The IoD Ireland Chartered Director Programme is led by a team of senior and highly qualified corporate governance experts, inclusive of the Programme Director Eileen Gleeson CDir, and course leaders such as Dr Simon Haslam, Carol Bolger CDir, and Marie Collins CDir
Eileen Gleeson CDir
Eileen Gleeson is a Chartered Director (CDir), the Programme Director for the Chartered Director Programme in Ireland and a member of the Professional Development Advisory Committee (PDAC).
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.
Professor Simon Haslam CDir
Professor Simon Haslam is a Chartered Director (CDir) and the course leader on the strategy aspect of the Chartered Director Programme.
Simon is also 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 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.
Marie Collins CDir
Marie Collins is a Chartered Director (CDir) and is the course leader on the Governance and Diploma Programme aspect of the Chartered Director Programme.
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.
Talita Ferreira
Course Leader, IoD Ireland
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.