IoD Ireland Chartered Director Programme Graduation

(From L to R: Eileen Gleeson CDir, Programme Director, Chartered Director Programme in Ireland; Sharon Donnery CDir, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Ireland; John Reynolds CDir, President, IoD Ireland; and Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland)

The graduation included recent business leaders who had successfully passed their Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction exams, which constitute part of the IoD’s gold standard Chartered Director Programme. It also recognised members who became accredited chartered directors in 2024.

(L to R: Claire Walsh CDir, Founder, Intentionality, being presented her certificate by John Reynolds CDir, President, IoD Ireland)

IoD Ireland President John Reynolds CDir welcomed the graduates to the ceremony and commended them all on their achievement. John reminded attendees that IoD Ireland is committed to supporting its members on their continuous director development journey and encouraged them to make full use of membership benefits, including IoD's Boardroom centre, networking opportunities, resources and more. The ceremony included each graduate receiving a scroll of their achievement from IoD Ireland President John Reynolds CDir.

(Sharon Donnery CDir, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Ireland, addresses graduates at the IoD Ireland Chartered Director Programme Graduation ceremony)

As part of the Graduation celebrations IoD Ireland was delighted to welcome Chartered Director Alumni  and Central Bank of Ireland Deputy Governor Sharon Donnery CDir to address our graduands. Governenace, risk managament and culture were the key elements of her address. In her address, Sharon outlined what good governance means to an organisation. She reflected on how a good governance, culture and risk managament is an essential for any business. Sharon's full speech is available to read on the Central Bank of Ireland's website. 

Special recognition was also granted to ten graduates who achieved the highest marks in the Diploma and Certificate exams. All of these graduates were gifted with a certified native Irish broadleaf tree from IoD Ireland, each of which will be planted and certified in the graduates’ names by Wolfgang Reforest. Each graduate was presented with a certificate including the coordinates of where the tree is planted in Co. Wicklow. Wolfgang Reforest is a not-for-profit social enterprise, whose mission is to start a movement of citizens and companies planting trees, thereby reforesting Ireland acre by acre.

In honour of Derek Nolan who passed away earlier this year, IoD Ireland are honoured to plant a native Irish broadleaf tree in his memory and in recognition of his participation in the Chartered Director Programme. 

The graduates were: 

• Tom Burke 
• Andrea Crawley 
• Joanne Keane 
• Colm Kincaid 
• Donie McEnery 
• Derek Nolan RIP
• Barry O'Flynn 
• Gearoid O'Riain CDir
• Cathal O'Toole
• Elaine Spillane 
• Attracta Van Rensburg

(From L to R: Cathal O’Toole, Andrea Cawley, Barry O’Flynn, Joanne Keane, Tom Burke, Attracta Van Rensburg, Elaine Spillane, Colm Kincaid, and Gearoid O Riain CDir)

The graduation also took the opportunity to mark and commend members who had become accredited chartered directors in 2024 to date. Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland, welcomed those who recently became accredited to the ceremony and invited them on to stage to receive their certificates. We were delighted to welcome these previous graduates of the Chartered Director Programme to the ceremony.

(From L to R: Orla O'Brien CDir, CEO, Irish Blood Transfusion Service, receiving a certificate from Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland)