Three directors have recently obtained designation as Chartered Directors, having successfully completed the Institute of Directors in Ireland (IoD) Chartered Director Programme. Successful candidates include Niall Murray, Managing Director of KBC Finance Ireland and Global Head of Project Finance, Paula Kelleher, Managing Director and Head of Trustees of BNY Mellon Trust Company (Ireland ) Limited and Gerard Ryan, Entrepreneur and Investor.
Over 550 participants have undertaken the Chartered Director Programme to date, which is now in its seventh year in Ireland. Having obtained a Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction, each candidate went on to become a fully accredited Chartered Director.
Niall Murray, Managing Director of KBC Finance Ireland and Global Head of Project Finance
Niall is Managing Director of KBC Finance Ireland and Global Head of Project Finance. Niall has over 20 years of banking experience, prior to which he had a successful career in venture capital.
Niall has been with KBC Project Finance since it commenced business in 1994 and was instrumental in developing the business from a start-up into a highly profitable and successful Arranger and Underwriter of project finance debt, with 8 international offices located in 4 continents.
Following a change in strategy by the KBC Group, since 2011 Niall has been responsible for managing KBC’s exit from this business, which has required considerable change management and downsizing, but has successfully delivered significant capital recovery for the KBC Group. Niall is a graduate of UCD, with a B.Comm and Masters in Banking and Finance and has been a Council member of the Federation of International Banks in Ireland (FIBI) since 2011.
Paula Kelleher, Managing Director and Head of Trustees, BNY Mellon Trust Company (Ireland) Limited
Paula has been Managing Director and Head of Trustees of BNY Mellon Trust Company (Ireland) Limited since April 2012. Prior to this position, Paula was a partner in the Regulatory and Compliance unit of the Financial Services Department of Dillon Eustace solicitors for 15 years. Paula’s role included providing regulatory and compliance related advice across a very broad range of topics to a large number of financial services clients worldwide. From 1994 to 1997, Paula was Managing Director and Head of Citigroup’s Trustee operation in Dublin during a period of significant growth as a leading provider of trustee and custodian series to mutual funds in Ireland and abroad. Throughout her career, Paula has been a board member of a number of mutual funds and served as a director of the Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland from 2008 to 2012. Paula is a member of the Council of the IFIA and is also a current member of IFSC Funds Group, a strategic industry forum.
Gerard Ryan, Entrepreneur and Investor
Gerard Ryan is Chairman of Ryan Group Holdings, investing into early stage companies. He is an experienced entrepreneur with a background in building successful enterprises.
Notable projects include: Ryans Pharmacies, sold to Celesio AG, Stuttgart, Germany (XETRA: CLS1). The Pharmacies now trade as part of Lloyds Pharmacies Ireland. Celesio has itself been acquired since then by McKesson Corporation. Firecrest Clinical, sold to ICON PLC. (NASDAQ: ICLR). Ryan Group Holdings became a 58% shareholder in a failing e-learning company, rebranded it to Firecrest with a pivot strategy into Clinical Trials Investigator training. Firecrest became a key supplier to many of the top 15 Pharma companies.
Current projects include: i360 Hygiene, a provider of monitored hand hygiene systems in healthcare setting, Aalto Bio, a specialty medical diagnostics provider and Longboat Clinical, a provider of guided compliance systems in Clinical Trials.Gerard holds primary and post graduate qualifications in Pharmacy and Clinical Trials and is a registered pharmacist.