Governance, Board and Strategy | Irish Chamber Orchestra
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Governance, Board and Strategy

Our Strategy 2024

After over 50 years of delivering musical excellence and world-class performances to Irish and international audiences, this strategy facilitates the Irish Chamber Orchestra’s continued journey of development and discovery. We’re extending our reach and impact, exploring new musical styles and collaborating with other artists and organisations to create truly unique musical experiences which respond to the desires of both existing and new audiences.

Our Board of Trustees

Over many years, we have thrived with the support of a board that has included such illustrious members as Mary Robinson and Dr Ed Walsh, founding president of UL. It was the passion of these forward-thinking leaders that has enabled the orchestra to grow throughout its history, and that same thirst for excellence read drives us today.

Chair of Irish Chamber Orchestra and is a director of Communiqué International, one of Ireland’s foremost leadership communications consultancies, where she specialises in facilitation and stakeholder engagement. She has had a long-term involvement with the arts in Ireland, serving on the board of the Arts Council 2006-2016. She was appointed Deputy Chair of the Council in 2012. A fluent Irish speaker and harper, Aibhlín is a passionate advocate for the harp in Ireland and is a founder member and Chair of Cruit Éireann|Harp Ireland. She has also served on the board of the Traditional Music Archive and is currently Deputy Chair of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and a board member of glór Theatre in Ennis, Co Clare. She joined the board of the ICO in March 2017, and was appointed to the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick in 2020.

General Counsel at Aer Rianta International (ARI) where he leads a team of lawyers that support ARI’s global operations. Gareth began his career as a lawyer with Matheson, one of Ireland’s leading law firms where he spent 8 years advising both Irish and multinational clients with a particular focus on outsourcing, commercial contracts, FMCG, privacy and technology. Subsequent to this, Gareth went on to work in senior roles at Bord Gáis Energy and at WhatsApp. During his tenure at WhatsApp, Gareth was Head of Legal for Europe, Middle East and Africa, a board director of WhatsApp Ireland, as well as Site Lead for WhatsApp at its International HQ in Dublin. In addition to his role as General Counsel at ARI, Gareth is ARI’s first Executive Sponsor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion having launched ARI’s inaugural Global Diversity, Equity Framework and the establishment of a Global DE&I Committee during 2021. Gareth holds a Bachelor Degree in Business and Law from University College Dublin, a Diploma in Finance law from the Law Society of Ireland, and is licensed to practice law in Ireland, and in England and Wales. He joined the ICO Board in March 2023.

One of Ireland’s leading arts and cultural managers with over twenty years experience in a diverse range of creative and management roles in the Arts and Heritage sectors. She is a music graduate of Trinity College Dublin and holds a Masters of Science from Dublin Institute of Technology in Business and Marketing. She is currently Director of National Historic Properties with the Office of Public Works. Prior to her appointment to the OPW, Rosemary was Executive Director of Opera Theatre Company where she was instrumental in the development of the strategic plan for the merger of OTC with Wide Open Opera to create Irish National Opera now in operation. Rosemary has also worked as Director of Kilkenny Arts Festival where she brought Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Company to Ireland for the very first time and where she doubled festival ticket sales and sponsorship income over two festivals. Previously the Head of Music and Opera at the Arts Council, Rosemary has long been a supporter of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Rosemary was a founding member of both the Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda and Wide Open Opera and has served on the boards of the Droichead Arts Centre and Susliving. She is a lifelong member of the GAA and she currently sits on the board of the GAA Museum, Croke Park. Rosemary joined the board of the ICO in June 2018.

Born and raised in Cork, Tom is a Consultant Surgeon at St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group, Dublin; an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery in UCD, and an honorary consultant surgeon in CHI, Crumlin. He graduated from RCSI in 2003 and trained subsequently in Dublin, Hong Kong, Edinburgh and Chicago. He sits on the executive council of the European Hepatobiliary Association and has a strong academic and publication record to complement his clinical commitments. He also supervises a pancreas cancer research lab between St. Vincent’s and UCD and holds a diploma in Corporate Governance. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons and the European Board of Surgery. Music has always played an important role for Tom who was an accomplished piano and violin player in his youth. He joined the ICO board in July 2024.

A People Leader with over 30 years’ experience of HR and business transformation spanning several sectors including technology, financial services, and FMCG. Most recently she was part of the executive team at the Irish FinTech Fenergo, other roles include HR Director for Dell’s campuses in the UK and Ireland, and positions with Unilever and Marks and Spencer.
Caroline was appointed to the Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland in May 2024 and sits on HR Committee of Volunteer Ireland.
She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Dublin, a Diploma in Mediation from Maynooth University, and a Diploma in Leadership, Strategy and Governance from the Institute of Directors.

A partner with Amesto Global, a corporate services and advisory firm assisting companies to expand and grow internationally. He joined Amesto Global having spent the last 29 years with BDO, the world’s fifth largest accounting and advisory firm. Ger was a senior partner in the business advisory area of the Irish practice with specific responsibility for outsourcing and professional services to the aviation industry. In addition, over the years, Ger has gained invaluable experience in assisting clients with the strategic growth of their business including sales and acquisitions, business restructuring and fundraising. Prior to working with BDO, Ger worked with KPMG in the New York and Channel Island offices. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Directors, the Marketing Institute, the Expert Witness Institute and holds a Diploma in Insolvency. He joined the ICO Board in February 2020.

Sara Moorhead is a Senior Counsel and a CEDR Accredited Mediator who has been practising as an independent advocate since 1989. She has extensive experience in the Arts world having been initially involved as a director of Wide Open Opera until their merger to become Irish National Opera. She has been a director of Irish National Opera for six years until the end of December 2023 when her term came to an end. She was extensively involved in the preparation and bidding for the Opera contract and presented it to the Arts Council.
She is also a director of the Irish Georgian Society which is extensively involved in the preservation and promotion of heritage within Ireland and worldwide. She has been a director of the Irish Georgian Society for five years.
As part of her career at the Bar, she devised a Transition Year Programme known as “Look into Law” for students in transition year which would permit them to have access to the courts, the Judges and Practitioners for a period of one week every year. The Look into Law Programme was specifically designed with disadvantaged schools in mind and preference at all times have been given to such disadvantaged schools in terms of awarding places.

Karen Morton is a Chartered Director with 20+ years’ commercial leadership experience. Karen has extensive commercial, strategy, governance and marketing expertise in Ireland, UK, US and internationally across both private and listed companies including Dell, British Airways, eir and Monster.com. Karen is a graduate of the University of Limerick where she received an Honours Degree in Marketing & French. Karen is a Non-Executive Director on the boards of daa plc, Shaws Department Stores, Fanagans Funeral Directors and a previous Board member of the University of Limerick Alumni Association. Karen is an assessor for the Institute of Directors Chartered Director programme. She joined the ICO Board in June 2018.

Partner in A&L Goodbody Solicitors, one of Ireland's leading corporate law firms. Gearoid joined A&L Goodbody in 2003 and he qualified as a solicitor in 2006. Gearóid's specialist practice areas are Finance and Capital Markets law, on which he advises many of the leading Irish and international corporate and financial institutions. He also takes an active part in the firm's CSR programme. Gearóid started his career in business with IDA Ireland in 1978, working firstly in Dublin and then Hong Kong. Following that he worked in the financial markets in Hong Kong and Japan, where his clients included blue chip Japanese, US and European banking groups. On his return to Ireland in 1999, Gearóid studied law in UCD, completing his degree in 2002. Gearóid also has a BA in economic science from UCD. He joined the ICO Board in June 2018.

Governance Documents

The Irish Chamber Orchestra is committed to complying with the Statement for Guiding Principles. The Fundraising Compliance Statement has been formally discussed and adopted at a meeting of its Board of Directors. The ICO comply with the Governance Code for Community, voluntary and charitable organisations in Ireland.

The Irish Chamber Orchestra is a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital. The company is governed by the Board which meets at least four times annually.

The Irish Chamber Orchestra recognises the importance of maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance in the interest of all our stakeholders. The Board has adopted codes of best practice which go beyond the minimum legal requirements in order to ensure the highest level of transparency and accountability.