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. John previously held senior roles at Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), worked extensively on the set up of its Residential Delivery division and was its Chief Financial Officer. 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.

Geraldine is an independent consultant specialising in governance, assurance, and risk 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), Chair of the OPW’s Audit & Risk Committee and a member of the audit committees of a number of other organisations. 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.

Seamus served as Chief Executive of Donegal County Council from July 2010 until July 2020 and has extensive experience in the delivery and oversight of the various regulatory frameworks for which the Local Government Sector is responsible. Seamus also has extensive board experience in the public and community sectors. Seamus started his public service career with Donegal County Council before moving to various roles in Monaghan and Cavan Town and County Councils and 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 and is Chair of the Forestry Appeals Committee. Seamus has previously served as a board member at Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Local Government Management Agency in addition to several Community CLGs. Seamus joined the board of The Land Development Agency in November 2022.

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. His experience covered a wide variety of construction projects ranging from Industrial, Commercial, Shopping Centres, Hospitals, Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Residential, Motorways,Bridges, Airports, TV Studios, Hotels, Harbours, Waste Treatment Plants, Windfarms and Tunnels, and in particular some major capital projects. 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. From 2017 to 2019 he served as a member of the Procurement Board for the National Broadband Plan. Brian is also a Board member of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. He was appointed to the board of the Land Development Agency in November 2022.

Ann Markey is an experienced business leader and non-executive director with a strong financial background. She has over 25 years’ experience as a senior executive and as a board member. Ann has extensive experience in the electricity industry, particularly in thermal and renewable generation. She 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 ground-based solar PV and battery storage assets in the UK, Spain and Australia. She also chairs its Audit & Risk Committee. She is the Senior Independent Board member of the SEAI. Ann is a former independent member of the Audit & Risk Committee of the HSE. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, having trained and qualified with Arthur Andersen.

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 is currently the Chair of the Housing Commission, a board member of the Pyrite Resolution Board and a member of the Programme Board for International Protection.