and is a Member of the Balance for Better Business Review Group.  She previously served on the board of The Coombe Women & Infants Hospital until 2020, where she was Chair of the Quality, Safety & Risk Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee.  She has also served on the Boards of the Health & Safety Authority and the Institute of Banking.

 

She holds qualifications in Finance, Strategy and Innovation (UCC) and has an Advanced Diploma in Executive Coaching accredited by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.  She is a Fellow of the Institute of Banking where she formerly held the position of Vice President.

Marie Collins CDir

Marie Collins CDir

Board Assessor, Course Leader, and Trainer, IoD Ireland

Marie Collins is a Chartered Director (CDir) and is a course leader on the Governance and Diploma Programme aspect of the Chartered Director Programme. 
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Marie is also a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series and is an Assessor on the IoD's Board Evaluation service.

 

Marie is a Chair of Home Building Finance Ireland DAC, Bank of Ireland's Dawson MT dac and New Irelands Master Trust. She is an independent non-executive director with Dunnes Stores PT ULC and is Board of Trustees Chair with the Trinity College Dublin Foundation. Marie is an independent member of the Communications Regulator (ComReg) Audit and Risk Committee.

 

Marie holds a Post Grad Dip in Corporate Governance from University College Dublin (UCD) and an MBA from Trinity College and is a Fellow of The Chartered Governance Institute in the UK. 

Dr Deborah Benson

Dr Deborah Benson

Course Leader, IoD Ireland

Deborah Benson is a course leader on the leadership aspect of the Chartered Director Programme.

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Deborah has over 20 years’ experience as both an executive and non- executive director, in the commercial, public and voluntary sectors.

Deborah is currently a non-executive director of Scottish Canals (waterways, tourism and regeneration), and a Trustee of Edinburgh Women's Aid (refuges & support services). 

Talita Ferreira CDir

Talita Ferreira CDir

Course Leader, IoD Ireland

Talita Ferreira is a Chartered Director and is a course leader on the leadership aspect of the Chartered Director Programme.

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Talita Ferreira is a Chartered Director and is a course leader on the leadership aspect of the Chartered Director Programme.

Talita is also a non-executive director and Chair of Audit on multiple UK-regulated bank boards. She is the former CFO and CHRO of BMW UK Ltd. and BMW Financial Services Ltd. and has led and implemented award-winning cultural transformation programmes in multiple industries. Talita published her first book, “The Authenticity Dilemma Resolved®”, in 2016. She is currently writing her second book, “Seven shifts to the transformation of Great Leadership”, based on the research from the interview series Global leadership Hypothesis – what makes a great leader.

Talita is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a fellow of the Institute of Directors (“IOD”). She delivers Finance, Strategy and Leadership training for directors at the IoD and has created “Finance Inspired 4 Success”, a training platform for finance professionals to improve leadership and team dynamics.
 

John Smyth CDir

John Smyth CDir

Trainer, IoD Ireland

John Smyth CDir is a Chartered Director and a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series. 

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John is a Chartered Director, Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, Chartered Banker, and holds postgraduate diplomas in Corporate Governance and Company Direction

John has delivered quality director training courses for companies in Ireland and overseas. Using his broad experience, he has added value to companies through constructive challenge at board and committee meetings.

From 1992 to 2000, John was Group Chief Executive with First National Building Society/First Active plc. He has extensive boardroom experience with a diverse range of organisations including IPB Insurance, Ostia Software Solutions, Department of Education, Northern Ireland.

He is currently an Independent Board Member with the Department of Finance, Northern Ireland, and is Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee. He is also an Independent Member of the National Transport Authority Audit and  Risk Committee.

Caroline Kirrane CFA, MBA

Caroline Kirrane CFA, MBA

Course Leader and Trainer, IoD Ireland

Caroline Kirrane is a course leader on the Finance Module of the Chartered Director Programme and a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series. 
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She has over a decade of experience working in financial markets. After completing her undergraduate degree in France, Caroline began her career working in a hedge fund in Paris.

She then returned to Dublin, working in US-based proprietary trading firm Susquehanna. She has held positions in Dexia and FinTech start-up Eagle Alpha and has also worked as an economist with the Central Bank of Ireland, advising senior policymakers on financial market developments.

Caroline has an undergraduate degree in European Business and French from Dublin City University. She also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Trinity College Dublin and is a CFA Charterholder.

Martina Maher CDir

Martina Maher CDir

Trainer, IoD Ireland

Martina Maher CDir is a Chartered Director and a trainer on our IoD Essentials Workshop Series. 

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Martina is an independent non-executive director (INED) and consultant with board level experience covering the financial services, sustainability, and non-for-profit sectors.

She has extensive senior level experience in the areas of governance, strategy, risk management and internal audit. Martina has over 25 years’ leadership experience gained across leading commercial organisations in the public and private sector in the UK and Ireland. She has held senior roles in AIB Group, the National Treasury Management Agency, Bank of Ireland Group, KPMG and Deloitte.

Martina is a Chartered Accountant, a UCD Law graduate and a Fellow of the Institute of Banking. 

Joan Gleeson

Joan Gleeson

Programme Coordinator, Chartered Director Programme in Ireland, IoD Ireland

Joan supports delegates throughout the programme, ensuring a smooth and successful journey for them from modules through to exams.

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Joan is involved in all programme communication and administration.  Her background is in Marketing and Communications, with over 20 years’ experience at a senior level in financial services.

She Holds a B.Sc. (Mgmt.) and M.A. from Trinity College Dublin and a Diploma in Advanced Marketing Techniques awarded by the Dublin Institute of Technology.