13 Influential CEOs in Ireland Worth Knowing Today

Last updated: August 2026

Introduction

Irish leadership is shaped by more than the names that dominate business headlines. It is also shaped by people responsible for health services, water, banking, transport, telecommunications, enterprise, forestry, public advocacy and civic life.

This guide introduces 13 current chief executives whose decisions affect how people live, work and build in Ireland. The names are in alphabetical order, making this a directory for discovery rather than a ranking.

Each profile gives you a useful place to start. Follow the links, notice the questions these leaders return to, and look for the practical choices behind each organisation's public direction.

Why CEOs matter

A chief executive has to turn a broad purpose into choices that thousands of other people can understand and act on. That means setting direction, making trade-offs, explaining difficult decisions and building trust when the stakes are high.

The context changes from one organisation to another. A health service leader faces a different daily test from a bank, utility or enterprise agency leader. The common challenge is to make a large system work better for the people who depend on it.

That is why these leaders are worth knowing. Their work gives us practical examples of responsibility at scale, not a single formula for leadership.

1. Anne O'Connor

Chief Executive Officer, Health Service Executive

Anne O'Connor leads Ireland's Health Service Executive, where public trust and operational delivery meet every day. The HSE's leadership page sets out her role, and you can follow Anne O'Connor on LinkedIn.

She was appointed in December 2025 and began as CEO in March 2026. Her work is worth watching because better health outcomes depend on clear priorities travelling through one of Ireland's largest and most complex organisations.

2. Colin Hunt

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, AIB

Colin Hunt leads AIB in a sector where trust, resilience and everyday usefulness all matter. AIB's corporate governance page confirms his position, and you can follow Colin Hunt on LinkedIn.

He has served as CEO since 2019 after a career spanning economics, markets and public policy. His example shows how technical knowledge has to become clear decisions for customers, staff, investors and communities.

3. Danny McCoy

Chief Executive Officer, Ibec

Danny McCoy leads Ibec, giving him an influential role in conversations about Irish employers, growth and competitiveness. Ibec describes its leadership on its about page, and you can follow Danny McCoy on LinkedIn.

His work shows that chief executive influence is not limited to running an operating company. It can also come through convening organisations, explaining shared pressures and turning complex economic questions into a public argument people can engage with.

4. David McRedmond

Chief Executive Officer, An Post

David McRedmond leads An Post, an institution that has had to adapt while remaining part of daily life across Ireland. His position appears on An Post's management board page, and you can follow David McRedmond on LinkedIn.

He has led the organisation since 2016, including its transformation work and Green Light 2028 strategy. His example is useful for leaders trying to renew a trusted organisation without losing sight of the service people rely on.

5. Imelda Hurley

Chief Executive Officer, Coillte

Imelda Hurley leads Coillte, placing commercial stewardship, land, climate and public value within the same leadership brief. Coillte features her role on its CEO page, and you can follow Imelda Hurley on LinkedIn.

She came to the role after senior leadership experience across finance, operations and regulated organisations. Her work is a reminder that good leadership often means holding competing needs together long enough to make a responsible long-term choice.

6. Jenny Melia

Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Ireland

Jenny Melia leads Enterprise Ireland, supporting Irish businesses as they start, grow and compete internationally. Her current role is listed on the agency's leadership page, and you can follow Jenny Melia on LinkedIn.

She became CEO in July 2025 after building deep experience inside the organisation. Her leadership is worth following because national ambition only becomes useful when founders and teams can turn it into capability, jobs and durable growth.

7. Michael Lohan

Chief Executive Officer, IDA Ireland

Michael Lohan leads IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for attracting and supporting foreign direct investment. IDA Ireland announced his appointment on its official site, and you can follow Michael Lohan on LinkedIn.

His work shows how national competitiveness is built over time through relationships, infrastructure and confidence. It is a leadership task where the strongest results often depend on patient coordination across business and government.

8. Myles O'Grady

Group Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland

Myles O'Grady leads Bank of Ireland in a sector where people experience strategy through ordinary moments such as saving, borrowing and running a business. The bank lists its leadership on its about page, and you can follow Myles O'Grady on LinkedIn.

He moved into the group chief executive role after leading major parts of the bank, including Retail Ireland. His path shows the value of understanding an organisation from the inside before carrying responsibility for the whole system.

9. Niall Gleeson

Chief Executive Officer, Uisce Éireann

Niall Gleeson leads Uisce Éireann, Ireland's national water utility. His role is described on the organisation's leadership page, and you can follow Niall Gleeson on LinkedIn.

Water infrastructure rarely attracts attention when it works, yet every community depends on it. His remit makes the value of patient planning, reliable delivery and clear public accountability especially visible.

10. Neil McDonnell

Chief Executive Officer, ISME

Neil McDonnell leads ISME, which represents small and medium businesses across Ireland. ISME includes him on its team page, and you can follow Neil McDonnell on LinkedIn.

His work highlights a different form of chief executive leadership: listening to the experience of many smaller firms, finding the common thread and carrying it into national policy conversations. That translation work matters because small businesses often feel large decisions first.

11. Oliver Loomes

Chief Executive Officer, eir Ireland

Oliver Loomes leads eir Ireland, a major telecommunications business serving households and organisations across the country. Eir's investor news page records his role, and you can follow Oliver Loomes on LinkedIn.

Telecommunications leadership is experienced through systems people expect to work without thinking about them. His role is a useful example of how investment, reliability and customer experience have to move together.

12. Paul Kelly

Chief Executive Officer, Royal Dublin Society

Paul Kelly leads the Royal Dublin Society, connecting enterprise, agriculture, sport, culture and civic life. The RDS announced his appointment on its official site, and you can follow Paul Kelly on LinkedIn.

He began as CEO in September 2025 after leading Fáilte Ireland. His move offers a useful view of how an established institution can respect its history while staying relevant to the communities it serves now.

13. Tomás Sercovich

Chief Executive Officer, Business in the Community Ireland

Tomás Sercovich leads Business in the Community Ireland, helping companies connect responsible practice with everyday decisions. His role is described in this leadership profile, and you can follow Tomás Sercovich on LinkedIn.

He has led the organisation since 2018. His work is worth following because purpose becomes credible only when it changes how an organisation treats people, communities and the environment.

What these leaders show us about Irish leadership

The first pattern is that influence often travels through systems. Banks, utilities, public bodies and member organisations can look impersonal from the outside, but every improvement depends on people making aligned decisions across the organisation.

The second is that trust is part of delivery. Staff, customers and partners cannot act on a direction they cannot picture, so clear language is not a finishing touch. It is part of the leader's job.

The third is that practical leadership is often quieter than performance. A useful strategy, a more reliable service or a well-built partnership may tell us more than a polished speech.

How to use this list

Start with the organisation closest to your work, then read across sectors. Notice what each leader is responsible for, who feels the result of their choices, and how they explain the next move.

Use the LinkedIn links to follow a small number of people over time. One post can be interesting, but repeated themes reveal far more about how a leader thinks and what they value.

Frequently asked questions

Who is included in this list?

The guide brings together chief executives from business, public services, infrastructure, enterprise and civic life. Each entry includes a short leadership note and a public LinkedIn link.

Are these all private-sector CEOs?

No. The list also includes leaders of public services, agencies, member organisations and civic institutions because those organisations have a major effect on Irish life.

Can I follow these CEOs on LinkedIn?

Yes. Each profile includes a public LinkedIn link so you can follow the person's work and ideas directly.

Why are the names in alphabetical order?

Alphabetical order keeps the guide easy to scan and avoids suggesting that one leader ranks above another.

What should I look for when following a CEO?

Look for consistency between the organisation's stated purpose and the choices the leader explains. Notice how they talk about people, trade-offs and the practical work ahead.

Conclusion

These 13 people lead very different organisations, but each has to turn responsibility into action. The title matters less than the choices, habits and standards that shape other people's experience.

That is a useful test for every leader. Can people see what matters, what changes next and how their own work connects to the wider purpose?

About the author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker, Certified Working Genius Facilitator and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, companies and nonprofits around the world to make leadership practical rather than motivational.

Related reading

For more Irish leadership perspectives, explore professional development leaders in Dublin, thought leaders in AI in Ireland and motivational speakers in Ireland.

Building a leadership team in Ireland? Email jonno@consultclarity.org for a written proposal with a clear path forward.