In Conversation with Orna NiChionna

Orna NiChionna is currently the Senior Independent Director at Burberry plc. She is Chair of the Eden Project. She is Deputy Chair of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. She has also served on the boards of Saga, Royal Mail, Bupa, Northern Foods, HMV, Bank of Ireland UK, in the roles of Remco Chair and SID. She has chaired consulting firms Founders Intelligence and Eden McCallum (Advisory Board). She was Deputy Chair of the National Trust for nine years, acting as Chair for one year. She chaired the Soil Association for six years. She was a Trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum for ten years, chairing its trading board. She chaired Said Business School’s Business Advisory Council and was a member of its governing board for three years. She is Irish and holds degrees in Electronic Engineering from UCD and UCC; and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She spent 18 years at McKinsey, becoming its first female partner in the UK, and co-leading its European Retail Practice.

Margaret serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Bank of Ireland Group plc Board, and the Court of The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland. She is also an Independent Director on the Board of New Ireland Assurance Company plc and Senior Advisor with Consello. She is a Trustee of Chester Beatty Library and Chairs the Industry Advisory Board and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Dublin City University Business School, and is a Board member of The Dublin Neurological Institute. With over 30 years of experience working across Irish and international companies, Margaret brings extensive executive and board-level expertise in many sectors including real estate, financial services, investment funds, aviation, hotels and education, alongside a proven record of strategic engagement with the public sector. She has strong corporate governance and organisational experience and has chaired and served on numerous Boards and Board Committees, including Audit, Risk, Capital and Investment, Sustainability, Remuneration, Nominations and Governance. Margaret is the former Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of Irish Residential Properties REIT Plc (I-RES), one of Ireland’s leading real estate investment trusts. She also served as Chief Executive Officer of Postbank Ireland and CEO of Dublin Airport Authority (daa). Margaret has also served as Senior Independent Director of Dalata Hotel Group plc and on several other boards including HSBC Institutional Trust Services, Postbank Ireland, and Aer Rianta International. She was also a member of the Governing Body of Dublin City University and Teagasc (Agriculture and Food Development Authority). Earlier in her career, Margaret was a Director at KPMG in audit, advisory, and transaction services.