Who We Are

Meet the Board
The IBCB Board is comprised of eleven Directors in total, with the majority being non-bank. In addition to the Chair and CEO, there are six non-bank Directors drawn from across Irish society. Two Directors represent the interests of Consumers, two others represent other bank customers – most notably SMEs and Farmers. There is a Director drawn from the Financial Services Union, acting as a voice for staff and a Director who is a leading academic with expertise in corporate governance and culture. In addition to these six Directors, each of the member banks of the IBCB are represented on the Board by Senior Executives from each respective institution, all of whom, at a minimum, report to the CEO. This senior representation ensures that the IBCB has direct access at the highest level in our member banks. The diverse representation on the Board ensures diversity of thought and perspective.
In line with good Corporate Governance practice, the Board are supported in the execution of their duties by a Board Audit and Risk Committee and a Remuneration Committee.

Governance

Board Members
board John Hedigan

Mr. Justice John Hedigan

Chairman of the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB), member of the Remuneration Committee

Biography
board Marion Kelly

Marion Kelly

CEO of Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB)

Biography
Geraldine-Casey

Geraldine Casey

Managing Director, Retail Banking, AIB Bank

Biography
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Professor Blanaid Clarke

BCL, MBS (Banking & Finance), BL, PhD, FTCD Deputy Chair of IBCB and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Biography
Eamonn-Crowley-380x380-3

Eamonn Crowley

Chief Executive Officer, PTSB, member of the Board Audit and Risk Committee

Biography
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Padraic Kissane

Padraic Kissane Financial Services

Biography
Board Member John O'Connell

John O'Connell

General Secretary, Financial Services Union

Biography
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Sue O’Neill

Former Chair of the Small Firms Association (SFA) and Managing Director of Shellcove (AMC), Chair of the Remuneration Committee

Biography
board-Martin-Stapleton

Martin Stapleton

Farmer, member of the Board Audit and Risk Committee

Biography
Oliver Wall

Oliver Wall

Group Chief of Staff, Bank of Ireland, member of the Remuneration Committee

Biography
IBCB Patron
board Martin McAleese

Dr. Martin McAleese

Patron of the Irish Banking Culture Board

Biography

IBCB Team

Members of the Team
Linda Ayres

Linda Ayres

Senior Manager, Culture Change

Biography
Candie Malone

Candie Malone

Business Operations and Finance Manager

Biography
Jade McDonagh

Jade McDonagh

Head of Internal Bank Culture and Governance

Biography
board John Hedigan

Mr. Justice John Hedigan  |  Join date May 2019

Chairman of the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB), member of the Remuneration Committee

Mr. Justice John Hedigan

Chairman of the Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB), member of the Remuneration Committee

Join date May 2019

John Hedigan was born in Dublin. He attended Belvedere College, Trinity College Dublin and Kings Inns. In Trinity, with other students, he re-founded the college branch of Amnesty International. He sat on the National Executive of Amnesty chaired then by Sean McBride SC and in company with Mary Robinson. In the later 1970s he was National Coordinator of Amnesty’s Campaign against Torture.

John was called to the bar in 1976 and had a wide-ranging practice as a barrister. He became a Senior Counsel in 1990. In 1998 he was elected a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights. He served on that court until 2007 when he was appointed a Judge of The High Court and returned to Ireland. On the High Court he worked in Judicial Review, presided over the jury list and finally worked on the Commercial Court. In 2016 he was appointed to The Court of Appeal where he sat on both the civil and the criminal side. He retired from the bench in October 2018 having reached the compulsory retirement age. Mr. Justice Hedigan is an honorary bencher of Kings Inns, is Judge in residence in DCU and is a member of the Judicial Council of the International Association of Law Schools. He is Chair of the National Archives Advisory Council. He was appointed as Chair of The Irish Banking Culture Board in January 2019.

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Marion Kelly  |  Join date May 2019

CEO of Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB)

Marion Kelly

CEO of Irish Banking Culture Board (IBCB)

Join date May 2019

Marion was appointed as CEO of the Irish Backing Culture Board (IBCB) in March 2020, having previously been Acting CEO leading the establishment of the IBCB in 2019.

Marion previously worked with Bank of Ireland for 13 years across a range of senior leadership roles in Strategy, Regulatory Compliance, Operational Risk, Internal Audit and Recovery & Resolution planning.

Prior to joining BOI, Marion worked with PwC Dublin for 7 years within the FS Regulatory advisory practice, and prior to that spent 4 years working in Brussels with both the European Savings Banks Group and the European Commission.

Marion is a Certified Bank Director (Institute of Banking), a LCOI from the Compliance Institute and holds a Masters in European Economic and Public Affairs and a BA in Economics and German both from UCD.

Marion completed a Professional Diploma in Leading Cultural Change and Ethical Behaviour in Financial Services (IoB) in February 2020 and Diplomas in Leading Sustainable Corporations and in Fintech in 2021, both with the Oxford Saïd Business School.

Geraldine-Casey

Geraldine Casey  |  Managing Director, Retail Banking, AIB Bank |  Join date September 2023

Geraldine Casey

Managing Director, Retail Banking, AIB Bank

Join date September 2023

HR, Communications, IT and Operations professional with over 20 years’ experience in the Retail Sector at a Senior Executive level. A proven senior leader who has driven high standards across roles in AIB and Tesco, with a strong track record of driving a customer-centric and sustainable culture, as well as leading organisational transformation and change management initiatives in retail environments.

Since joining AIB as Chief People Officer and member of the Executive Committee in 2020, Geraldine has developed and driven the bank’s People strategy and has taken a lead role in wider strategic and transformation initiatives. In October 2023, Geraldine was appointed as Managing Director Retail Banking.

Prior to joining AIB, Geraldine was responsible for People & Communications Strategy and IT systems for approximately 13,000 people in Ireland across head office, distribution and 148 retail stores leading Tesco Ireland’s cultural and transformation programme. Prior to that she held the position of Retail Operations Director at Tesco, with direct responsibility for approximately 12,000 employees and an operating budget of c. €600m.

A values-led leader, with a passion for creating high performing teams with a huge focus on people development. Highly experienced in employee relations, strategic change, communications and organisational culture and talent management. Named as one of Ireland’s top 25 most powerful and influential women of 2016 by The Women’s Executive Network (WXN).

Professor Blanaid Clarke  |  Join date May 2019

BCL, MBS (Banking & Finance), BL, PhD, FTCD Deputy Chair of IBCB and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Professor Blanaid Clarke

BCL, MBS (Banking & Finance), BL, PhD, FTCD Deputy Chair of IBCB and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Join date May 2019

Blanaid holds the McCann FitzGerald Chair in Corporate Law at Trinity College Dublin. Her research interests include corporate law, ethics, corporate governance, financial services law and takeover law and she has published extensively in these areas.

Blanaid is the Irish representative on the OECD Corporate Governance Committee. She is a member of ESMA’s Takeover Bids Network. She also serves as a Vice President of the Academic Board of the European Banking Institute in Frankfurt. Blanaid works with the Irish Takeover Panel and was a member of the Irish Central Bank Commission (2010-2018). Previously, she was also a member of ESMA’s Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group (2018-2020), the European Commission’s Informal Expert Group on Company Law (2014-2018) and Reflection Group on the Future of EU Company Law (2010-2011).

Eamonn Crowley  |  Join date June 2023
Chief Executive Officer, PTSB, member of the Board Audit and Risk Committee
Eamonn Crowley
Chief Executive Officer, PTSB, member of the Board Audit and Risk Committee

Join date June 2023

Eamonn started his career with Irish Intercontinental Bank (now KBC Ireland). He moved to American International Group (AIG) and spent 3 years in both Dublin and London. Eamonn moved back to Dublin to join AIB International Financial Services in 1994 and was promoted to Finance Director in 2000 before moving to Warsaw, Poland in 2002 to work in AIB’s Polish Subsidiary, Bank Zachodni WBK S.A. (“BZ WBK”).

In 2011, Eamonn moved from AIB to Banco Santander and was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Management Board Member of BZ WBK. During this period as CFO, Eamonn executed a merger with Kredyt Bank (a KBC subsidiary) to form Poland’s number three bank, placed over 20% of the bank on the Warsaw Stock Exchange through a Euro 1.2bn secondary IPO and led the acquisition of a controlling stake in Poland’s number one Consumer Bank.
Eamonn joined PTSB as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director in March 2017 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in June 2020.

Eamonn is a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and holds a MBA from University College Dublin.

Padraic Kissane   |  Padraic Kissane Financial Services   |  Join date May 2019

Padraic Kissane

Padraic Kissane Financial Services

Join date May 2019

Padraic Kissane brings nearly four decades of experience in the Financial Services Industry, making him a seasoned expert in all facets of this complex field. As a dedicated member of ‘Brokers Ireland’ and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, Padraic Kissane Financial Services stands as a beacon of trust and reliability for its clients.
With a deep understanding of Financial Services, Padraic has earned a reputation as one of the leading authorities on Tracker Matters in Ireland. He played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of ‘The Tracker Debacle’, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to advocating for consumer rights. Padraic’s relentless pursuit of justice for his clients has seen him actively engage with media platforms and present before the Oireachtas Finance Committee, ensuring that their voices are heard at the highest levels. At Padraic Kissane Financial Services, Padraic and his team offer comprehensive advice on various aspects of financial well-being, including mortgages, investments, retirement planning, and protection. Their guiding principle revolves around empowering clients to achieve their financial goals, encapsulated in their motto: “Tell us where you want to get to, and we will show you how to get there.” Through his wealth of experience, unwavering dedication, and commitment to consumer advocacy, Padraic Kissane continues to make a significant impact in the financial landscape of Ireland, providing invaluable guidance and support to individuals seeking to secure their financial future.
Board Member John O'Connell

John O’Connell   |  Join date July 2020

General Secretary, Financial Services Union
John O’Connell
General Secretary, Financial Services Union

Join date July 2020

John is the General Secretary of the Financial Services Union with members across Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK in the Finance sector. John joined the Financial Services Union in September 2019 having worked in the organisation 20 years previously.

John has extensive senior management practice incorporating areas including Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations and Operations with over 30 years’ experience in Ireland, Europe and the Middle East in the Communication, Finance, Aviation and Health Sectors. A qualified mediator, John also holds a Masters in Management Practice and qualifications in Industrial Relations and Social Studies. 

John has a background in delivering change and holds a unique perspective having worked in both representative and managerial roles. He is committed to delivering cultural change in banking on behalf of all stakeholders. 

John is a keen follower of all sport and in particular Tipperary hurling and Munster rugby.

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Sue O’Neill  |  Join date May 2019

Former Chair of the Small Firms Association (SFA) and Managing Director of Shellcove (AMC), Chair of the Remuneration Committee

Sue O’Neill

Former Chair of the Small Firms Association (SFA) and Managing Director of Shellcove (AMC), Chair of the Remuneration Committee

Join date May 2019

Sue O’Neill is a former Chair of the Small Firms Association and Managing Director of Shellcove, an Association Management Company (AMC), which she founded in 2004.

The company helps associations that need to stay relevant, grow membership and benefit from innovative technologies to achieve strategic goals. Offering two primary models, Shellcove acts as a headquarters or provides outsourced services which deliver scalability of staff or services.

Sue is also a board member of Microfinance Ireland. She holds an MBA from Dublin City University, an IPA Certificate in Governance, a Diploma in both Digital Marketing and Print Management and is a graduate of the IMI Business Development Programme. Sue will be presenting the Accountability Award.

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Martin Stapleton  |  Farmer, member of the Board Audit and Risk Committee   |  Join date May 2019

Martin Stapleton

Farmer, member of the Board Audit and Risk Committee

Join date May 2019

Martin Stapleton is a Dairy farmer based in Limerick. Initially involved with Macra from 1997 to 2001, Martin joined the Irish Farmers’ Associated (IFA) in 2002. Martin was the Business Chair of the IFA from 2016 to 2020.

In 2020, he was appointed Association Treasurer of the IFA, and he held this role until January 2024. During his time involved with the IFA Martin set up internally the debt support service to provide support and assistance to farmers with credit difficulties, a service which hundreds of farmers have availed of over the last 6 years.

Oliver Wall

Oliver Wall   |   Join date December 2021

Group Chief of Staff, Bank of Ireland, member of the Remuneration Committee
Oliver Wall
Group Chief of Staff, Bank of Ireland, member of the Remuneration Committee

Join date December 2021

Oliver Wall joined Bank of Ireland as Group Chief of Staff in 2017 taking on additional responsibility as Head of Corporate Affairs in 2019.

Oliver previously held a range of roles in both the public and private sectors, including working in the Department of The Taoiseach during Ireland’s 2013 Presidency of the Council of the EU. Oliver joined Bank of Ireland from HSBC where he was Head of External Affairs UK and Europe. Prior to this, Oliver was Regional Head of Political Engagement, Europe for HSBC. Oliver is a graduate of NUI Galway.

board Martin McAleese

Dr. Martin McAleese   |  Patron of the Irish Banking Culture Board   |  Join date May 2019

Dr. Martin McAleese

Patron of the Irish Banking Culture Board

Join date May 2019

Dr Martin McAleese holds an honours B.Sc. degree in physics from the Queen’s University of Belfast and B.A., M.A. and B.Dent.Sc. degrees from Trinity College Dublin.

He worked for many years as financial controller and company secretary with a number of Aer Lingus subsidiary companies before qualifying as a dentist and becoming a partner in a large dental practice in Northern Ireland. He is a former independent member of Seanad Eireann. Martin is currently Chancellor and Chair of the Governing Authority of Dublin City University, Chair of the PwC Ireland Public Interest Body, a trustee of the Edwards MacLiammoir Gate Theatre Trust and joint Patron of the 30% Club with his wife Professor Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland.

Linda Ayres
Linda Ayres   |  Join date October 2018
Senior Manager, Culture Change

Linda Ayres

Senior Manager, Culture Change

Join date May 2019

I have worked in financial services since 2001, with roles primarily focussed on cultural change since 2016. I worked across a range of roles from operations, learning and development, programme management, governance, executive coaching, and cultural and behavioural change. I am passionate about influencing and driving cultural and behavioural change.

I started working in the IBCB on secondment from Ulster Bank in October 2018 and joined the team permanently in May 2020. I successfully managed the programme plan for the establishment of the IBCB in April 2019 and have since led elements of our work programme.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Law from Dublin Institute of Technology, I completed the Certificate in Consumer Protection Risk, Culture and Ethical Behaviours through the IoB and most recently I received a first class honours on the Diploma in Organisational Behaviour with the Irish Management Institute (IMI).

In my other role I’m also a Mom to Kayla and Nathan, and together with my husband we really enjoy family camping adventures.

Candie Malone

Candie Malone |  Join date May 2019

Business Operations and Finance Manager

Candie Malone

Business Operations and Finance Manager

Join date May 2019

I started with the IBCB as Office Manager in September 2019. My employment background has been in the Irish SME sector, such as data analytics, engineering and financial services firms, primarily in Office and Account management roles. My Bachelor’s degree is in Cultural Anthropology from University of Louisiana, Lafayette and I am a qualified Accounting Technician (ATI).

Since joining the IBCB, I have completed the Institute of Bankers Level 7 Consumer Protection Risk, Culture and Ethical Behaviour in Financial Services programme and UCD Professional Diploma in HR Management.

Working with the IBCB has been particularly gratifying. Being part of tangible, positive changes for customer and staff outcomes is a rewarding feeling especially when coming from a career in strictly for-profit enterprises. I look forward to continuing with and building upon the good work of the IBCB.

In my spare time, I enjoy gardening and baking.

Gary Duffy

Gary Duffy  |  Head of Customer Policy |  Join date October 2023

Gary Duffy

Head of Customer Policy

Join date October 2023

I joined the IBCB in October 2023 after 35 years with Ulster Bank. My recent roles included Head of Customer Care (Complaints and Errors), leading Lombard Ireland (asset finance), after spells in Corporate, Restructuring, Credit Risk and Commercial. I was also a GM and Exco member for Danske after its acquisition of NIB in 2005 / 2006. My earlier career included NatWest in London covering retail and Business Centres. I was fortunate enough to undertake different roles across the Group which offered a lot of experience through different economic cycles and challenges.

I am delighted to be part of the IBCB and lead out on Customer Policy. Continuing to build a strong customer service and ethos across our industry will help improve customer outcomes.
My role involves building collaborative relationships between our Member Banks and various Stakeholders with a vested interest in working on behalf of our external customers. I firmly believe a healthy banking culture will continue to restore trust and confidence.

I have a Masters in Leadership and Innovation, Diploma in SME Credit, QFA, and IOB Certificate in Consumer Protection Risk, Culture and Ethical Behaviour.

Life outside work involves a busy family with particular enjoyment from tennis, hiking and sea swimming around North Wicklow.

Jade McDonagh

Jade McDonagh |  Join date May 2019

Head of Internal Bank Culture and Governance

Jade McDonagh

Head of Internal Bank Culture and Governance

Join date May 2019

I joined the IBCB permanently in March 2020, having previously been on secondment from AIB since June 2019. I have more than 18 years’ experience in the Irish banking sector, including tenures at AIB and Bank of Ireland. My broad roles in banking have included: payroll; customer relationship management; product development; credit management; project and change management, and; corporate governance – in my role as Assistant Company Secretary for the AIB Group.

I am also on the Board of Directors of a registered charity, “BITE” – Ballymun Initiative for Third Level Education, the aim of which is to support young people from Ballymun and the wider catchment area to progress to third level education.

My qualifications include a Business Degree from Dublin City University, an advanced Diploma through the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (“ICSA”), in London; and several professional Diplomas from the Institute of Bankers in Ireland, including their recent Culture and Ethics qualification and the “Streetwise mba” through Common Purpose. I am also currently studying for a Masters in Ethics and Corporate Responsibility with Dublin City University.

As I worked in customer-facing roles for most of my career and having been a bank employee myself for a long time, I am very passionate about the task which lies ahead for the Irish Banking Culture Board. I am excited to be part of the team and feel lucky to be in a position which provides us with an opportunity to make a real difference for customers and staff.

Outside of work, my biggest passion is travel! Something I will never take for granted again after the events of 2020!