New Chair of UCD Governing Authority announced

Posted 7 November 2023

• Michael Beary, former Country Manager Ireland for Amazon Web Services elected Chair of UCD Governing Authority

• Peter Cross, Managing Director, Trasna Corporate Finance appointed Chair, Finance, Remuneration and Asset Management Committee

• Antoinette Dunne, Chief Executive Officer, BCMGlobal appointed Chair, Audit and Risk Management Committee

Michael Beary, former Country Manager Ireland for Amazon Web Services, has been elected as Chair of the UCD Governing Authority.

He takes over from Marie O’Connor who has served in the role for the past five years.

Prior to returning to Ireland seven years ago, Michael Beary held global leadership roles in human resources with Amazon and The Walt Disney Company in the US. 

He holds a degree in social science from UCD and a master's degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh.

He currently serves as a non-executive director on the Board of Tallaght University Hospital and previously served as a non-executive director on the Board of IBEC.

“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Mike Beary as Chair of the 7th UCD Governing Authority.  Mike is a creative and strategic leader with deep experience in global business and building stakeholder relationships, and I am very grateful that he is willing to apply his skills for the benefit of his alma mater,” said UCD President, Professor Orla Feely. 

“Since his early career as a front-line social worker advocating for people on the streets in Dublin, Mike has demonstrated a strong commitment to inclusivity and to creating opportunity.  I greatly look forward to working with him in his new role.”

“I also want to thank Marie O’Connor, who was an outstanding Chair of the 6th UCD Governing Authority.  Marie brought all the experience and wisdom gained over the course of her very distinguished business career to her leadership of the Governing Authority, and our university governance has been greatly strengthened as a result,” Professor Feely added.

“I’m honoured to take up the role of Chair of the new Governing Authority,” said Michael Beary on his appointment.

“UCD plays a vital role in the success of the country. The next five years will be an important time for the university as it operates within the challenging yet exciting context of global economic uncertainty, climate change, technological advances, increased competition amongst educational institutions worldwide, and responding to the talent needs of a competitive Irish knowledge economy.”

“With its breadth and depth of scholarship, research, and student engagement, UCD is well placed to respond. I look forward to the opportunity to play my part in delivering on that promise,” he added.

Peter Cross, Managing Director of Trasna Corporate Finance has been appointed as Chair of the Finance, Remuneration and Asset Management Committee. Peter was the Chief Financial Officer of Eircom and of BT Openreach, He is a non-executive director of DAA, VHI, Cubic Telecom and a number of renewable energy businesses managed by Arjun Infrastructure. He also served as chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committees of the HSE and of Ervia.

Antoinette Dunne, Chief Executive Officer, BCMGlobal has been named as Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee. Antoinette is non-executive chair of the board of Capitalflow DAC. She was previously a director and co-owner of a business and debt consulting firm, the head of Halifax Bank in Ireland and the head of Bank of Scotland's Mortgage and Asset Finance Business.

The membership of the 7th Governing Authority of University College Dublin is as follows:

• Michael Beary (Chair)
• Joe Carthy, Full Professor, UCD School of Computer Science
• Peter Cross, Managing Director, Trasna Corporate Finance (Chair, Finance, Remuneration and Asset Management Committee)
• Antoinette Dunne, Chief Executive Officer, BCMGlobal (Chair, Audit and Risk Management Committee)
• Orla Feely, President, University College Dublin
• Kelly Fitzgerald, Head of UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore
• Conor Galvin, Chief Executive, Dairygold
• John MacMenamin, Chair of the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal and former Supreme Court Justice
• Marc Matouc, Graduate Officer, UCD Students’ Union
• Sarah McGrath, Education Officer, UCD Students’ Union
• Jimmy Muldoon, Senior Technical Officer, UCD School of Chemistry
• Fiona Mullan, Chief People Officer, Bloom & Wild
• Martha Ní Riada, President, UCD Students’ Union
• Claire Nolan, School Manager, UCD School of Information and Communication Studies
• Prag Sharma, Global Head of Artificial Intelligence, Citigroup.
• Emma Sokell, Head of UCD School of Physics
• Anne-Marie Taylor, Partner, Board Excellence

Two further members are to be nominated by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD.

The new membership follows a nine-month process involving the election of members from the university faculty and administrative staff, the appointment of representatives from the Students’ Union, and the selection of external members by the outgoing (6th) Governing Authority and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The 7th UCD Governing Authority will serve for a term of four years.

By: Dominic Martella, Head of External Communication, Media Relations and Content, UCD University Relations