Governance & Transparency

Anne Heraty was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in September 2019 and was appointed as Chair in January 2023. She is the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of CPL Resources plc which she established in 1989 and played a key role in developing to become Ireland’s leading employment services company. In 1999, Anne floated CPL Resources, becoming the first female head of an Irish listed company. Anne won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006, was named Business & Finance “Business Person of the Year 2014,” and Irish Times Business Person of the Year 2021. She sits on the boards of Kingspan Group plc, Ibec and Sherry Fitzgerald. Anne is a founding member of Endeavour in Ireland. Anne is Chair of Barretstown’s Nominations & Remuneration Committee.

Patrick Flanagan was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in June 2020. Patrick works as a Business Development Consultant to a number of leading Irish companies and has been involved in the financial services sector in both Ireland and in the UK for many years. Patrick has been associated with Barretstown since 2014 when his daughter Alice was a camper. Since 2016, he has represented Barretstown at the National Cancer Strategy Forum. Patrick is Co-Chair of Barretstown’s Childcare Advisory Committee.

Liam Kavanagh was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in June 2020. Liam is a Chartered Director and Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants. Liam is the CEO of the RDS and also acts as a consultant / non executive director to a number of private companies. He is a former Managing Director of The Irish Times Group and a former President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as an external member of the Finance Committee of Trinity College Dublin. Liam is a member of Barretstown’s Finance & Audit Committee.

Colm McDonnell joined the Board of Barretstown in February 2017. Colm has been a Partner in Deloitte since 2007 and has worked there for over 32 years. He is the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Leader for Ireland and a highly experienced partner with a passion for serving clients. Prior to his current role, Colm was the COO of Deloitte’s Risk Advisory business in North South Europe, a business approaching close to $1 billion in annual revenues. He also led the Irish Risk Advisory business for ten years and sat on the Irish firm’s Executive. For four years Colm was also the Clients and Markets leader for Deloitte in Ireland and sat on the European C&M team. Through working with numerous clients, Colm has gained invaluable insight and knowledge across all business sectors. He and his team support clients in risk management, information and cyber risk, regulatory compliance and internal audit through business process and technology specialism. Colm leads the Deloitte engagement with the non-executive director community and runs the Deloitte NED Programme. He spent nine years on the Board of Dublin Chamber of Commerce and served as Treasurer for six years during that period. Colm was previously a Board member of St Patrick’s University Hospital Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and a member of ISACA and the Institute of Internal Auditors. Colm is Chair of Barretstown’s Risk & Governance Committee.

David McKeown was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in November 2018. He is Co-CEO of his family business, Kilsaran International, which he has been involved in for over 20 years. Prior to his appointment as Co-CEO, David spent eight years as Group Sales Director. Kilsaran International is Ireland’s largest family-owned construction material supplier with over 28 locations serving all aspects of the Irish Construction Industry. As well as a strong Irish presence, Kilsaran International has a well-established customer base in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain. David is Chair of Barretstown’s Development Committee.

John O’Brien was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in May 2017. Since 2014, John has been Managing Director of his family-owned business, O’Brien Fine Foods. Before joining the family business, John worked as a Trainee Accountant with Patrick McDonnell & Co in Newbridge. In 2003, he joined the finance department of O’Brien Fine Foods before making the move to sales. During the intervening years, John grew the business to become the leading cooked meats producer on the island of Ireland, with a growing international presence. John is Chair of Barretstown’s Finance & Audit Committee and is a member of the Development Committee.

John Paul Scally (J.P.) was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in November 2018. J.P. is the Chief Executive Officer of Lidl Ireland and Lidl Northern Ireland. He joined Lidl as a Graduate in 2003, initially in the Construction area of the business, having qualified with an engineering degree from the National University of Ireland, Galway. J.P. subsequently held a number of roles with Lidl in Logistics and Sales Operations from 2004 until 2012. J.P. developed an understanding of the international retail landscape while sitting on the Board of Lidl France from 2012 to 2015. J.P. has been CEO of Lidl Ireland and Lidl Northern Ireland since his return from France in 2015 and oversees the 215 stores across the island with over 2 million weekly customers. J.P. is a member of Barretstown’s Development Committee.

Dr Peter McCarthy was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in March 2021. Peter is a Consultant Haematologist with a special interest in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer at the National Children’s Cancer Service at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and St James’s Hospital. Peter graduated from University College Cork Medical School in 2012. He completed his basic paediatric training at Temple Street and Crumlin Children’s Hospitals, and he completed higher specialist training in Haematology (with a focus on Paediatric and Adolescent Haemato-Oncology) in 2022. In the summer of 2010, Peter worked as an Activity Leader at Barretstown and he has continued to volunteer there as a Cara and in the Med Shed. Peter is Co-Chair of Barretstown’s Childcare Advisory Committee.

Tom Berrigan was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in March 2022. He is currently the Managing Director of IQ-EQ Ireland and has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services sector. Tom is a Certified Investment Fund Director and a member of the Institute of Bankers. Tom is a member of Barretstown’s Finance & Audit Committee.

Eimear Caslin was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in March 2022. Eimear has been General Manager of GSK Ireland Pharmaceuticals since 2017. She has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 30 years and is focused on enabling a positive health impact by working with stakeholders to ensure medicines and vaccines reach appropriate patients. She is particularly passionate about culture and is a strong advocate for the benefits that diversity brings to the performance and culture of an organisation. Eimear holds a Diploma in Company Direction, a MSc in Strategic Management, a Higher Diploma in Marketing Practice and a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association’s (IPHA) Strategy Board and is a Director of GSK Ireland. Eimear has been a member of Barretstown’s Risk & Governance Committee since 2020.

Louise O’Byrne joined the Board of Barretstown in March 2022. Louise is a Partner at Arthur Cox LLP. Arthur Cox LLP is one of Ireland’s leading commercial law firms. Louise is based in Dublin and specialises in Employment and Industrial Relations Law. Louise is also a member of the Employment and Equality Committee at the Law Society of Ireland. Louise is a member of Barretstown’s Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Dr. Karen O’Neill was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in March 2022. She currently works as a Specialist Registrar in Paediatrics in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin. She completed her medical studies at Trinity College Dublin in 2017 and also holds an MSc in Clinical Research with the University of Galway. Karen has volunteered with Barretstown since 2012, worked as part of the summer staff team for two years, and continues to volunteer in the Med Shed. Karen is a member of Barretstown’s Childcare Advisory Committee.

Prof. Brian MacCraith was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in September 2020. Prof. MacCraith was President of Dublin City University (DCU) from 2010 to 2020, during which time DCU grew significantly in terms of scale, footprint, and reputation. During that period, DCU doubled its student numbers and added three new campuses to its original base in Glasnevin. Brian is a member of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA), an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Physics, an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Ireland, and a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineers. During the COVID pandemic, he was the government-appointed Chair of the High-Level Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccination. His current responsibilities include his roles as Chair of the Board of the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and of the Board of Trustees of Genio. He is also Chair of the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces and is Senior Advisor to the President of Arizona State University (ASU), with specific responsibility for the development of strategic initiatives in Europe. Prof. MacCraith is a member of Barretstown’s Nominations & Remuneration Committee.

Bob Casey was appointed to the Board of Barretstown in September 2023. Bob is based in Dublin and is the Managing Director of Korn Ferry Ireland. Korn Ferry is a global organisational consulting firm that works with clients to design optimal organisation structures, roles, and responsibilities. They help them hire the right people and advise on how to reward and motivate their workforce while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers. Bob is a former professional rugby player, having represented Leinster, London Irish, Ireland and the Barbarians. His previous experience includes a Senior Business Development Manager role in a leading waste to energy business in England and CEO of a Premiership Rugby franchise. Bob has a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Dublin. He also holds an Advanced Management Programme qualification from Ashridge/Hult Business School. Bob is a member of Barretstown’s Development Committee.