The Board consists of two executive and five non-executive Directors. Details of the professional and educational backgrounds of each director encompassing the experience and expertise that they bring to the Board are set out below.
John B. McGuckian
Chairman
BSc (Econ)
John B. McGuckian, aged 84, has been a Director for 36 years having been appointed as a non-executive Director in 1988 and Chairman in 2004. He has a wide range of interests, both in Ireland and internationally. He is also a Director of Cooneen Textiles Limited. He is a former Director of a number of listed companies and he has previously acted as the Chairman of; the International Fund for Ireland, the Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland, UTV Media plc and as Senior Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Senate of the Queen’s University of Belfast.
Committee Membership: Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee (Chair).
Committee Membership: Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee (Chair).
Dan Clague
Independent Director
Dan Clague, aged 64, was appointed to the Board in August 2021. Dan has over 30 years' experience in investment banking and most recently held a senior position with investment bank Stephens Europe where he advised on a number of transactions in the transport and maritime sectors. He has previously held senior positions with Hawkpoint Partners, SG Hambros, ABN Amro and Baring Brothers. Prior to entering investment banking, Dan spent a number of years working in the maritime sector as a shipping and ports manager. He has global experience of both public and private company mergers and acquisitions across the transport industry including the RoRo, LoLo and port sectors. Dan is based in London.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee.
Éimear Moloney
Independent Director
FCA
Éimear Moloney, aged 53, was appointed to the Board in August 2022. Éimear has over 20 years’ experience in capital markets and most recently held a senior executive position with Zurich Life Assurance (Ireland) plc, with responsibility for managing asset allocation across various geographic portfolios. Éimear holds non-executive directorships at listed companies Kingspan Group plc where she is a member of the Audit Committee and Hostelworld Group plc where she chairs the Audit Committee. Éimear previously held a non-executive directorship at privately owned Chanelle Pharmaceuticals Group and former listed company Yew Grove Reit plc. Éimear holds a B.A. Accounting and Finance and MSc. Investment and Treasury from Dublin City University and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee (Chair), Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee (Chair), Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Lesley Williams
Senior Independent Director
B.Comm, FCISI
Lesley Williams, aged 58, was appointed to the Board in January 2021. Lesley has over 25 years’ experience in capital markets having held senior positions with Investec Bank plc as Head of Irish Equities, Euronext Dublin (formerly the Irish Stock Exchange) as Head of Irish Market and Goodbody Stockbrokers as Head of Institutional Equity Sales. Lesley is a non-executive Director of Origin Enterprises plc where she is chair of the ESG Committee. Lesley also holds a number of independent non-executive directorships in the asset management and International fund sectors. She is also a past Director of Dublin Port Company where she held the position of Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. Lesley is an Associate member of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA) from which she also holds a certificate in ESG investing and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Eamonn Rothwell
Chief Executive Officer
MBS, FCCA, CFA UK
Eamonn Rothwell, aged 68, has been a Director for 37 years having been appointed as a non-executive Director in 1987 and subsequently to the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1992. He is also a Director of Interferry European Office A.I.S.B.L. He is a former Director of The United Kingdom Mutual War Risks Association Limited, Interferry Inc and The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited. He is a past executive Director of former stockbrokers NCB Group, now part of Brewin Dolphin. Prior to that, he worked with Allied Irish Banks plc, Fáilte Ireland (The Irish Tourist Board) and as a financial journalist.
Committee Membership: Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Nomination Committee.
David Ledwidge
Chief Financial Officer
ACA, BSc (Mgmt)
David Ledwidge, aged 44, was appointed to the Board in 2016. David joined the Group in 2006 from professional services firm Deloitte where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He has held various financial positions within the Group, including Group Risk Accountant, and most recently as Finance Director of Irish Ferries. He was appointed to his current role as Group Chief Financial Officer in May 2015.
Thomas Corcoran
Company Secretary
BComm, FCA
Thomas Corcoran, aged 59, joined the Company in 1989 from the international professional services firm PwC, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He has held a number of financial positions within the Group and is currently Group Financial Controller and Company Secretary. He was appointed Company Secretary in 2001.
John B. McGuckian
Chairman
BSc (Econ)
John B. McGuckian, aged 84, has been a Director for 36 years having been appointed as a non-executive Director in 1988 and Chairman in 2004. He has a wide range of interests, both in Ireland and internationally. He is also a Director of Cooneen Textiles Limited. He is a former Director of a number of listed companies and he has previously acted as the Chairman of; the International Fund for Ireland, the Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland, UTV Media plc and as Senior Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Senate of the Queen’s University of Belfast.
Committee Membership: Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee (Chair).
Committee Membership: Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee (Chair).
Dan Clague
Independent Director
Dan Clague, aged 64, was appointed to the Board in August 2021. Dan has over 30 years' experience in investment banking and most recently held a senior position with investment bank Stephens Europe where he advised on a number of transactions in the transport and maritime sectors. He has previously held senior positions with Hawkpoint Partners, SG Hambros, ABN Amro and Baring Brothers. Prior to entering investment banking, Dan spent a number of years working in the maritime sector as a shipping and ports manager. He has global experience of both public and private company mergers and acquisitions across the transport industry including the RoRo, LoLo and port sectors. Dan is based in London.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee (Chair), Nomination Committee.
Éimear Moloney
Independent Director
FCA
Éimear Moloney, aged 53, was appointed to the Board in August 2022. Éimear has over 20 years’ experience in capital markets and most recently held a senior executive position with Zurich Life Assurance (Ireland) plc, with responsibility for managing asset allocation across various geographic portfolios. Éimear holds non-executive directorships at listed companies Kingspan Group plc where she is a member of the Audit Committee and Hostelworld Group plc where she chairs the Audit Committee. Éimear previously held a non-executive directorship at privately owned Chanelle Pharmaceuticals Group and former listed company Yew Grove Reit plc. Éimear holds a B.A. Accounting and Finance and MSc. Investment and Treasury from Dublin City University and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee (Chair), Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee (Chair), Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Lesley Williams
Senior Independent Director
B.Comm, FCISI
Lesley Williams, aged 58, was appointed to the Board in January 2021. Lesley has over 25 years’ experience in capital markets having held senior positions with Investec Bank plc as Head of Irish Equities, Euronext Dublin (formerly the Irish Stock Exchange) as Head of Irish Market and Goodbody Stockbrokers as Head of Institutional Equity Sales. Lesley is a non-executive Director of Origin Enterprises plc where she is chair of the ESG Committee. Lesley also holds a number of independent non-executive directorships in the asset management and International fund sectors. She is also a past Director of Dublin Port Company where she held the position of Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. Lesley is an Associate member of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA) from which she also holds a certificate in ESG investing and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee.
Eamonn Rothwell
Chief Executive Officer
MBS, FCCA, CFA UK
Eamonn Rothwell, aged 68, has been a Director for 37 years having been appointed as a non-executive Director in 1987 and subsequently to the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1992. He is also a Director of Interferry European Office A.I.S.B.L. He is a former Director of The United Kingdom Mutual War Risks Association Limited, Interferry Inc and The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited. He is a past executive Director of former stockbrokers NCB Group, now part of Brewin Dolphin. Prior to that, he worked with Allied Irish Banks plc, Fáilte Ireland (The Irish Tourist Board) and as a financial journalist.
Committee Membership: Nomination Committee.
Committee Membership: Nomination Committee.
David Ledwidge
Chief Financial Officer
ACA, BSc (Mgmt)
David Ledwidge, aged 44, was appointed to the Board in 2016. David joined the Group in 2006 from professional services firm Deloitte where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He has held various financial positions within the Group, including Group Risk Accountant, and most recently as Finance Director of Irish Ferries. He was appointed to his current role as Group Chief Financial Officer in May 2015.
Thomas Corcoran
Company Secretary
BComm, FCA
Thomas Corcoran, aged 59, joined the Company in 1989 from the international professional services firm PwC, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He has held a number of financial positions within the Group and is currently Group Financial Controller and Company Secretary. He was appointed Company Secretary in 2001.