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Governance

Overview

We believe in effective, accountable and transparent governance. Trócaire is governed by our Company Members, Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

Trócaire is the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. The charity was established as a Trust, governed by a Trust Deed. In November 2019 Trócaire was restructured from being a Trust to be a Company Limited by Guarantee. Trócaire’s company number is 661147 and our charity number is 20204842.

Trócaire (Northern Ireland) is a subsidiary of Trócaire. It is a registered charity in Northern Ireland with a Charity Commission Number 103321. It is a Company Limited by Guarantee with a company number NI021482.

The Company Members of Trócaire are appointed by the Catholic Church’s Episcopal Conference. There are seven Company Members, who are the custodians of Trócaire’s mission, ethos and values.

They appoint a Board of Directors consisting of up to 14 members. This independent board oversees strategy, structure and budgets. Our board members are volunteers. They are not remunerated for their work. They serve a maximum of two, three-year terms. This is to ensure skills and ideas are regularly refreshed.

Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) manages Trócaire on a day-to-day basis. Led by CEO Caoimhe de Barra, there are five members of the ELT. The CEO reports to both the Board of Directors and the Company Members.

Governance

Executive Leadership

Trócaire’s five-person Executive Leadership Team (ELT) manages the organisation strategy and operations.

Caoimhe de Barra

CEO Trócaire

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Finola Finnan

Deputy Director of Trócaire and Director of Strategy, Programmes and Advocacy

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Gwen Dempsey

Director of Ireland Programmes

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Sorcha Fennell

Director of International

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Dearbhla Fitzsimons

Director of Corporate Services

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Trócaire Board

Trócaire’s voluntary independent board oversees strategy, structure and budgets.

Bishop William Crean (Chair)

Chairperson of Trócaire, Bishop of Cloyne and Trócaire Company Member

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Karen Gallagher

Board Member and Chair of the Ireland Committee

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Martin O’Brien

Board Member and Chair of Trócaire Northern Ireland

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Annette Honan

Board member and Funding & Public Engagement Committee member

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David Donoghue

Board Member and Chair of International Programmes Advisory Committee

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Emma Murray

Board Member and Audit and Risk Committee Member

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Karen Dillon

Board Member, Company Secretary and Member of the Nominations Committee

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Matt Walsh

Deputy Chair, Board Member and Chair of the Nominations Committee

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Bishop Fintan Monahan

Bishop of Killaloe, Board Member and Member of the Nominations Committee

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Melissa Bosch

Board Member, Chair of Organisation Human Resources Committee and Member of the Nominations Committee

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Caroline Gathii

Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

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Paul Corcoran

Board Member

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Board Apprentice

The Board Apprentice attends as an observer. The Board Apprentice’s attendance is for the purpose of education in the running of and the responsibilities and duties of a Board of Directors.

Toyosi Odukoya

Board Apprentice (Non Board Member - Observer)

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Board of Directors (NI)

Trócaire’s voluntary independent board oversees strategy, structure and budgets.

Martin O’Brien

Chair

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Dr M. Satish Kumar

Director

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Catriona McCarthy

Director

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Nicola Skelly

Director

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Company

The Company Members are the custodians of Trócaire’s mission and values

Archbishop Eamon Martin

Chairman of Company Members of Trócaire, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland

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Archbishop Dermot Farrell

Archbishop of Dublin

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Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly

Archbishop of Cashel and Emly

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Bishop William Crean

Bishop of Cloyne and Chair of the Trócaire Board of Directors

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Archbishop Francis Duffy

Archbishop of Tuam

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Bishop Alan McGuckian

Bishop of Raphoe

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Caoimhe de Barra

Caoimhe de Barra

CEO Trócaire

Caoimhe was appointed Trócaire CEO in October 2018, twenty-one years after first joining the organisation. Her first role was as Campaigns Officer, later becoming Policy and Advocacy Coordinator. She moved to Mozambique in 2007 to take up the role of Assistant Regional Manager for Southern Africa with Trócaire. In 2011 she was appointed Director of Trócaire’s International Division. A fluent Irish speaker, Caoimhe is from Dublin and continues to live there with her husband, Carl, and two sons, Fionán and Ferdia. Caoimhe has a Masters in Development Studies from University College Dublin.

Finola Finnan

Finola Finnan

Deputy Director of Trócaire and Director of Strategy, Programmes and Advocacy

Finola joined Trócaire in 2005 as HIV Adviser. She served as Programme Lead for Gender Equality and HIV, later becoming Head of Development Programmes. In 2015, she was appointed the Director of Strategy, Programmes and Advocacy. She was appointed Deputy Executive Director in 2015. Prior to joining Trócaire, Finola worked in Oxfam Ireland, Irish Aid and Trinity College Dublin on health strategy, policy and research
Gwen Dempsey

Gwen Dempsey

Director of Ireland Programmes

Gwen joined Trócaire in 2016 as Director of Fundraising and Marketing. She has over 20 years’ experience with blue chip companies including ARYZTA, Bord Na Mona and Cadbury Trebor Bassett. Prior to joining Trócaire, Gwen worked with LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.

Sorcha Fennell

Sorcha Fennell

Director of International

Sorcha joined Trócaire in 1998. She has held a wide range of roles in the organisation and has spent 16 years working overseas in Latin America and Africa. Since returning to Ireland in 2013, Sorcha has worked as a Regional Manager for Trócaire’s work in Central, West and Southern Africa and more recently as Head of Strategic Projects. She was appointed Director of International Operations in April 2021.

Dearbhla Fitzsimons

Dearbhla Fitzsimons

Director of Corporate Services

Dearbhla was appointed Director of Corporate Services in May 2020. She joined Trócaire in 2011 as Head of Internal Audit and has been our Head of Standards and Compliance since 2018. Dearbhla is a dual qualified chartered accountant and internal auditor. She has a broad background in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, having previously worked in financial services, marketing and advertising, management consultancy, local and national government.

Bishop William Crean (Chair)

Bishop William Crean (Chair)

Chairperson of Trócaire, Bishop of Cloyne and Trócaire Company Member

Bishop Crean of Cloyne Diocese heads up Trócaire’s Executive Board, which oversees the financial and operational management of the organisation. He was appointed Chair of Trócaire in June 2013.

Karen Gallagher

Karen Gallagher

Board Member and Chair of the Ireland Committee

Karen Gallagher is a Fundraising Consultant has over 20 years’ experience in the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. Karen was previously Head of Concern Worldwide in Northern Ireland and has held a number of interim CEO roles in other leading not for profits. Karen has been on the Board of Trócaire Northern Ireland since 2016 and assumed the role of Chair in 2019.

Martin O’Brien

Martin O’Brien

Board Member and Chair of Trócaire Northern Ireland

Martin O’Brien is the Executive Director of the Social Change Initiative (SCI), a Belfast-based international NGO working with activists and donors to support and improve the effectiveness of their work for progressive social change, particularly in divided societies. Prior to joining SCI, Martin worked at the Atlantic Philanthropies where he was Senior Vice President. Martin previously led the Committee on the Administration of Justice in NI (CAJ).

Annette Honan

Annette Honan

Board member and Funding & Public Engagement Committee member

Annette was a post-primary teacher before becoming engaged in justice education full-time. She was Coordinator of Education and Campaigns with Trócaire between 1995 and 2002. Annette currently works as a consultant for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). She has responsibility for curriculum development in a range of subjects.

David Donoghue

David Donoghue

Board Member and Chair of International Programmes Advisory Committee

David was one of the Irish Government’s negotiators for the Good Friday Agreement. He also served as Irish Ambassador in Russia, Germany and Austria. From 2001-4 he was the Director General of Ireland’s development co-operation programme, today known as Irish Aid. As Political Director from 2009-13, he had responsibilityfor Ireland’s overall foreign policy. From 2013-17 Ambassador Donoghue was the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations in New York. He served as co-facilitator (with Kenya) for the UN negotiations which led to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. He also served as co-facilitator (with Jordan) for the negotiations which produced the New York Declaration on large movements of refugees and migrants, adopted at a special summit in September 2016.

Emma Murray

Emma Murray

Board Member and Audit and Risk Committee Member

Emma is an Associate Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). She holds the position of audit partner for businesses and charities in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Emma has worked as part of the Assurance practice of PwC for almost 16 years. She also spent two years within Business Recovery Services.

Karen Dillon

Karen Dillon

Board Member, Company Secretary and Member of the Nominations Committee

Karen is a Chartered Accountant specialising in risk management and corporate governance. She is the Chief Risk Officer for AIB Merchant Services. She has previously worked with KPMG, AIB, and Ulster Bank. Karen is the Director of a Professional Diploma for the Institution of Chartered Accountants.

Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh

Deputy Chair, Board Member and Chair of the Nominations Committee

Matt is Executive Director of Human Resources for Allergan in Ireland. He was previously Director of Corporate Affairs with Trócaire. Matt was Associate Director of HR with Pfizer BioPharma. He has also worked for companies including Aer Lingus, Xerox and Coca-Cola. Matt holds an MBA and an MSc in Human Resource Development and is a member of CIPD.

Bishop Fintan Monahan

Bishop Fintan Monahan

Bishop of Killaloe, Board Member and Member of the Nominations Committee

Bishop Fintan Monahan was ordained in June 1991. He taught at Saint Jarlath’s College in Tuam from 1993-2006. He became Bishop of Killaloe in September 2016. He is a member of various bodies, including the Communications Council of the Irish Episcopal Conference.

Melissa Bosch

Melissa Bosch

Board Member, Chair of Organisation Human Resources Committee and Member of the Nominations Committee

Melissa Bosch – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist and DE&I Country Lead EY Ireland.

Melissa is an award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion strategist and leadership consultant. Through behavioural and culture change programmes she has successfully embedded equitable practices. She positively influences the systems and interactions that support unlocking individual, community and organisational potential by striving for equity, inclusion and belonging.

Her ethos is seeded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu – the universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity – and the belief that incredible things happen when people feel seen, connected, valued, empowered, and involved.

 Caroline Gathii

Caroline Gathii

Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Caroline is a Director at FirstIdea Consulting Limited, a bouquet advisory firm specialising in Enterprise Risk Management in Africa. She has over 20 years’ experience, having previously worked with PwC, KPMG, and the European Union.

She is a Board Member of Faulu Bank and chairs the Risk and Compliance Committee of the Bank. She also serves as an Independent Member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Africa Economic Research Consortium (AERC).

Paul Corcoran

Paul Corcoran

Board Member

Paul is Chief Operating Officer with the Hierarchy General Purposes Trust, the registered charitable trust responsible for the overall operational management and leadership of the work of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He has previously worked in senior leadership roles with the Ulster Bank Group and First Active Bancassurance.

Toyosi Odukoya

Toyosi Odukoya

Board Apprentice (Non Board Member - Observer)

Toyosi Odukoya is a strategy, innovation, and digital transformation leader with experience applying insights and analytics to ensure organizations harness their competitive advantage to drive growth and impact. She has a strong track record of successfully developing, launching, and scaling business transformation functions in the Telecommunications, FMCG, and  Non-for-Profit sectors.

She currently leads Business Intelligence Operations for the Mastercard Foundation across Africa and Canada. Prior to her current role, Toyosi was Digital Transformation Director for Coca-Cola, West & Central Africa and previously worked as Senior Manager, Business Intelligence for MTN Nigeria.

Toyosi is an advocate for women and youth empowerment, and is currently involved with many youths & women-focused initiatives.

Martin O’Brien

Martin O’Brien

Chair

Martin O’Brien is the Executive Director of the Social Change Initiative (SCI), a Belfast-based international NGO working with activists and donors to support and improve the effectiveness of their work for progressive social change, particularly in divided societies. Prior to joining SCI, Martin worked at the Atlantic Philanthropies where he was Senior Vice President. Martin previously led the Committee on the Administration of Justice in NI (CAJ).

Dr M. Satish Kumar

Dr M. Satish Kumar

Director

Dr M. Satish Kumar was the former Director of Queen’s Academy India and Director for Internationalisation for the School of Natural and Built Environment. With over 23 years at Queen’s University Belfast, his knowledge and expertise are widely sought by Governments, charities and other national and international organisations. In recognition of his global profile, he was recently nominated as a Distinguished Honorary Chair of Global Sustainable Development Goals, India. He was awarded the Belfast Ambassador Medal (2020); The Queen’s University Teaching Award (2014) and the Bhoovigyan (Earth Scientist, 2002). He has held a number of visiting professorship positions in India and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Higher Education Academy. He is the Chair of BAME-Mental Health Charity, NI.

Catriona McCarthy

Catriona McCarthy

Director

Catriona McCarthy is Director for Global Engagement at Ulster University.  She has spent 20 years in the internationalisation of Higher Education, having previously worked for a number of Scottish Universities. Catriona is Vice Chair of the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA) and serves as a member of both the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) International Advisory Group and is also on the Strategic Advisory Committee of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).  She sits on the Advisory Board of two successful Ed-Tech companies and on the Visit Belfast Ambassador Circle Steering Group. 

Nicola Skelly

Nicola Skelly

Director

Nicola Skelly is the Washington Ireland Program’s Executive Director and has twenty years’ senior experience in higher level education, heading up the Vice-Chancellor’s office at Queen’s University Belfast, and holding a previous position as Head of the University’s Research Policy and Postgraduate Office. An advisor to five Vice-Chancellors at Queen’s University, Nicola has provided integral support on complex and sensitive issues and has worked closely with global figures such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, whilst leading the development and implementation of the work of the Queen’s University Executive Board.

Archbishop Eamon Martin

Archbishop Eamon Martin

Chairman of Company Members of Trócaire, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland

Archbishop Eamon Martin was ordained a priest for the diocese of Derry in 1987. He became Archbishop of Armagh in September 2014. Archbishop Martin is President of the Bishops’ Conference.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell

Archbishop Dermot Farrell

Archbishop of Dublin

Dermot Farrell was conferred by the Pontifical University, Maynooth, with Licence in Theology in 1981. In 1988 he was awarded a Doctoral Degree from the Gregorian University in Rome. Appointed as Bishop of Ossory in January 2018, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop-elect Dermot Farrell as Archbishop of Dublin on 29 December 2020. He is a former President of St. Patrick’s College.

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly

Archbishop of Cashel and Emly

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly was ordained in June 1978. He became Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in January 2015. He is a member of various bodies, including the Episcopal Commission for Social Issues and International Affairs.

Bishop William Crean

Bishop William Crean

Bishop of Cloyne and Chair of the Trócaire Board of Directors

Bishop William Crean was ordained in 1976. He has been Chair of Trócaire since March 2013. He is also a member of the Episcopal Commission for Social Issues and International Affairs.

Archbishop Francis Duffy

Archbishop Francis Duffy

Archbishop of Tuam

Archbishop Francis studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Kilmore on 20 June 1982 in Saint Mogue’s Church, Bawnboy, Co Cavan by Bishop Francis MacKiernan.  After completing the Higher Diploma in Education, he taught in St. Patrick’s College, Cavan, for eleven years.  Then, after two years of postgraduate studies, he was appointed principal of Fatima and Felim’s Secondary School, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim in 1996.

After twelve years as principal, Archbishop Francis was appointed Diocesan Secretary and Financial Administrator and Chancellor of the Diocese of Kilmore.  During that time he was resident priest in the parish of Laragh, Co Cavan.  On 17 July 2013 he was appointed by Pope Francis as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois with his episcopal ordination taking place on 6 October 2013 at Saint Mary’s Church, Athlone.  He served as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois for eight years until his appointment as Archbishop of Tuam on 10 November 2021.  Archbishop Francis was installed as Archbishop of Tuam in the Cathedral of the Assumption on Sunday, 9 January 2022.

Bishop Alan McGuckian

Bishop Alan McGuckian

Bishop of Raphoe

Bishop Alan McGuckian is a member of the Standing Committee, Irish Episcopal Conference representative to ICEL; Chairman of the Council for Justice and Peace/NICCOSA, Member of the Council for Pastoral Renewal and Adult Faith development, Liaison Bishop with Pax Christi Ireland.

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