Governance

Cormac O’Rourke is a corporate finance specialist covering energy, infrastructure and the Semi-State sector. He has nearly 35 years of experience in investment banking, during which he was a Director of Goodbody Corporate Finance, EMEA Head of Project Finance of KBC Bank NV and Investment Director of ESBI. He started his career in the ESB as a Steam and Gas Turbine specialist. He has degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering. He was appointed Chair of the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency in January 2013 and became the first Chair of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) following their merger in August 2015. He retired as Chair of TII in November 2021. He was appointed Chair Designate of the LDA in December 2021, and became Chair on incorporation of the LDA in March 2022.

John Coleman has been Chief Executive of the Land Development Agency since its inception in September 2018. He was responsible for creating the LDA concept, strategy and organisation from scratch, and then scaling it to be one of Ireland’s most significant housing delivery and land assembly vehicles with a staff of over 200 people. John was previously Chief Financial Officer at Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) and worked extensively on the set up of its Residential Delivery division. John is a graduate of University College Dublin (BComm) and a chartered accountant (FCA). Prior to joining NAMA in 2011 he worked in banking and accountancy.

Jenny Connors is a Principal Officer in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, she is currently responsible for the Housing, Planning and Local Government Vote. Her previous roles in Public Expenditure included working in the Health Vote Section and leading the Social Protection Vote. Jenny also previously held the role of Head of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service. Throughout this experience, she has steered various analytical research projects to provide policy insights on the labour market, employment and health expenditure. She holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Finance, and a Masters in Economic Analysis from the University of Limerick.

Brian Keogh is a Chartered Civil Engineer (U.C.D. 1972), a European Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers in Ireland. He retired from John Sisk & Son Ltd in 2012 after 40 years’ service in the Construction Industry, having served on the main board since 1990. During his term on the board, he held the position of Director of Civil Engineering and Director of Health & Safety, Quality & Environmental Management. He served on the board of several Sisk associated companies and joint ventures and has worked-on projects in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Germany and Poland.

Brian is a Board member of the Digital Hub Development Agency since 2016 where he is also Chairman of the Property Committee. Brian is also a Board member of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.

Ann Markey is an experienced business leader and non-executive director with over 25 years experience across a range of businesses. Ann has a strong financial background. She has extensive experience in the electricity industry and was a senior executive with ESB and with Greencoat Capital, a large renewable energy investment manager. Her experience spans electricity infrastructure and customer services businesses, as well as investing in low carbon technologies. Ann is an independent non-executive director of Foresight Solar Fund Limited, a FTSE 250 company, which invests in utility scale solar PV and battery storage assets mainly in the UK. She also chairs its Audit & Risk Committee. She is the Senior Independent Board member of the SEAI. Ann is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Seamus served as Chief Executive of Donegal County Council from July 2010 until July 2020 and has extensive board experience in the public and community sectors. Seamus holds an honours degree in Business Studies from Ulster University and an MBA from Dublin City University. Seamus has broad experience at a senior management level in operations and general management particularly in the Local Government Sector. He is currently also a Board Member of the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority, the City of Derry Airport Ltd, and is Chairperson of the Forestry Appeals Committee. Seamus has previously served as a board member at Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Local Government Management Agency.

John O’Connor has considerable knowledgeable of and experienced in the Irish housing and construction sectors. He has significant experience in policy development and implementation in relation to social, cost rental and affordable housing. He was the CEO of the Housing Agency and prior to that CEO of the Affordable Homes Partnership; and Executive Manager of the Housing & Communities Department in Dublin City Council. He worked in the construction and manufacturing sectors before moving to the public sector. He holds degrees in both civil and structural engineering along with qualifications in project management and organisational governance. He Chaired the Housing Commission and is a board member of the Pyrite Resolution Board and a member of the Programme Board for International Protection.

John Palmer is Head of EU Banking and Payments Policy in the Banking Division of the Department of Finance.  His previous roles in Banking Division include leading the Retail Banking Review, which was published in November 2023, and the Head of Consumer Protection Policy and SME Access to Credit.  John has held a wide variety of other roles in the Department including being the Head of the Central Budget Office and Statistics Unit from 2012 to 2018 and he also served as the Budget Attaché in Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union for four years up to 2006.  He hold a primary degree in geology and a Masters in Business Administration from Trinity College Dublin.  John also holds Certified Banking Director and Certified Investment Funds Director qualifications from the Institute of Bankers.

Geraldine is an independent consultant specialising in governance and internal audit advisory services. Prior to this she was National Director of Internal Audit for the HSE and Tusla, and she has also held senior audit roles with the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General (OC&AG). She is a Non-Executive Director of the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA) and a member of the audit committees of a number of central government departments. She is a qualified accountant (FCCA) and chartered internal auditor (CMIIA) and holds a Doctorate in Governance, an MA in Public Management, and a Diploma in Company Direction.