Leading Better Governance: Board Evaluations

Dr Margaret Cullen is IoD Ireland’s Governance Advisor and a recognised national authority on corporate and fund governance. She brings a rare combination of academic depth and practical boardroom experience, making her one of Ireland’s most respected voices on governance excellence. Margaret supports IoD Ireland’s team of Board assessors, ensuring that each evaluation is informed by the highest standards of rigour, insight, and relevance. She has an extensive and distinguished track record of conducting Board evaluations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, providing Boards with tailored, actionable recommendations to enhance their performance and governance practices. In addition to her evaluation work, Margaret is a leading academic in the field, having lectured widely on corporate governance, board dynamics, and risk management. Her ability to translate complex governance theory into practical application equips Boards to meet today’s challenges with clarity, confidence, and accountability.

Carol Bolger is a Chartered Director (CDir) and course leader on the Governance and Diploma modules of the IoD Chartered Director Programme and delivers on IoD’s Essential Workshop Series. A Certified Bank Director, Carol has extensive experience from senior roles in Business & Corporate Banking at Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. She now serves as a non-Executive Director at BCM Global ASI Ltd and is Chair of the Audit Committee of the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine. She is a Patron of Chapter Zero Ireland and a member of the Balance for Better Business Review Group. Previously, she was Chair of An Post, Chair of Utexam Solutions Ltd and served on the boards of The Coombe Women & Infants Hospital, the Health & Safety Authority, and the Institute of Banking. She holds qualifications in Finance, Strategy, and Innovation from UCC and an Advanced Diploma in Executive Coaching. Carol is a Fellow of the Institute of Banking and previously held the position of Vice President. In addition to her board assessor work, Carol is an IoD Ireland Faculty member. She is the course leader on the Governance and Diploma modules of the IoD Ireland Chartered Director Programme and delivers a Getting Board Ready workshop.